236 THE VOYAGE TO INDIA 
on to the gridiron ; ' I used to hop along like a bear on hot 
bricks till I reached the remains of the mahogany grove, some 
200 yards off or more." He winds up to his father with some 
fun on the blending of the popular and the scientific. 
Lastly, there is room (and to spare) around the garden 
for a good arboretum and pleasure ground. McLelland 
encourages Music, Dancers, fisli hones, and orange peel, so 
that the place looks at times more Hke Alger's booth at 
Greenwich Fair, the Cremorne Gardens, or Baron Nathan's 
Elysium at Gravesend, than a place for profit and instruction. 
I am sure, if good Lord Morpeth saw what I have, it would 
be a profitable sight. I declared to McLelland, he ought 
either to confine this to a pleasure ground or lead the first 
hops and hob and nob on gin and water himself with chocolate- 
colored damsels in boots and large ankles, that ogle himself 
and myself on our scientific vocations. As it is, he is often 
asked to join, and bring Mrs. McLelland to the picnic and 
Polka. Whatever you do, 7iever let the Pleasure ground open 
into the garden. 
The rest of his time was divided between trying to finish 
off the Niger Flora in time to be sent home by the February 
mail, together with instructions as to the remaining illus- 
trations to be drawn for the Niger Flora,^ and preparations 
for liis first botanical expedition. 
1 These instructions are characteristic of Lis outlook on Distribution. 
Certain orders had been assigned to Planchon, the Kew assistant, to prepare for 
publication. Hooker writes : ' Please see that he r.iludes to species in too bad 
a state to describe, at the end of the genus : or if the genus be mikuown, of the 
order to which they belong ; this is essential for Botanical Geography, and 
he won't do it if not told.' 
