MO:STHLY SUMMARY. 261 



admirable precautions not the slightest accident or contretemps 

 appeared possible, still all the spectators felt a sense of relief 

 when, after now waving about in the wind during pauses in hoist- 

 ing, then trembling like a willow-wand as its tapering top slowly 

 approached the zenith, it finally came to its rest as straight as an 

 arrow, and so perfectly erect that a plumb-lino dropped from the 

 truck cut the centre of the butt. 



*' The wire rigging for holding it in its place had all been fixed 

 before, together with cross-trees for steadying the slender upper 

 half truck and flag halyard; and on the extreme summit a star, 

 with looking-glass facets and points, surmounts the vane-staff and 

 reflects the sunbeams. The rigging was fixed to strong supports, 

 deeply buried in the earth, and there loaded with heavy blocks of 

 stone ; and the spar was finally varnished with the same expe- 

 dition and smartness as had characterised all the proceedings of 

 Mr. Isaac and his men, who, after witnessing the futile efforts of 

 the heavy gale of Friday evening to injure their work, left for 

 Woolwich the following morning." 



, Whether the Society will be eq^ually successful in their efforts 

 remains to be seen. They have none of the advantages of the 

 Kew ground. They have no hill on which to lean the flag-staff; 

 no trees by which to steady it. The only spots in their ground 

 on which it can be placed are dead level ; and, to crown all, it is 

 nearly a third longer, which implies much more than a third more 

 difficult, the difficulty increasing with the length in some un- 

 paralleled ratio. Another obstacle awaits them before they have 

 to think of raising it — supposing it to arrive safe in the Thames 

 how is it to be got through the streets of London to the 

 Garden ? And supposing this done, how is it to be got into the 

 Garden at all? A reel Jias been got into a bottle, therefore 

 there is no need for despair. But it does look as if some plan 

 similar to that by which that mysterious operation is said to be 

 effected, must be also had recourse to in the present case, should 

 none of the other difficulties nip the project in the bud- 

 Due notice of the day on which the flagstaff is to be raised, if 

 the present intention should be ultimately carried out, will be 

 given by advertisement in the newspapers, as many of the 

 Fellows will no doubt wish to be present when an undertaking of 

 so great interest is to be attempted. 



Talipot Palm-Tree, from Ceylon. — Another most interesting 



vegetable wonder which the Society will in all probability also 



