BY THE KEY. DR. HOOPPELL. 143 



It is, perhaps, desirable to supplement the preceding paper 

 with some brief statistical information respecting the Committee 

 of Exploration, and its operations, inasmuch as such records 

 always prove interesting in after years. 



The Public Meeting, alluded to above, was held in the Lecture 

 Eoom, (now the Museum,) of the Pree Library, South Shields, 

 March 8th, 1875. The Mayor of South Shields, J. Broughton, 

 Esq., presided, and among the gentlemen present was our col- 

 league. Dr. Bruce. The Meeting was very fully attended, and 

 gave a cordial and unanimous support to the object for which it 

 was called. 



A large General Committee was formed, of which the Mayor 

 was appointed Chairman, Mr. George Lyall, Yice-Chairman, Mr. 

 Luke Mackey, Treasurer, and Mr. Eobert Blair, Secretary. An 

 Excavating Sub-Committee was also chosen, comprising, besides 

 the above-mentioned Officers of the General Committee, Mr. Thos. 

 Lincoln, Mr. Thomas Yint, Mr. T. J. Bell, tlieEev. T. I^. Eoberts, 

 Mr. Thomas Pyke, Mr. John Hutchinson, Mr. Charles "Wawn, 

 Mr. John Hinde, Mr. John Lincoln, Mr. Blagdon Dawson, Mr. 

 Archibald Stevenson, and the writer of this paper. 



The sum of £279 16s. 8d., in all, was raised, and expended, the 

 account being finally closed August 16th, 1877. This sum was 

 made up of the contributions of very many persons, among them 

 being the Duke of !N'orthumberland, the Bishops of Durham and 

 Carlisle, the Earl of Durham, the Earl Eavensworth, and Sir W. 

 G. Armstong. Mr. John Williamson gave the munificent sum 

 of £50, Mr. J. C. Stevenson and Brothers more than £47, and 

 Mr. Ealph Carr Ellison, besides a liberal donation in money, pro- 

 vided a Superintendent of the Excavations, at his own cost, for 

 many months. 



Besides the Collection of Eoman Antiquities, from the Station 

 at South Shields, deposited in the Museum of tlie Pree Library, 

 a very fine Collection has been made by Mr. Eobert Blair, fine 

 ones by Mr. T. Vint, and Mr. T. J. Bell, and a largo number of 

 articles have been dispersed among the inhabitants generally of 

 South Shields and its vicinity. Since the Exploration Committee 

 ceased their operations, private speculators liavc assiduously dug 



