12 
Close to these palms is the Nym- 
phcea pond. The best time to see this 
pond is in the early morning. There, are 
to be seen the fine plants of the Victoria 
water lily ( Victoria regia ) presented to 
the Botanical Gardens by the representa- 
tives of the late Mr. Whampoa, whose 
gardens in Singapore have long been 
noted for them. This lily is a native of 
the tributaries of the Amazon, and was 
first brought into public notice by Sir 
R. H. SCHOMBURGHK, who in 1837 dis- 
covered it on the Berbice River, in British 
Guiana. It was not, however, success- 
fully introduced into cultivation until 
1849. Tim seeds are edible, and the 
farina is said to be as good as the flour 
of the finest wheat. 
At the far end of the pond, will be 
found the Sacred lotus (. Nelumbium 
speciosum) , regarded by the early Egyp- 
tians and Buddhists as an emblem of 
peculiar sanctity. The seeds and stem 
contain a quantity of starch and are 
used as food. 
On the triangular plot marked M are 
