Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/565

 ^Procetbings at ifje i^cctings of tDe ^rcfiaeologfcnl Instftitte. November 2, 184:9. The Members of the Institute, on tliis occasion, being- the opening meeting of the session, assembled for the first time in the Apartments of the Society, at 26, Suflblk Street, which during the recess had been commodiously arranged. The chair was taken by Octavius Mougan, Esq., M.P., who took occasion to express satisfaction on the successful issue of the meeting at Salisbury, since their last assembly in London, and alluded to the interesting character of the proceedings, and the hearty welcome with which the visit of the Institute had been received in Wiltshire. The Society had liitherto, for several years, enjoyed that friendly hospitality, by favour of which the most kind facilities had been afforded for holding their meetings in Great George Street. Mr. Morgan congratulated the Institute on being now enabled to assemble in their own apartments, where the members might henceforth avail themselves of the various collections of the Society, for which a suitable place of deposit was now provided. Announcement of names of the Members who had joined the Society since the meeting in June, ninety in number, including six life members, was then made ; as also of numerous donations to the library and general collec- tions, amongst which may be mentioned the valuable publications of the Archaeological Institute of Rome, of the Eoyal Friederics University at Chris- tiania, in Norway, also those of the Celtic Society in Ireland, and the important researches on primeval antiquities in the United States, published in the Transactions of the Smithsonian Institution in America.^ Mr. Lane reported that the operations for excavating Silbury Hill having now been brought to a close, he took the earliest opportunity of stating, for the information of subscribers to that work, that although the anticipated residt, in accordance with local traditions, (which ascribe a sepulchral cha- racter to this remarkable tumulus) had not been attained ; still, owing to the complete manner in which the interior had been explored (under the direc- tion of the Dean of Hereford, Mr. Eathm-st Deane, and Mr. Ouvry), there remained no reasonable ground for ([uestioning the supposition that this mound was raised in connection with the mysterious rites of the adjacent temple at Avebury. The original contract had been entered into with Mr. Blandford for carry- ing a tunnel into the centre of the hill, and thence to radiate so as to describe a circle of 12 feet diameter, at a cost of 35/. Such, however, was the interest excited, and so great was the desire generally expressed, that the excavation ' ?ce the Lists of Members and Donatious at the close of the volume.