PROCEF.niN(iS OF TFIF HOARD OF RF^GFNTS. XXT 



of the l\t'<^eiits, (ho cxhuination was clfcctcd (luicdy and privately, 

 only the Aniorican consul and six other witnesses heino- present in 

 addition to the woi-knien eiiij)l()\»M|. 



I have the honor of suhiiiitt ino- th(> foUowinn- certificate from the 

 American consul (k'scrihiiiii: the exhumation: 



'I'HK ("oNsri.ATK OK IIIK r.NITH) STAIKS OK AmKIUCA. 



(j'cillKI. fidh/. 



'\\t w lioui it may coiiceiMi : 



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

 certify that on Thursday. December .'{1. l!)o:!. at al»out 11 o'clock in tiie morn- 

 ing, I was present at the opening of the grave known without doubt or (pii'stion 

 to be that of James Smithson, in the old English cemetery of San P.cnignct .-it 

 (Jenoa. said .lames Snnthson having died ;it (icnoa in tlic ycai- 1.Sl".». ;ind having 

 been buried till now in the said cemet(>ry. That on the ojicning 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 

 cotMn tlinl cont.iinc*! it had entirely fallen to decay; that said remains were 

 rev(M-ently removed from the grave :uid ]>laced in a metal casket ])reitared to 

 receive thciii : that the said metal casket was thereupon sealed ui> securely 

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

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



I fui-ther certify that there were i)resent with me, and witnesses of all the 

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

 Alexander Graham Bell, Washington. D. C, especially commissioned by the 

 Smith.sonian Institution to convey the remains of James Smithson to the United 

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

 esq., Genoa. Italy, ofticial representative of the British Burial Ground Fund 

 Association, in which the proprietorship of the said cemetery of San Benigno 

 is vested; (iiiio CoiJiJcde. Genoa, ai'chitect and engineer, charged with the work 

 of opening the tomb and grave of the said James 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. (Jenoa. gardeniu' by profession and paid 

 custodi.in for many years past of the Said cemetery and of the grave of James 

 Smithson. h.-iving succeeded his father in the siune office; Federico Guarini, 

 tlic municipal guai'd deputed by the bureau of hygiene to be present on the occa- 

 sion ; Paolo Parodi. metal worker and chief undertaker, in transfcri-ing the 

 remains to the casket and soldering up the same. 



That the above-mentioned persons ai-e :ili personally known to me, and known 

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

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

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

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



Alexander Graham Bell. 



Mabel G. Bell. 



Noel Lees. 



Archo Gino Coppede. 



G. B. Fuu'o. 



Fedp:rico GuARiNr. 



Paolo Parodl 

 In testimony whereof 1 have hereunto .set my hand and affixed my seal of 

 office this .31st day of December, 1903. 



[seal.] William ITenry Bishop, 



Coiimil (if the Ciiitcd .states of America at Ocnoa, Italy. 



