Geological Survey of Canterbury. 167 



CEAPTEE III. 



The Canterbury Museum and Geological Explorations from 



1868 to 1876. 



No provision having been made for the proper custody of the Museum, 

 and being anxious that the collections which I had had such trouble to 

 bring together should be cared for, I offered my gratuitous services as 

 Honorary Director until the meeting of the Provincial Council, when 

 final arrangements might be made for such purpose. On December 

 11th of the same year, the Provincial Council voted the sum of £1350 

 for the erection of a Museum Building in stone, the Government 

 appointing me its Director at the same time. This vote was supple- 

 mented by the sum of £483 lis. obtained by voluntary contributions 

 of the inhabitants of the Province, and the building was opened to the 

 public on October 1st, 1870, It formed the nucleus of the pile of build- 

 ings now forming the Canterbury Museum, of which the frontispiece 

 gives a faithful representation, and for the erection of which the Pro- 

 vincial Council has repeatedly voted ample funds. The architect of 

 the building is Mr. W. B. Mountfort, who has also designed the 

 Provincial Council Chamber, and many other public buildings in 

 Christchurch. 



In order that further and more detailed knowledge of the Geology of 

 the Province should be obtained, and that I might collect further 

 material for the Canterbury Museum, I accepted, with the permission 

 of the Provincial Government, an offer of the Director of the Geologi- 

 cal Survey for the Colony, to act as Geological Surveyor for that 

 department, my first tour being in March, 1869, into the Southern 

 Alps (Mount Cook and its neighbourhood.)* In the same year a 



* Notes on the Geology of the central portion of the Southern Alps, including Mount Cook 

 Reports of Geological Exploration during 1870-71. Geological Survey of New Zealand. 



