VISITING THE GARDENS 167 



content itself here with a tank, as an exiled 

 sovereign may have to come down to hotel 

 lodgings ; but in its native Guiana, it blocks up 

 canals and spangles lake swamps opening in the 

 flowery woods. The leaves are often as broad 

 as a man's height, with upturned rims, so that 

 Indian women can cradle their children upon 

 them safely while the mother does her washing 

 in the river fringed with such weeds of truly 

 "glorious feature." In the same conservatory, 

 among other water-plants, are the papyrus reeds 

 among which Moses was set floating, in our day 

 crowded out of fertile Egypt, but they are found 

 growing lustily so near as Sicily ; while their 

 old economic importance, that naturalised the 

 name in our language, has dwindled now that 

 we can turn wood-pulp into cheap paper. 



I lately found the Victoria Regia enthroned 

 in this, its original nursery; but a guide-book 

 locates it in what, I understand, was its quarters 

 for a time, the group of hot-houses numbered 

 from seven to thirteen, which stand not far from 

 the Cumberland Gate entrance. They have a 

 show of other aquatic plants, and freaks of Nature 

 like the pitcher-plants and living fly-traps, able 

 to feed themselves on insects lured to their 



