2SO FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 



But my " castles were in Spain," and my dreams 

 were rudely banished, for I found that Lagos had not 

 proved an exception to the perversity of human 

 nature. My garden drooped, I may say ended with 

 my departure from that Colony — not the victim of 

 climate, for I left it in promising youth ; but rather of 

 indifference and neglect — a crying shame. In addition 

 to enlightenment therefrom, what commercial benefit 

 might in a few years have been brought about by the 

 steady distribution of young trees of economic value 

 from such an Institution among the chiefs and people 

 of the many villages that border that network of water 

 which permeates the country in that quarter ! Here 

 again,however,we have had the fate of a private hobby. 



Towards the regeneration of St. Helena in a 

 botanical commercial sense, what does that practical 

 gentleman, Mr. Morris, say, from whose paper I have 

 already quoted ; Why, to use his own words : — 



" I look entirely to the soil for the elements 

 necessary to bring prosperity to St. Helena. But 

 the people require to be shown what those resources 

 are : they need to be taught how to use those 

 resources aright, and they require to be encouraged 

 and assisted while so engaged. 



" I would recommend in the first instance, that an 

 intelligent and competent gardener be sent to the 

 island to take up the entire question of the revival of 

 the agricultural pursuits, and that if the local Govern- 

 ment is unable to support such an officer and a small 



