270 
A VISIT TO THE SCILLY ISLES. 
islands. They are all composed of granite, which is generally in a 
very advanced state of weathering and disintegration, and from 
this cause there are many groups of rocks of remarkably picturesque 
character. The islands are only of very moderate height, not 
exceeding about 150ft. above the sea. 
The sailing between the islands requires careful piloting on 
account of the great number of shoals and sunken rocks. The 
tide rises and falls from 12ft. to 18ft., and the current runs very 
strong in many parts. Some of the islands are nearly or quite 
connected together by dry land at low water. 
Tresco is the island of special interest, as it contains the cele¬ 
brated semi-tropical garden and shrubbery, at the residence of the 
Governor of the Islands, Tresco Abbey. This garden has been 
established sixty years, and contains a rare and extensive collection 
of semi-tropical trees and plants, including a large number from 
Australia, New Zealand, and Cape of Good Hope. There were seen 
a number of Aloes, which had flowered last year, and still bore 
their great heads of flowers, some 20fi. in height. 
A special object was a group of Peuya, a kind of palm, which 
was in flower, each plant bearing a giant club-shaped spike of flowers, 
6ft. or 8ft. long, and above a foot in diameter, covered with large, 
greenish - yellow flowers. These were understood to be very 
difficult to get to flower, but in the Tresco gardens they flower 
regularly every year. 
The climate is very equable and agreeable, from the effects of 
the Gulf Stream, not particularly warm in summer, but remarkably 
mild in winter and free from frost, which enables these semi-tropical 
plants to be grown there. New species were seen of some of our 
native flowers, developed into treesA tree Mallow, covered 
with beautiful large, white flowers; a Groundsel ( Senecio 
Fosterii j, 12ft. high ; a tree Lily of the Valley from Australia, 
with flowers about double the size of our Lily of the Valley ; 
Chrysanthemum bushes, like small trees, 5ft. high, with a mass of 
flowers. 
December, 1893. 
