“There was a small valley at the back of the house which was a marvel of loveliness, bananas, daturas, and great Caladium esculentum bordering the stream, with the Ipomoea bona nox, passion-flower, and Tacsonia thunbergii over all the trees, giant fern-fronds as high as myself, and quantities of smaller ferns with young pink and copper-coloured leaves, as well as the gold and silver varieties.”