f one. The
statement is not absolutely correct. An unnamed species, which must have
been Dendrobium Lowii, flowered in the collection of Mr. H. Vicars, at
Heath House, near Chelmsford, in 1845. I do not propose to describe the
plant whereby hangs my tale; suffice it that this is a pale yellow
Dendrobe, peculiarly charming, very delicate, and still rare. We do not
hear of Mr. Vicars' specimen again. He obtained it, with others, from
Fraser, Cumming, and Co., of Singapore, probably in 1842. It was brought
to them from Borneo by Captain Baker, commanding the ship _Orient
Pioneer_.

When lying at Singapore Captain Baker heard of the coal seams just
discovered at Kiangi, on the Brunei river, which made such a stir in the
City a few months afterwards. It seemed to him that his owners would like
a report upon them. And he sailed thither.

I picture the man as big and rough--fat he was certainly; one of those
sailors, careful enough aboard ship, who think it necessary to take a
'drop' at every halt when making holiday.

Pirates were no tradition in that era. They swarmed among the islands, and
the younger chiefs were not proof against temptation when they fell in
with an European ship that seemed to be in difficulties. Doubtless Captain
Baker kept all his wits about him on a perilous voyage beyond the track of
commerce then. But he reached the Bay of Brunei safely, ascended the river
in a well-armed boat, and visited the coalfields at Kiangi. A few Chinamen
were working there. Baker had shrewdness enough to see that immense
capital would be required, that the Sultan would give endless trouble, and
that the coal, when won, might prove to be dubious in quality. We may
hope, therefore, that his owners kept out of the 'rush' which followed,
and were duly grateful.

His business was finished. Messrs. Fraser and Cumming, indeed, had asked
him to collect a few of the 'air-plants' which began to make such a stir
in England, but that would not detain him. They grew so thick on every
tree that a boatload could be gathered in dropping down the river. He had
instructions to choose those upon the highest branches, where, as was
thought, the best species are found; but it made no difference, for a
sailor could walk up those trees hung with creepers as easily as up the
shrouds! So Captain Baker looked out for a place to land among the
mangroves, expecting to fulfil his commission in an hour at most. A place
was found presently, the boat t