1856-81 THE COST 49 



brous, and ill-lit building, with its three-domed 

 skylights, which preceded it, had led to the con- 

 clusion that the light best fitted for a museum was 

 that in which most would be reflected from the 

 objects and least directly strike upon the eye ; 

 and this was found to be effected by admittance 

 of the light at the angle between the wall and roof. 

 But this plan of illumination is possible only in 

 galleries of one storey, or the topmost in a many- 

 storied edifice. 



' Sir Henry A. Hunt then wrote me a letter 

 conveying his conclusions respecting the plan of 

 building discussed with him : — 



"4 Parliament Street : September 25, 1862. 



1 " My dear Sir, — I return you the drawings of 

 the proposed Museum of Natural History at South 

 Kensington. In May last I told Mr. Gladstone 

 that the probable cost of covering five acres with 

 suitable buildings would be about 500,000/., or 

 100,000/. per acre. 



* " The plan proposed by you will occupy about 

 four acres, and will cost about 350,000/., or nearly 

 90,000/. per acre. 



' " Having prepared sketches showing the 

 scheme suggested by you, I have been able to 

 arrive more nearly at the probable cost than I had 

 the means of doing in May last. But, after all, 

 the difference is not great ; although the present 

 estimate is a more reliable one than the other. It 



VOL. II. E 



