XXIX. 



Rector, Mr. Bennett. This was the last occasion on which Mr. Bennett 

 was thus officially engaged ; his sudden and unexpected death occurring 

 not long after. The Somerset Society have lost, in Mr. Bennett, a most 

 efficient secretary, and we ourselves have to regret the loss of one who 

 gave us so hearty a reception, and expressed himself as looking forward 

 to other re-unions of the two Societies in the near future. 



Luncheon was provided in a tent close by, after which the entire party, 

 composed of members of the two Societies, proceeded in a long line of 

 carriages to North Cadbury House, the front of which is a good example 

 of Elizabethan architecture ; the rear was, however, taken down some 

 years ago and rebuilt in the Italian style by the owner. The house was 

 once the residence of the Earls of Huntingdon ; their arms with quarter- 

 ings may still be seen in the windows of the hall. It now belongs to Mr. 

 F. Wentworth Bennett, but is at present occupied by Lord Hobhouse. 



Here the party broke up, and the two-days' pleasant meeting was 

 brought to a conclusion. 



MEETING AT FARNHAM AND BOKERLY DYKE. This meeting was held 

 on Tuesday, September 23rd, the rendezvous being the Crown Hotel, 

 Blandford, thence the party, numbering about 70, started in carriages for 

 Farnham, where General Pitt Kivers, F.R.S., met them and conducted 

 them over the Museum, in which the owner has placed some very 

 important collections, selected and arranged by himself. In the first 

 room of the building General Pitt Rivers explained that in 1852 he 

 commenced forming a museum on the principle of selecting his subjects 

 and then exhibiting objects to show the history and development of each. 

 The collection arranged on the fore-mentioned system he exhibited at 

 South Kensington and Bethnal Green for some years, and subsequently 

 gave it to the University of Oxford, where 10,000 was voted for its 

 preservation. As he had noticed people at museums usually took little 

 interest in what they saw unless they knew something about them, the 

 Museum at Farnham was a collection which he had arranged to illustrate 

 those occupations which the inhabitants of the district were most familiar 

 with namely, agriculture and handicraft ; whilst the objects themselves 

 were so well labelled that every one could soon find out what they wanted. 

 On some shelves were pottery of various kinds, in one case jewellery and 

 ornaments of the peasantry of different nations, whilst the various kinds 

 and shapes of caps worn by the women in different villages in Brittany 

 formed about the most interesting series of all. Each parish in Brittany 

 had its own distinctive cap, worn by the women, the original type of 

 which is maintained thoughout. In an adjoining room would be 



