346 THE EETUEN FROM INDIA 
was offered as the semi-official residence of Sir William, the 
thrifty Government, however, proposing to charge him £100 
per annum as interest on the capital cost of the new Herbarium 
accommodation. 
All my Indian friends lift up their hands with amazement 
at it. . . . But it is an immense advantage that the Govern- 
ment can have it to declare that you put them to no expense, 
but that, on the contrary, you give them what interest they 
choose on their money. 
For some reasons [he ^vTites home to his father, February 
28, 1850] I shall regret West Park, a very pretty and nice 
place ; and most of all I shall regret leaving it on poor 
Mamma's account, who will lose her pets of cows, poultry 
and pigs. Bessy will miss the garden, and I the wall fruit 
and the long gi'avel walk, which I have always cherished 
the memory of, for dear old grandpapa Hooker's sake. But 
really I never could endure the big house, without servants 
enough to answer the bells punctually, and in the rooms 
of which it was impossible that a dozen persons could be 
collected together with, comfort. ... I must add to the 
catalogue, the difficulty of getting to town from West Park, 
of sending to hire a Fly, or that perpetual trial to my temper, 
the waiting an hour for an omnibus, or the missing it (perhaps 
both), and in the rain, may be ! The weary walk fi'om our 
house to church, all in the mud, for Mamma, the want of any 
neighbour who can come and spend an evening hom' with 
my sister, and my own midnight trudges from the omnibus, 
perhaps from Hammersmith, in case of my own staying, at 
all late in town. 
The plan dropped, till in 1855 another Crown house fell 
vacant by the death of Sir George Quentin, Riding-master 
to the family of George III. This became the official residence 
of the Director. It faced the Green and had its back in the 
Gardens. But it could not accommodate Library or Herbarium. 
Fortunately another large house close by was now available. 
This was a house which had been purchased by George III. 
in 1818, at Banks' suggestion, to provide for a Herbarium 
and Library to be attached to the Royal Botanic Gardens. 
One of the rooms was already shelved for books. But the 
