We regret to record the death of that extraordinarily versatile
man, Sir Hairy Johnston. He was an artist in water colours, a linguist and a really learned student of African languages ; an anthropologist, a botanist at home and in Africa ; a- naturalist whose well-remembered discovery of the Okapi was only one conspicuous achieve- ment ; a Consul, administrator; and explorer in all parts of equatorial Africa, and Consul and archaeologist in North Africa ; a writer of novels (particularly the sequels to Dickens's novels), of books on social and anthro- pological problems, of history and grammar of native tongues, and autobiography. No one could have got through the great Imperial work and much else that he accomplished without being of a determined, dogmatic, not to say obstinate nature. Yet he was never narrow- minded, as was proved by his ready appreciation of missionary work, though he professed to be an agnostic himself. Sir George Bonham also died last week. He spent forty years working for his country in the Diplomatic Service, where he had many attached friends whom he has not outlived, and he will be greatly missed round his Surrey home, where he was always ready to work for or with his neighbours.
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