SECOND RESIDENCE AT CAPE TOWN. 91 



former are certainly admirable companions for a wet day. I 

 have only lately purchased Shakespeare, having existed up to 

 this day of my life without him, at which I marvel. I have now 

 got an edition, forming a small duodecimo volume, bound so plea- 

 santly that it will lie open on the table, and of a size that I can 

 carry about with me, and read in any attitude that the heat of 

 the weather may force me to adopt ; and I hold, that with a 

 pocket Bible and a pocket Shakespeare, a man is at all times 

 well provided with companions for every mood of mind. Crabbe 

 is certainly an admirable substitute ; but I have read him now so 

 often that it requires some interval to let him fall back again 

 into the shade, or some one with whom to read and enjoy him. 

 What a change in my taste for poetry. Moore is stuck on my 

 top shelf, and never opened, while Crabbe is seldom off my table, 

 and often on my bed. On fine days I drive out generally to 

 Green Point, to look for plants, bulbs, or seaweeds, as the fancy 

 goes. I begin to wish for a garden, to cultivate the almost 

 endless bulbs. It is possible that towards the beginning of 

 summer I may fix myself where I can have a little patch 

 of ground. I met with a charming plant a few days ago, 

 Septus Capensis, which perhaps you know. It is nearly 

 allied to Crassula, and truly lovely ; an umbel of white and 

 carmine flowers (inside white, outside carmine) somewhat the 

 shape of stonecrop, but much larger. You know all the parts 

 of the flower ought to be seven (whence the name) ; but there 

 are few things in the world just as they ought to be, and so this 

 flower varies in six, eight, or nine segments. 



July 2nd. Since my last date sundry things have happened, 

 among which may be mentioned that my chimney is cured of 

 smoking, which adds singularly to my comfort, and I have had 

 a letter of twelve closely-written pages from dear old Mrs. 

 Griffiths, at Torquay — is not that delightful ! Keally it was 

 quite a cordial to my " faithful " heart to receive it, accom- 

 panied as it was by a charming collection of algse, and the fourth 

 volume of Mrs. Wyatt's book. In rarity of species this volume 

 quite equals the former ones. Sphacelaria filicina, to my eyes, 

 is exquisite : it is very rare. I am now busy gluing my plants, 

 but I have not the absorbing interest in the employment I used, 

 and sooner grow tired. 



What sort of weather have you ? Here it is cold, raw, 



