360 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE ORANGE RIVER COLONY. 



forms an historical relic in so far as it is the birthplace of the 

 Orange Free State, the Convention between Sir George Clerk 

 and the Boer delegates having been signed in it in the year 

 1854. By this Convention the old Sovereignty was handed 

 over to the Boers, being in the eyes of the British Government 

 "a country only fit for wildebeests." The building itself was 

 in a rather poor condition, equipped only with mud floors and 

 canvass ceilings. In the year 1879, however, the Volksraad 

 granted us the sum of £100, which enabled the Committee to 

 put in boarded floors, and, by the aid of private contributions, 

 to acquire some specimens and a few glass cases. The number 

 of geological, zoological and entomological specimens 

 amounted to 471, a number which in those days was considered 

 to indicate "very important progress" in the opinion of the 

 Committee, 



"'because it added largely to the comfort of visitors, the preservation of 

 specimens and improving the whole aspect of the Museum." 



These things show what difficulties the originators of the 

 Museum had to contend with, and how small the means were 

 at their disposal to gain their object. 



It seems, however, that the members of the Committee felt 

 somewhat doubtful about the ways and means for the upkeep 

 of their enterprise, because they memorialised the Volksraad to 

 accept the entire collection in trust for the benefit of the public, 

 and to appoint Trustees for taking it over. The Volksraad. 

 always anxious to curtail expenses as much as possible, and 

 not very willing to enter upon new obligations, declined this 

 offer, but made an annual grant of £100 instead. 



Even in later years, when the Museum had considerably in- 

 creased in value and importance, the Volksraad did not show 

 any inclination to convert it into a State institution, so that up 

 to this date the whole Museum — with exception of the building 

 — is a perfectly free institution, which, although subsidised by 

 Government, is held by the Committee in trust for the general 

 public of the whole Colony. 



The small means at the command of the Committee did not 

 for the first two or three years allow of the appointment of a 

 custodian. The Curator was dc facto cusiodian as well, and 

 the Museum could be opened to the public only for two after- 

 noons every week. The members of the Committee also acted 

 as custodians during those days, by rendering their services in 

 rotation during the time of opening. 



In 1883 the Volksraad, seeing that the collections of the 

 Museum had increased in number and formed a valuable item 

 in the general education of the yoimger generation, and of the 

 public at large, increased the annual subsidy from £100 to 

 £200. This enabled the Committee to appoint a custodian, 

 who, against a very small remuneration, kept the Museum open 

 to visitors every afternoon. 



Dr. Exton, who, with his valuable and unwearied services 

 ever since the first existence of the institution, had bestowed all 

 his spare time towards it, was unfortunately obliged to leave for 

 England in the year 1883, and I was appointed in his stead. 



