1850.] 



and Auxiliary Royal Asiatic Society. 



477 



refrained from noticing it, lest my doing so might be construed into an un- 

 warrantable interference with the duties of others, 



Such ideas, however, the above Minute shows to have been quite erro- 

 neous, as it is evident that Government, though they had accepted the 

 Museum, considered it still in the Society's charge ; and, last month, on 

 my becoming aware of this fact, I immediately visited the Museum, in 

 company of Captain Losh, and I have since carefully examined all the ar- 

 ticles it contains, and arranged them so far as is, at present, possible. 



The collection consists chiefly of Geological specimens, and specimens 

 of Mineralogy, — and, as a collection, it is a very valuable one, as well on 

 account of the beauty of the specimens, as of the classes and species of the 

 minerals, &c. of which it is formed. 



It is not a large, on the contrary it is a small collection, but it is a per- 

 fect one, and ought to be well looked after as a nucleus on which a Mu- 

 seum of any extent might be, at any future time, formed. 



From not being attended to, some specimens have disappeared, others 

 have become destroyed by time or deteriorated by the vicissitudes of the 

 weather, and others have been greatly injured by the leaks in the roof of 

 the College, allowing the rain to fall on the cases and alter or destroy 

 the specimens so as to render it requisite to have some immediately 

 replaced. 



In doing this, no difficulty would be met with, or expense incurred, 

 and I recommend that it be at once done. 



In the course of many years past, additions have been made to the 

 Museum by presents from several donors, the principal of whom are 

 General Cullen, the late Doctor Benza, Captain Newbold, Mr. Kaye, Mr. 

 Heath and Doctor Malcolmson, and the result has been an accumulation 

 of specimens greatly exceeding the means of effectually preserving them. 

 I found, for instance, more than 2,000 specimens of minerals and rocks, 

 some of them of great beauty, rarity, and value, lying unarranged, un. 

 named and destroying, in heaps, on the ground, in table drawers, in 

 boxes, in shelves, and in open cases, and, even of those already in cases, 

 the specimens are far too crowded to admit of any clear or methodical 

 or classified arrangement being attempted, or any satisfactory inspection 

 being made, either by pleasure parties, for recreation, or by students. 



To remedy these defects about 2,000 additional paste board boxes must 

 be got ready ; and it is indispensable that additional cases be at once 

 provided sufficient to contain 3,000 specimens, to. do which 20 cases simi- 

 lar to those already in our possession would be required for re-arranging 

 those we already possess, and for the preservation of future gifts. 



The lists of the specimens in the Museum have not been kept up with 

 the accumulation of specimens, and those, now in existence, having been 

 copied out from the respective donors' lists by some one unacquainted 



VOL. XVI. NO- XXXMIl. Q * 



