THE AUCKLAND MUSEUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9022, 29 October 1892, Page 5

THE AUCKLAND MUSEUM.

OPENING OP THE NEW ANNEXE BY LORD GLASGOW. • ' The curator of • the Museum, Mr. Cheeseman, has completed the work of arranging the exhibits ia the new annexe of the Auckland Museum. In the centre of the museum is the famous war canoe Toke-a-Tapiri, which, in a few years, will be the only specimen of a Maori war canoe in existence, and at the south end the carved pataka, placed there by Judge Fenton, together with the carved gateway of the old Pukeroa pa, at Ohinemutu. There are several other large . carvings • over the entrance, the elaborately-carved front of a Maori storehouse or pataka, and on either side a standard, each bearing the figurehead of a canoe, also a large collection of spears from the Polynesian Islands, and some other Maori carvings. The eastern wall case, which extends the whole length of the annexe (100 feet) contains a general collection of Maori weapons, implements, and' other articles to illustrate the names and modes of life of the Maori race. The first part of the case collection comprises the sub-collection by Captain Mair.of Wellington, containing canoe carvings, Maori spades, carved bowls and feather boxes, meres in whalebone and greenstone, Maori taiahas and tewhatewas, fishhooks, war trumpets, and a great variety of smaller articles. Next to this collection is that of the Institute, of a very varied character, the Maori mate being a particularly good collection. In the case is also an excellent collection bequeathed to the Institute by the late Mr. C. 0. Davis, comprising mats, weapons, &c. The wall case on the eastern side is devoted to foreign ethnological specimens, the greater portion of which, of course, are from the Polynesian Islands, but there are also some interesting specimens from North America, a variety of articles made by the Esquimaux, and the Indians of the Arizona and New Mexico territories. There are also an interesting series of pre-hiatoric stone weapons, implements, tools, etc., obtained from the Swiss Lake dwellings, and from the bone caves of Northern Europe. In order that the visitors may extract as much information and interest from the specimens as possible the Institute has gone to the expense of providing each specimen with a descriptive printed label. s The annexe is to be formally opened this evening by His Excellency the Governor, at a conversazione, to which Lord and Lady Glasgow'and the Government] House party have been invited by the Council of the Institute. The doors will be opened at eight o'clock (admission being by ticket only), and at half-past eight His Excellency will be received by the members and the Council of the Institute. A dais has been erected in front of the carved house for the vice-regal party. The president of the Institute (Professor Brown) will make a few prefatory remarks as to why the annexe has been erected, and will be followed by His Excellency the Governor, who will formally open it. There will be selections of music during the evening, and light refreshments will be served round in the lecture-room. In order to make arrangements for the opening, the Museum will be closed to the general public to-day.