ii. Timehri. 



was not inserted on his initiative. Our Journal has been a consiste nt 

 advocate of a railroad to the interior. This matter is deat with in three 

 papers by Messrs. Comber, Lavis and Buck ; the last gen leman has also 

 dealt with artesian wells, which will probably affect us in many ways. 

 For the outsider it may be mentioned that the greatest difficulty on our 

 coast lands is the want of a full and pure water supply. 



Two papers from the pens of Messrs. Bodkin and Cleare are interest- 

 ing. Mr. Bodkin shows us that the native Indian is ingenious enough to 

 make a gun- trap on the lines of the older bow-springe. The word 

 Camouflage as applied to the protective measures of insects by Mr. 

 Cleare may get into use, now that it has beeome familiar. 



Possibly some of our readers may think the article on the famous 

 murder case at Noitgedacht a little out of place, but it is of legal and his- 

 torical interest ; the notes on Obeah form a useful addition to the case. 



Everyone in the colony is aware that a deputation to advocate 

 Colonisation has gone to London and at the time we write appears to 

 have initiated a useful work for the future. We can at least hope for 

 success though the upset caused by the Great War tends to put some 

 things in the background. There is probably so much to be clone within 

 the Empire that a little delay must not upset us. The war is fortunately 

 at an end but it has left an aftermath of troubles which will affect the 

 world for a long time. The optimist, however dark may be the outlook, 

 will never despair ; he looks back and sets mankind overcoming many 

 difficulties. There is much to be done, and means must be provided. 



Our frontispiece has portraits of Dr. Nunan and Col. Boosevelt ; 

 this may be considered as a slight tribute to the latter, a man who helped 

 Mr. Beebe in his grand work at the Tropical Research Station. Our poor 

 local tribute (see Proceedings) will be very trifling as compared with the 

 numerous memorial notices in the world's press. 



Appreciations have appeared in hundreds of periodicals ; we extract 

 the following from " Natural History," part of an article by the old 

 naturalist John Burroughs : — 



" There was always something imminent about him, like an avalanche 

 that the sound of your voice might loosen. The word demanded by the 

 occasion was instantly on his lips, whether it were to give pleasure or 

 pain. In his presence one felt that the day of judgment might come at any 

 moment. No easy tolerance with him, but you could always count on the 

 just word, the square deal, and tolerance of your opinion if it was well 

 founded. 



The charge that he was an impulsive man has no foundation ; it was 

 a wrong interpretation of his power of quick decision. His singleness of 

 purpose and the vitality and alertness of each of his many sides enabled 



