September  3.  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  cottage  GARDENER. 
213 
with  numbers  any  moment,  we  passed  the  night  somewhat  nervously, 
with  a  very  small  fire,  but  with  our  rifles  loaded,  and  while  three  slept 
the  other  three  kept  watch.  Nothing  happened  to  us  that  night,  and 
early  in  the  morning,  after  breakfasting,  I  started  into  the  forest  with 
four  of  the  men,  leaving  the  other  two  in  ambush  to  Avatch  the  canoe, 
for  fear  the  Indians  should  take  aAvay  our  only  means  of  getting  back 
to  the  Magdalena.  I  was  delighted  to  find  the  trees  on  the  rising 
ground  from  the  banks  of  the  river  hung  with  fine  clumps  of  Miltonia 
vexillaria,  intermixed  with  Oneidium  Carthaginense  and  several 
smaller  Orchids,  and  I  Avas  priding  myself  upon  reaping  a  glorious 
harvest.  But  that  night  all  my  plans  Avere  destined  to  be  crushed. 
Everybody  Avas  in  good  spirits  at  our  evening  meal,  but  Ave  had  seai-cely 
finished  and  lighted  our  roll  of  tobacco  Avhen  the  tAvang  of  an  arrow, 
as  it  Avhistled  past  my  head,  startled  everyone  to  his  feet.  In  another 
moment  one  of  our  number  Avas  pierced  Avith  three  of  the  deadly 
poisoned  arroAvs,  and  mortally  Avounded.  The  moon  Was  on  the  Avare, 
and  shed  a  miserable  light  for  us  to  shoot  by,  Avhile  the  savages  could 
see  us  perfectly  Avell  by  the  light  of  our  fire.  Not  a  moment  Avas  lost 
in  hiding  ourselves  behind  the  nearest  trees,  and  Ave  Avere  scarcely 
placed  Avhen  another  shoAver  of  arrows  shoAved  us  the  position  of  the 
Indians.  Seeing  us  retreat,  they  had  adA'anced  more  into  the  open  ; 
at  the  same  moment  a  blaze  of  fire  poured  out  of  five  trusty  rifles,  and 
a  terrible' hoAvl  I’ose  from  the  throats  of  the  surprised  and  AVOunded 
Indians,  Avho  up  to  the  present  had  not  uttered  a  sound. 
‘•In  a  moment  every  mai’k  for  us  to  aim  at  had  disappeared,  but  Ave 
fired  another  volley  in  the  direction  they  had  gone.  I’or  some  time 
after,  the  rushing  sound  in  the  forest  informed  us  that  they  were 
retreating  and  taking  away  their  dead  or  Avounded.  I  thought  they 
Avould  return,  but  my  companions  believed  that  the  repoi’t  of  fire-arms 
Avas  so  little  knoAvn  to  them  that  one  encounter  Avould  be  enough — 
and  they  proAmd  right.  As  soon  as  day  daAvned  Ave  carefully  recon- 
noitered  in  all  directions.  HoAvever,  on  that  side  Ave  found  nothing 
but  the  trail  of  the  Indians  and  the  pools  of  blood  left  by  the  victims 
of  our  bullets.” 
- - 
The  “Daffodil  King’’  on  Tour.— No.  10. 
(Continued  from  page  193.) 
Invercargill  is  one  of  the  most  recent  of  the  important  town¬ 
ships.  It  is  from  here  that  one  makes  arrangements  for  visiting 
Tasmania  or  Melbourne.  Both  here  and  at  Christchurch  and 
Dunedin  Mr.  Biarr  Avas  asked  to  talk  “Daffs.”  to  the  enthusiastic 
amateur  gardeners,  of  Avhom  there  are  a  good  many.  Each  place 
has  its  horticultural  society,  Avhich  is  more  or  less  prosperous. 
At  Invercargill  considerable  alterations  and  extensions  are  likely 
to  be  made  to  the  gardens  and  public  grounds. 
Wellington,  the  capital,  is  very  limited  in  space,  and  curiously, 
the  toAvn  stands  on  reclaimed  land.  The  large  steamers  com© 
close  up  to  the  quay  to  discharge  and  take  in  cargo.  The  sur¬ 
rounding  hills  form  the  better-class  residential  part  of  the  toAvn. 
As  there  is  a  general  ambition  amongst  New  Zealanders  to  make 
Wellington  the  commercial,  as  well  as  the  legislative,  centre, 
Avholesale  houses  are  moving  their  principal  establishments  to 
this  place. 
Here  they  have  a  so-called  botanic  garden,  but  it  is  a  reserAm 
more  intended  to  keep  the  native  trees,  than  to  bring  in  exotics. 
By  making  walks  throughout,  the  toAvnsfolk  have  the  benefit  of 
the  country  air,  Avhich  is  fresh,  as  the  situation  rises  to  a  con¬ 
siderable  height.  The  recently  appointed  superintendent  is  a 
Mr.  Glen,  an  old  English  gardener,  Avho  noAv  occupies  the  house 
and  property  used  by  Mr.  Bailey,  noAv  the  Queensland  botanist. 
It  is  a  very  pretty  place,  but  unfortunately  subject  to  floods. 
One  of  the  keenest  Daffodil  groAvers  at  Wellington  is  a  Mr. 
Mason,  an  old  Quaker  gentleman,  Avhose  collection  comprises 
many  of  the  very  earliest  of  English  seedlings,  Avhich  at  home 
have  been  long  ago  discarded.  His  garden  is  one  of  the  show 
places  of  Wellington,  and  every  distinguished  visitor  is  taken  to 
see  it.  According  to  the  amount  of  interest  his  vi.sitors  display, 
the  owner  devotes  attention  to  them ;  and  should  they  happen  to 
have  little  touch  Avith  horticulture,  he  soon  runs  them  round,  and 
bids  them  Good-bye !  Close  by,  a  Mr.  Gibbons  carried  on  a  nur¬ 
sery  and  seed  business ;  and  also  near  at  hand  there  is  an  old 
Chiswick  man  oAvning  a  number  of  vineries,  in  Avhich  he  grows  t 
Grapes  and  Cucumbers  for  market.  This  marketman  (Mr. 
Waugh)  Avas  also  a  pupil  of  the  late  Malcolm  Dunn,  of  Dalkeith. 
At  the  time  of  Mr.  Barr’s  visit  to  this  part  of  New  Zealand,  , 
there  were  no  excursions  to  the  great  fiords,  and  he  Avas  unable  to 
explore  them.  Instead  of  that  he  had  a  carriage  ride  through  the 
mountainous  parts  of  Wellington  to  the  Wairapa.  He  describes  the 
scenery  and  the  foliage  as  grand,  and  he  frequently  came  upon 
large  patches  of  Ranunculus  Lyalli,  in  its  native  quarters;  also  of 
R.  insignis,  on  Mount  Lyall,  where  the  well-to-do  people  of 
Chri.stchurch,  Avho  may  be"  botanically  inclined,  usually  spend 
their  Christmas  holidays.  At  that  (the  Avarm)  season,  the  fields 
are  usually  covered  by  these  tAvo  species. 
NeAv  Zealand  is  not  remarkable  for  its  nurseries.  Auckland 
has  a  nice  little  establishment ;  and  here  the  veteran  traveller 
saw  the  Japanese  Plums  more  beautiful  than  at  any  other  place, 
the  trees  being  literally  bent  by  the  Aveight  of  fruits.  Both 
Dunedin  and  Christchurch  have  some  small  nurseries ;  but  the 
largest  seen  by  Mr.  Barr  Avas  at  Invercargil. 
Mr.  Barr’s  entry  at  Tasmania  Avas  at  Launceston,  “  a  remark¬ 
ably  nice  toAvn,”  Avhere  he  Avas  at  once  taken  in  hand  by  the 
Daffodil  enthusiasts,  some  of  whom  possess  many  of  the  most 
expensive  varieties. 
