IN MEMORY OF DANIEL OLTTER 93 



drawing — to the pursuit of which his later years were niaiuly devoted. 

 His first important work was in sepia : black and white followed 

 later, succeeded by water-colour which in its turn gave place to 

 studies in oil. His holidays were spent in sketching — tirst in North 

 Wales, then in Cornwall, Jersey, France — in later years in the north 

 of England : the sketches made at these times were developed during 

 the succeeding months. He had a small but choice collection of 

 w^ater-colours, mainly the work of Alfred W. Hunt, of which he had 

 a high appreciation : to this he devoted the fees received from his 

 lectures. The works of Turner he held in supreme admiration ; he 

 copied the drawings of the Liber Studmrum and hung the nursery 

 Avitli them, so that his children might early become familiarized with 

 the best work. He was accustomed to walk along the river-bank in 

 the hour which intervened between his work at the Herbarium and 

 his evening meal, and I was sometimes privileged to accompany him, 

 learning from his talk much about Turner and art generally. 



It was during one of these walks in 1871 that I diffidently 

 referred to the vacancy in the Department of Botany in the British 

 Museum caused by the resignation of Mr. Bennett and by the 

 promotion of Mr. Carruthers to the Keepership, and Oliver at once 

 asked if I was thinking of applying for the post — " going in for it ? " 

 was what he said, followed by — " if you do I think yovi'd get it." I 

 had hardly formulated a view on the matter, but this rather 

 decided me : the salaries in the Kew Herbarium were at that time 

 very low — mine when I went in w^as £80. My application was 

 entertained, and Oliver, although he said he was sorry to lose me, 

 kindly prepared my way for an interview with Hooker, who, not 

 unnaturally, resented my leaving so soon. 



In the summer of 1874 Olivei- invited me to join him at Auxerre, 

 in the Department of the Yonne. It was the tirst time I had been 

 abroad, and the memory of the fortnight then spent wdll always 

 remain among the pleasantest of my life. Oliver devoted himself to 

 sketching with characteristic energy, going out before breakfast, and 

 working all day. The poplar-clad banks of the Yonne afforded 

 abundant occupation, varied with studies of the architecture of the 

 charming old town, especially of the cathedral, which from various 

 aspects formed a centre of interest. From Auxerre as a centre, we 

 went to Pontigny, where the Peres de St. Edme, since dispossessed of the 

 great Abbey wdiere' lies St. Ednmnd of Canterbury, received us with 

 much hospitality, cramming our little coffee-cups with sugar until the 

 coffee almost disappeared. We went to Vezelay, where the first 

 Crusade was preached, and where the great church, somewhat too 

 well restored by Yiollet-le-Duc, afforded Oliver much material ; and 

 to Avallon, where, while Oliver was sketching in the place opposite 

 the church, two little French schoolboys, wdth satchels on their backs, 

 came up to us, took off their hats, and said "at each word pausing, 

 slow^ " with much solemnity, " Ow do you do milor yes ! " and 

 then withdrew. Then we went to Chartres and morning and evening 

 studied the wonderful thirteenth-century window^s, with their glowing 

 colours, most wonderful of all the light bkie, at once ti'anslucent and 

 opaque wliich suggested Huysmans' phrase for the cathedral — " la 



