330 IN MEMORY OF MARIANNE NORTH. 



followed a trip round the world, with stoppages for work in Cali- 

 fornia, Japan, Borneo, Java, Singapore, and Ceylon, and thence 

 homeward again. The same year she returned to India, visiting 

 the forests of the Himalayas, the chief places of note on the Ganges, 

 and Bomhay ; and during her absence some five hundred of her 

 paintings were exhibited at South Kensington. 



It was after her return from India that she first broached the 

 idea of presenting her collection to the nation, and arrangements 

 were made for the erection of a suitable building in Kew Gardens 

 at her expense. In order to render the collection more nearly 

 representative of the Flora of the world, Miss North next proceeded 

 to Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, and the fruits of this 

 long journey are perhaps the finest of the collection, very fully 

 illustrating the most striking features of the marvellous Australasian 

 Flora. 



In 1881 the gallery was so far advanced that the hanging of the 

 paintings could be taken in hand ; but this was a long and toilsome 

 task. The paintings were so numerous that it was necessary to 

 hang them close together, and cover the walls from the cornice to 

 the dado, involving months of labour in adjusting, reducing, 

 painting odd bits here and there, putting in little accessories, 

 touching up, and finishing up generally. A catalogue had to be 

 prepared before opening the gallery to the public. Miss North had 

 intended to do this herself, but she foresaw that the interest and 

 use of the collection might be considerably enhanced by a more 

 detailed catalogue than she could compile unaided. With this view 

 she applied to Sir Joseph Hooker, who introduced me to her for 

 the purpose. I was at once struck by her stately presence and 

 gentle sympathetic manner, and I soon learnt what a noble generous 

 nature she possessed. But even at that period travel and incessant 

 work, and tlie very trying task of hanging the pictures, from which 

 she would allow herself no rest, had made serious inroads on her 

 constitution, and one was too often painfully conscious, especially 

 in the after part of the day, of an expression of weariness she could 

 not conceal. 



I spent more than three months in preparing the first edition of 

 the catalogue, and during the whole of this time Miss North was 

 there almost daily, superintending alterations, painting the doors, 

 the panels in the upper gallery, or giving me all the information 

 she could to aid in identifying the plants. Between us at Kew we 

 succeeded in naming almost every plant, so faithfully were they 

 painted. The principal difficulty was, while admitting interesting 

 facts concerning their history, uses, and homes, &c, to keep the 

 catalogue within reasonable dimensions. However, by dint of 

 hard work up to the very day, this unique present to the nation 

 was thrown open to the public on July yth, 1882. By the end of 

 July the first edition of the catalogue, an impression of 2000, was 

 sold out, and in less than a year another edition of 5000 was sold, 

 — the best evidence that could be had of the popularity of the gift. 

 This, as I have reason to know, was highly gratifying to Miss 

 North, for, much as she disliked ceremony and empty flattery, she 



