EDWAKIi PIERSON RAMSAY ETHEKIDGE. 209 



and Awards" as tlie "finest collection (Etlinological) in the 

 Exliibition,"^ and in recognition of its value, a large silver 

 medal was awarded to tlie Institution.^ At the close of the 

 Exhibition this excellent series in common with other valuable 

 collections (Library and Records of the Linnean Society, ex- 

 hibits destined to form a Technological Museum, Geological 

 collection of the Department of Mines, with records and plans 

 appertaining to other Departments) were left in this jini- 

 crack building, and on the night of 22nd September, 1882, the 

 whole were totally destroyed by fire. 



Now this Ethnological series, amassed by Ramsay, with 

 and at great labour and expense, 



" with its wonderful variety of Native Weapons, Dresses, Utensils, 

 and Ornaments, and everything that could go to illustrate 

 the Ethnology of Polynesia and Australia stretched along 

 the one side of the eastern transept. "i" 



All that was left was a photograph and a poor "Official 

 Catalogue, ^1 containing no less than 1922 entries. 



Nothing daunted by this catastrophe, Ramsay energetically 

 set to work to replace the lost specimens as far as could be 

 done, and so successful were his efforts that it became necessary 

 to add a hall at the south end of the Museum to contain the 

 new gatherings ; this was completed during the first half of 

 1886. 



During the regime of Mr. Gerard Krefft as Cuj-ator (Dr. 

 Ramsay's predecessor) was commenced under the auspices of 

 the Trustees, the exploration of the caves and rivers of New 

 South Wales. Cave ossiferous explorations were carried on 

 by Krel¥t — indeed, he appeal's to have been the instigator of 

 this line of research — from 1866 to 1870, at Wellington, in 

 conjunction with Prof. A. M. Thomson. This excellent work 

 was resumed by Mr. Ramsay at Wellington and other places, 

 and continued throughout 1881-2.1- The rivers exploration 

 went on for some time longer, and is more fully referred toon 

 page 214. 



s Official Kecord, etc., 1881, p. 284. 

 ^ Ibid. p. civil. 

 ^" Coombes — Ibid. p. Ixxxvii. 



11 Ethnological Gallery. Official Catalogue of the General Ethnologi- 

 cal Collection, 1880, pp. 25-48. 



1- Votes of Proceedings, etc., 1882, p. 551. 



