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eighty species of plants and that he furnished the names to Mr. Bowdler who had succeeded him in the superintendence of the Gardens. No sooner was I apprised of the alleged loss by Mr. Bowdler than I investigated the matter.
No clue however could be found to the plants said to be missing. The Acting Superintendent Mr. Bowdler and also Mr. Bernean both affirmed that they had on taking charge been careful to familiarize themselves with the existing stock, and were at a loss to understand how so wholesale a reduction could possibly have escaped their observation. They were able to account for losses amounting to about thirty species, as other plants had by mistake been removed by Mr. Bernean to the cemetery, but Mr. Ford's considerably long list made it quite inexplicable.
The more he pressed his opinion, the more it appeared that the plants in question could not have been stolen as they were not of a kind to attract the attention of the Chinese, leaving it to be inferred that this disappearance was due to death from neglect or maltreatment, and this charge is now reproduced in the published Report.
19. It is most unfortunate that before leaving the Colony Mr. Ford did not carefully go through the catalogue of species with Mr. Bowdler, specially marking those that were missing.