21 



constitutes the third and last portion of this important 

 work, according to the plans prepared by Mr. Salvin, 

 when the complete renewal of the old buildings formerly on 

 the sam^e site was determined upon in 1868. The contract 

 price of this third portion, which has been built by Messrs. 

 George Smith and Co. in a style harmonizing with the two 

 portions previously completed, was £725. Extras and ad- 

 ditional worksj together with the Architect's Commission, 

 &c., raised the total sum expended on this building in 1878 

 to £956 9*. 5d. The new building was handed over to 

 the occupation of the Refreshment Contractors early in the 

 season ; and as an arrangement has been made Avhereby the 

 Contractors have engaged themselves to pay an additional 

 rent to the amount of 6 per cent, on the cost of construc- 

 tion, the Council believe that the addition thus made to the 

 permanent Buildings in the Gardens will be regarded as 

 satisfactory in every way. 



Besides this, the only other works charged to extraordi- 

 nary expenditure in 1878 were two in number, namely, the 

 repair of a portion of the slip on the Canal-bank, and the 

 lowering of the pumps in the well, with a view of obtain- 

 ing a better supply of water. 



The slip on the Canal-bank, especially that part of it 

 which adjoined the new Elephant-house, had long been an 

 object of disquiet to the Council and a source of contention 

 between the Society and the Regent's Canal Company. In 

 1877} after long negotiations, an agreement was made with 

 the Company whereby they engaged to take out the por- 

 tion of the slipped clay next to the Elephant-house and 

 to replace it with dry materials, under terms whereby the 

 total cost to the Society should not exceed £200. The 

 work having been successfully performed and approved of 

 by Mr. Clarke Hawkshaw as consulting engineer on be- 

 half of the Society, the sum in question was paid over to 

 the Company, and charged to extraordinary expenditure 

 in 1878. 



The sum of £180 14*. lOd. was spent in 1877 altering the 

 engine and lowering the pump of the Society's deep well, 

 with the expectation of increasing the supply of water from 

 this source. In this expectation, however, the Council 

 regret to say they have been disappointed, the water-level 

 in this part of the metropolitan area being now unpre- 

 cedently low. 



