Monthly Report for September, 1908. WANGANUI PUBLIC MUSEUM.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 12583, 2 October 1908, Page 3

Monthly Report for September, 1908.

WANGANUI PUBLIC MUSEUM.

(By- 6t R. Marriner, F.R.M.S., Curator)

THE ATTENDANCE.

The attendance during the month has been yery satisfactory, no doubt due to the .fine spring weather. The total number of visitors was 3049, against 204-5 of September, 1907, making :.n iffcrease for the month of 1005. Ihis makes the grand total since the beginning" of the year stand at 21,049, making: an increase of 3140 over the same period of last' year. T4te' v getieral work? of the Museum has ecfffefM somewhat owing to the diiarrarigfeiHent of the place for the annual bulb' snow. In the early part of the month several days were spent in rearranging numerous specimens- in the J)riVat6 rooms' off tho corridor, and a a'rfte* amount of rubbish was got rid of. S3vterar interesting exhibits- have been unearthed from the rubbish, and will be placed on view as soon as possible:

THE MAIN HALL.

' TEeiminerals, etc., in the sloping show coses- have been re-arranged; but will not look "well until they are re-labelled and property mounted. The sloping show caeesv which run- across the end of the room. Have toeen. cleaned out and the noScelWeous collection of bird skins, plants^ rocks, etc., placed elsewhere. The cases, have been partially filled up again •wlffi 1 numerous' specimens of precious «* 5 HWh^ Several specimens of Jasper, \ , lfc \ ana polished, numerous pieces of Onyx- stones, and Agates from Germany, Eg^tft, sthd' EnglancT, fill up the first cane; '•

'Ok- the second case are several fine ei&ttipjes of Ted' and white cornelians, heiftttrftil Lapis Lazuli, and. numerous seS%«TOSie stones, While further along are sj*ra«fllns of marbles, cairngornlß, garn©fti:»methysts, topazes, and pearls, etc. All these specimens were presented to the? Museum sonic years ago by Mr' James Buts. Of Bulls, and -when properly mounted. -Btey; will 1 male an, interesting and useful' exhibit. One portion of the case is gfosn up to some cores procured while borjxqt in the Lake Brunner Oil' Ctfmps4y's bores at Kotupu, near Greym )Jth. ' ■tSufefe cores -were obtained by Mi* G. Sinitli,' and gives a very good Wea of the kind ot ground, foutfd 'under Kotuku, At a - depth of 230 feet" petrblperous conglomerate was found, at 430 feet sandstone'rock, 630 feet down limestone rock nas^ leached. This' limestone shows that at' Otle' time this must" have been jjl sea bottoft-; which afterwards had been covered over" by 630 feet of sandstone, and then raised to the surface. At 754 feet below' the surface other layers- of sandBtoa& lock) wette- found. Frdm the witifr receirfedi from' th« bo»es large deposits of siliefeP Wwe obteinedi numerous specimens ox whafh' can be seen in- the case.

FAMOUS DIAMONDS.

In i3ie same row of cases have been placed faeimiles of the most famous diamonds' of tlie world.

V. VBegett*,'* valued; at .£IBO,OOO. This dUUttolid 1 yfe& once- iff the sword' of Txa-poleo^-S. 2. Stlar." 40- carats, the }/ropeiM> of" Wae of the Russian" princes. 3t 19«f carats, valued at .£9O, od6, farms' the top of the Russian; Gzir*6 seept|*fc K» we*- once an eye in' an ln-dia-nV.idol.

4* Eugene, 51 carats. Tiiis stone formerly belonged to the es-Princesg Eugene. s*. f^Btar of the Saufeh," J54 carats. Tnm is 'thj&laxgesfc of the Brazilian diamonds, an*f Is owned by a Mr. Halphen. €. "SKH-i-nor" (Mountain, of Light*, 106 i carafe, valued at .£120,000. This nas the property of; Queea Vic.toriai, It 1 *iginallp'we%hed w 186 \ carats, and- was lecuf by Coster of Amsterdam, in l' r 2, the cutting, occupying 38 days* "Jfassak," 78 s^B carats, valued- at .£30,000, ajad' owned- by thh Duke 6i WestmiiisieK 1 "

87 "Great Mogul," supposed to have coflje from India, and the Koh-i-nor lsm tho^gfit to be a part o£ it-, as also the , OrloN|£ 9!" "The- Tuscan," 139J- carats> valued at jj jeiXX)j,o3o: It belongs to the Enjperor. of >j Austria, and, was picked- up after the ,; Battfe'of Graaean, in- 1476, being scld. j foif^Ss; and' afterwards for 3s 6d. /

10. 'JRjis- represents* the original she of the- Eoh-i-nor. 11.; "Piagot," 82J. oarats, valued at £30$BQ. Tfiis is owned by the Viceroy of Egyfct 12; ■*«?aScy v " 53| carate, valued at .£2l), OOOf'^be bearer of this diamond" on boing attaetfett swallowed the stone, which was coiisequfentfy saved) arid is- now a R*usaiani Clown, jewel. (This has been loeKf from*. IJb6 MusetUn coltection.) ]»i. "&fcak of Persia," 95 carats. This stone- srae-' cut, m India', and* now belongs 1 to the Simian*

I*, .^HopeV'- 44£ carate, valued at .£25, 000* /iJhis is , a blue- -diamond- owned' by Ihe* BtUCtesß of Newcastle.

15. _*3tasfea .of Egypt," 40 carats, valuetf at J2&.000 and owked',by a Pasha. Two of-- Boer War trophies, one^ by Sergt. P. Hogg, 'aad' the" other by Trodper G. Powell, Imv4 been", removed to the sloping shbw cane(w just near the entrance door of the Con* cert Hjßll. In the same hall near- the platform, the model of a, Maori vat canoe, presented- by the late Mr A. B, WiUifc^has been placed. New' ijjas lights have been - fixed up tbrpugt the whole- building, which adds greA^l^'to the appearance of the Mus^eum^or'an. evening. 1 OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.

The aviary has been thoroughly cleaned out /and whitewashed, and the clran appearance is' not only pleasing to the eye? bWJNwII Help to-- keep the birds fiee fro*' disease. We shall be glad to receive' gifts of- small birds to swell the numbers "in the aviary, as they- are getting somewhat thinned out.

NEW LAMPS.

The Council has put- up two new amps at the top of the atone steps, and! they adfd greatly to the appearance of the entrance. As the roadway is- dark, I think, it would be- a' boon to- the. public if dne of them was lit every night, as the" other street lamps are.

MUSEUM GROUNDS.

- The' grounds in the front of the Museum, which have been an eyesore to passers r>y fbr some time, are now going to W.tfut in order. The Borough Council a* tHeir last meeting have agreed to geti&' €vro men along to get rid of fche we€ds,^pufc the fence up, and improve the ground* generally.

NOTICE BOARDS.

Through the kindness of Messrs Tiogev and, Co., and Messrs Hughes, Allomes and Tafrrant, we are having the two la<*ge notice boards that are^ situated in Museuflf Boad, repainted' in black and white, and' when they are finished, they will be placed in more useful situations.

£CCESSIONS FOR THE MONTH. M* B- Campbell, a tree lizard.

Misa B. Addenbrooke, fossil oyster shells. Mr H*. Hbgan, fossil bones, from St. John's gravel pit. Mr. Sharp, ditto. Mr- A. Johnston, solid cannot ball, dug up in Taupo Quay. Mr J. Prugcnt, two implements found in an old- Maori oven, near Whan'gaehu, made from bones. Mr Davies, a bone Maori spear head for spearing birds or fishes, probably a Tara-whero-manu. It was picked up on the Gisborne beach. Mr G. R. Marriner, broad end of a Maori' paddle, picked up near the. mouth of the Kaitoke River. Mr A. D. Willis, model of a Maori war canoe. Education Board, two Dominion incdais. Mr €hing, medal in commemoratipn of the coronation of George IV. Mr Randall, four live woodhens. „ Miss L. Kendrick, piece of copper and a piece of coal from the ill-fated ship Boyd, burnt by the Maoris in Wlmngaroa Harbour. Miss Hardcastle, a collection of shells, etc. Master Gatenby, a Maori eel trap (hinaki), and specimens of rocks. Mr A. Ferguson, eenr., tear seeds. Miss Thomas, a buiterfly (Sphinx eonvolvuli). The Wanganui "Herald" Office, map of WanganuiT _