397 



The tree was 6 ft. in diameter at the base when felled and 

 practically all the sapwood was taken off in the shaping. It is 

 estimated to have been 400 years old. Its weight, after shaping, 

 was roughly 18 tons, about four times that of the old flagstaff. 



The problem of transporting it to Kew had now to be faced. 

 A compact weight of 18 tons is of course trifling, but 18 tons 

 ? spread over a length of 214 ft, of damageable material is not so 



easily dealt with. The Directors of the Shire line of Steamers 

 undertook the task of conveying it from Vancouver to the River 





Thames. The Great War had broken out since the enterprise was 

 initiated in the spring of 1914, and it was not until November 

 8th, 1915, that the s.s. Merionethshire left British Columbia 

 with the staff safely laid along her decks. It had been lifted by 

 means of a pile driver and a crane and slid on board from behind 

 the vessel. 



The Merionethshire arrived safely at the London Docks on 

 December 29th, 1915, and dropped the flagstaff into the Thames. 

 It was soon after towed up the river by a tug and 

 moored to the bank opposite the end of the Sion Vista. 

 Here the Royal Botanic Gardens accepted delivery. A 

 fortunate high tide enabled our staff a few days later 

 to haul it from the river on to the towing path. It 

 was then rolled over the Ha-Ha on stout beams into the 

 Gardens, and by means of rollers, planks and hauling tackle was 

 conveyed by an intricate route to the foot of the mound on which 

 it was to be erected. Thus, after many adventures, it arrived 

 perfectly safe and sound at its destination. Here was lyingr, 

 derelict and time-worn, its predecessor of 1861, and the two along- 

 side each other made a very striking contrast in bulk and length. 



At this time, the early part of 191G, the Government and nation 

 •had something more serious on hand than such matters as the 

 flagstaff, so its erection had to remain in abeyance until after the 

 day of armistice. A further delay of 2i years was the result, 

 but this was not without its advantages. The pole as it laid 

 along the ground was a source of pride to Canadians over here 

 and an object of great interest to home visitors who were able to 

 appreciate fully its magnificent size and length. It also enabled 

 the wood to be treated thoroughly and conveniently with antiseptic 



dressing's. 



An attempt to arrange for the erection of the flagstaff had been 

 made in July, 1917, when Mr. Turner, Agent-General for British 

 Columbia, wVote'to the Canadian Forestry Battalion asking them 

 if they would be prepared to undertake the work. 



In 'reply the Canadian Forestry Battalion expressed their 

 readiness to erect the flagstaff, but subsequently they found them- 



lves obliged to postpone the task owing to the urgency of their 

 war work. 



The signature of an armistice on November 11th, 1918. per- 

 mitted attention to be turned once more to the problem of the 

 erection of the flagstaff, and in continuation of the correspondence 

 with the Agent-General in July 1917, a letter was addressed to 

 Mr* Turner on December 18th, ".1918. 



To this the following reply was received : — 



