PR0CEEDIN(4S OF THE BOAKD OF REGENTS. XXI 



of the Regents, the exliumation was effected quietly and privately, 

 only the American fconsiiJ and six other witnesses being present in 

 addition to the worknlen employed. 



I have the honor of siibnutting the following certificate from the 

 American consul describing the exhumation : 



TiiK Consulate of i'me TTnitfd States of America. 



Onion. Italii. 

 To whom it may concern : 



I, William Henry Bishop, consul of the United States of America, do hereby 

 certify that on Tlnn'S(hiy. December .".1. liM);!. at about 11 o'clock iii the morn- 

 ing. I was present at the openinir of the grave known without doul>t or (piestion 

 to I)e that of James Smithson. in the old Eiiglish cemetery of San Beiiigno at 

 Genoa, said James Smithson having died at Genoa in the year 1SL'!», and having 

 been biiried till now in tlie said cemetery. That on the opening of the grave 

 the remains, consisting of little more than the skeleton, were seen clearly 

 exposed to view, since no earth had been thrown upon the body, and the wooden 

 coftin that contained it bad entirely f.illen to decay: that said remains were 

 reverently removed from the grave and placed in a metal casket ])repared to 

 receive them; that the said metal casket was thereupon sealed up securely 

 and put in the mortuary chapel of the cemetery, as in the custody of Dr. Alex- 

 ander (jrabam Bell, to await his convenience in conveying it to America. 



I further certify that there were present witii me, and witnesses of all the 

 circumstances of the above-described exlnnnatioTi, the following persons : Dr. 

 Alexander Graham Bell, Washingt(m, D. C, especially conmiissioned by the 

 Smithsonian Institution to convey the remains of .James Smith.son to the United 

 States; Mrs. Alexander Graham Bell, his wife, Washington, D. ('. ; Noel Lees, 

 esq., Genoa, Ital.v, official representative of the British Burial Ground Fund 

 Association, in which the proprietorshi[) of the said cemetery of San Benigno 

 is vested; Gino Coppede. Genoa, ai'cliitect and engineer, charged with the work 

 of opening the tomb and grave of the said .Tames Smithson, and of removing 

 all the belongings of the said cemetery to the new site to which it is to be 

 transferred; (iiovanni Battista Firpo, Genoa, gardener by profession and [laid 

 custodian for many years past of the said cemetery and of the grave of James 

 Smithson, having succeeded his father in the same office ; Federico Guarini, 

 the nuniicipal guard deimted by the bureau of hygiene to be present on the occa- 

 sion ; I'aolo I'arodi, metal worker .-iud chief undertaker, in transferring the 

 remains to the casket and soldering up the sanie. 



That the al»ove-nientione(l i)ersons are all personally known, to me, and known 

 to fill the various functions respectively assigned to them above. That they 

 have consented to be sworn as to the matters herein alleged, and that each has 

 appended his signature hereunto as making oath to the truth of the statemcMits, 

 so far as each one individually is concerned, above set forth. 



Alexander Graham Bell. 



Mabel G. Bell. 



Noel Lees. 



Archo Gino ("oim'ede. 



G. B. Firpo. 



Federico Guarini. 



Paolo Parodi. 

 In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and .itlixed my seal of 

 office this P.lst day of December. 1<.t03. 



[seal.] William IIknry Bishop, 



Consul of the f'nited iitates of Aincrica at Genoa, Italy. 



