152 THE EAELY HISTORY OF [CHAP. III. 



A week after he wrote : * I am expecting the arrival 

 of Webster every moment. I am glad you have sent 

 him here, for the drawings he will make of the works 

 that have been executed in the Eomsey public kitchen 

 will save me much trouble (for I must have made them), 

 and his seeing the kitchen here will enable him to be 

 of great use to me in directing the works in Albemarle 

 Street.' 



On February 3 Count Rumford was again present. 

 Doubtless the following passage in the Managers' Minutes 

 refers to him : ' The unfortunate illness and long con- 

 finement of one of the managers, whose zeal had been so 

 conspicuous in the formation and success of the Institu- 

 tion, was another obstacle to the commencement of many 

 interesting arrangements, which he necessarily consi- 

 dered as essential to superintend in person.' 



The same day Sir John Hippesley made a long report 

 to the managers to be laid before the proprietors of 

 the Institution on the 10th. 



He alluded to a proposal for private boxes in the 

 new theatre, and spoke of accommodating nearly 1,000 

 persons, and said that the floor under the theatre was 

 for a repository, and that the sunk floor of the new 

 building was designed for a complete laboratory, ' which 

 unfortunately this great metropolis of the British 

 Empire has hitherto failed to produce, but which is an 

 essential appendix to the Royal Institution.' 



It was proposed to raise 5,000. by transferable 

 debentures, and the sum subscribed during the meeting 

 was 5,200?. 



At the next meeting a building committee, consisting 



