EEPORT OP MEETINGS FOR 1905 271 



wings, and was built, from plans by Newton of Newcastle, by 

 Sir Henry, eldest brother of the first Earl, in 1782. It 

 occupies the site of a small medieval tower, and stands 

 on a terrace overlooking the Ho wick Burn, which winds 

 through a wooded glen for a mile and a half to the sea. 

 It is approached by a fine avenue, on the borders of which 

 many wild flowers, including Ajuga reptans, grew in pro- 

 fusion, and is hidden from view by a surrounding copse of 

 hardy shrubs. At the main door Captain Norman, R.N., 

 afforded the party interesting information regarding the 

 history of the noble family, and the dates of the founda- 

 tion and subsequent alterations of the house. The chief 

 interest attaching to it, he remarked, lay in the fact that it 

 was the home, and in great measure the creation, of the 

 famous statesman. Lord Grey, second Earl, who was born 

 at Fallodon in 1764, died on I7th July 1845, and was 

 interred in Howick church, where a marble monument 

 with a richly decorated canopy was erected to his memory, 

 and to that of the Countess, who died in 1861. On entering 

 the building the spacious hall and reception rooms, for the 

 time deprived of some of their riches by the removal of many 

 family portraits to Canada, claimed attention. Two oil 

 paintings, however, were specially remarked, both by reason 

 of their artistic excellence and of the manner in which 

 they came into the possession of this illustrious house. 

 The one represents Napoleon Bonaparte, who sat for it 

 during the historic Hundred Days, but who, after the 

 catastrophe that befell him at Waterloo, was never again in 

 a position to possess himself of it. Ultimately it fell into 

 the hands of the second Earl, and was pronounced by M. de 

 Flahault, one of the Emperor's aides-de-camp, who was a 

 frequent visitor at Howick, as an extremely good likeness 

 of the Emperor, as he appeared at that critical period. 

 Despite the fact that the light was insufficient for the 

 purpose, the members inspected this relic with the greatest 

 interest, as it is believed to be the only authentic likeness of 

 him at that stage of his career. The face does not convey 

 such an idea of corpulence as is suggested by the sketches 

 made not long after on board H.M.S. "Northumberland"; 

 but the huge cocked hat of the period, which is much in 



