58 
An account of the station cith a plan) was given in the Kew 
Bulletin of last year (pp. 303 
Mr. Willey’s death was totally unexpected. The most recent 
news of ard din his work is contained in the following letter to 
a member of the Kew staff from Mr. Louis Gentil, whose appoint- 
ment as Agricultural Expert to the Government of the Congo 
Free State was recorded in the Kew Bulletin for last year 
(p. 333) :— 
On board s.s. * Coomassie," 
October 22, 1897. 
the 20th of this month at 8 rei a.m., the Sierra Leone 
Site of hills appeared in sight. What a difference between the 
arrival on the West Coast of. Africa kad the Canary Islands ! v 
Africa it is marvellously beautiful and the vegetation runs dow 
to the very sea; in Grand Canary a few green spots (B dns 
cultivations), houses feteobted: ind hills of volcanic sterility. 
Our ship anchored about a mile from the shore, and after the 
sanitary visit of a native doctor, the as was invaded by crowds 
of black men. About 80 were engaged by the captain in order to 
work the cargo out of the ship at the Congo. Other natives came 
have a run on shore. Still, by playing with feet and elbows lI 
managed to find a suitable place in a small boat with a young 
native of Sierra Leone, who promised to pilot me through 
Freetown. Before arrival, I had carefully read the October 
number of the Kew Bulletin, and knew that if I could reach 
setting foot for the first — on the vs Ge continent. Some of 
hammock. The roads and the streets are not paved nor asphalted 
but covered with a nice verdure where a Species of little sheep 
feeds. You meet black people dressed in the last European 
fashion, some others i in variegated colours, and others again a la 
Monsieur Adam. iving in Pademba Ro ad, I inquired at a 
bazaar shop where I could find the Botanic Garden, and immedi- 
ately the shopkeeper showed me a church close to the gate of the 
garden. I reached the gate (a fine one) and followed a splendid 
main path bordered with beds planted with Crotons, Acalyphas, 
Amaryllis, Roses, Cannas, &c. A man was cutting the grass in 
the lawn with a machine! Iam in n the Botanie Garden, no doubt 
about it. I go on, the nr Bulletin plan in hand, and find a fine 
house before me. Silence reigns everywhere, I must say i. ue 
about 11.30 a.m. Mr. Willey do I shout; no answer. Mr. 
I again shout a little more loudly, and directly an sid du 
from the first nac A: nigger arrives and show e way 
up. I find m myself in a spacious room lighted hy iu a dozen 
view from the house! Willey saw the ship coming to 
harbour, but he was not sure if I would be there, While talking 
of Kew, its official and gardener friends, I am sponging my poor 
head to cool it. There we lunch with good appetites, and I eat 
for the first time the unripe fruit of Carica Papaya as a vegetable. 
