ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
BULLETIN 
OF 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION, 
No. 130.] OCTOBER. . [1897. 
DLXXVIL—BOTANIC STATION, SIERRA LEONE. 
(With Plan.) 
The settlement of Sierra Leone at one time consisted only of 
the peninsula terminating in Cape Sierra Leone, with an area of 
about 300 square miles. The Colony with its protectorate now 
includes a large extent of country, estimated at 4,000 square miles, 
or a little more than one-half the size of Wales. The capital, 
“ieee lying about 4 miles up the Sierra Leone river, at the 
t of a chain of hills rising from 1,700 to over 3,000 ft., contains 
304 ‘000 inhabitants, and possesses the best harbour i in West Africa. 
ot. 
The scenery of Sierra Leone is said to be v very sitnilar to that 
of the West Indies. The soil is fertile and there is an sete 
of pure fresh water. Tropical fruits grow luxuriantly. ese a 
described in the Kew Bulletin for 1888 (pp. 221-223). Pine- 
apples especially are produced very abundantly, while bananas, 
plantains, avocado pears, mangoes, limes and oranges are not only 
consumed locally, but are also exported to the Gambia, Goree, and 
egal. 
As stated in a letter addressed by Kew to the Colonial Office, 
September 4, 1886, *from a scientific Lege of view the natural 
botanical productions of Sierra Leo of extraordin 
interest. Early in this century a limited nandai of specimens 
found their way into European herbaria, and show that the flora 
is exceptionally rich.” 
A very interesting work in the Library at Kew is entitled 
* Substance of the Report delivered by the Court of Directors of 
the Sierra Leone Oenipany to the General Court of Proprietors on 
Thursday the 27th March, 1794," To this is attached an appendix, 
in which “the Directors thought proper to introduce an account 
of the natural productions of Sierra Leone, being the substance of 
two Reports made to them by Mr. — their botanist.” 
It is evident that more than a hundred years ago a good deal 
was being done to establish a successful arse in this part of 
West Africa. Amongst the economic plants described are rice, 
cassava, yams, sweet potatos, ground-nuts, eddoes, oil-palm, 
plantains and bananas, papaw, guava, orange and lime trees, 
14523—1375—9/97 Wt s D&S 29 A 
