The Opening Meeting. 



19 



ancestors, and setting up the hundreds which about 30 years ago 

 their predecessors so unwisely went out of their way to take so 

 much trouble to destroy. He put these few observations forward to 

 show that archaeologists were not the ridiculous persons they were 

 sometimes described. The noble lord then proposed the health of 

 the general secretaries, the Rev. A. C. Smith, and Mr. Medlieott ; 

 the curators of the museum, Mr. Cunnington, and the Rev. H. A. 

 Oliver ; as well as that of the Committee. He paid a high testimony 

 to the value of the services of these gentlemen, and said it was to 

 Mr. Smith's efforts that they were indebted for the discovery of 

 additions to the Avebury monument, than which no monument was 

 dearer to Wiltshiremen both on account of its importance, and also 

 its recent escape from destruction. 



The Rev. A. C. Smith, in reply, repeated that the Society was in 

 a flourishing condition, and as long as they were received as they had 

 been received at Malmesbury it could not be otherwise than flourish- 

 ing. But the real work of the meeting devolved on the Local 

 Committee, and especially on the Local Secretaries, and he therefore 

 proposed the health of Mr. Forrester and Mr. Jennings, the Secre- 

 taries, for the kind assistance they had rendered. He also thanked 

 Mr. and Mrs. Jennings for their generous hospitality at the interest- 

 ing Abbey House, over which they had been permitted to wander. 



Mr. Forrester said he was sorry to say he had the pleasure of 

 occupying the post of Local Secretary on the occasion of the last 

 visit of the Society to Malmesbury, now 20 years ago, and if the 

 present Meeting went off with the same success as did the former 

 one, his colleague and himself would be fully repaid. He gratefully 

 acknowledged the valuable assistance rendered by many kind friends 

 in the town. 



The health of " The Ladies," proposed by the President, and re- 

 sponded to by the Rev. J. D. Forbes, concluded the toast list. 



THE CONVERSAZIONE 



was held at the Town Hall, at 8 p.m., and was well attended : 

 Lord Edmund Fitzmaurice again occupied the chair : and two 

 interesting papers were read, the first by W . W. Ravenhill, Esq v 



c % 



