THE REV. PROFESSOR BUCKLAND TO THOM/YS HAWKINS. ESQ.
Snlopws Coffee Nouse, 12M July, 1834.
I beg to return your catalogue, oncl with it indose the amount of the valuation by Mr, Mantell and myself of your entire (the BStor)
Collection of remains of Stiuii. I have sent n duplicate of this valuation to tlie Trustees of the British Museum, indosed to the secretary
the rev. J. Forshell. and through wliom your future communications with the Trustees will have to pass.
I expect a Commitlee of the Trustees will make application to the Treasury as soon as a now govemmont is formed; till then you
will probably hear no further of the mutter.
1 have much salisfactlon in telling you tint wlien Mr. Mantell and myself compared our separated valuations of the Collections
engraved in your book, and also of those included in your addition to them, our estimates of the total valuation of each did not differ
ten pounds, and that the balance of the difference wns given entirely in your favour.
I trust by, the time I come again to London, to find the Sauri all lodged safely in the mngnificcnt gallery of the Museum, which is
so worthy fo receive them.
Salopian Coffee Home, Charing Cross, lithjnlg, 1834.
After carefully revising our notes, token on separate lists, without communicntion with one onotiier, we liavo formed the fbilowing
estimate of tiic value of your Collection of Sauri.
All tlic specimens engraved iu your recent work (substitutmg tho large Plcsosaurua iu Adelaide Street for plate 4,) we value M
£1028, all the other Remains of Snuri not published in the workwc value at £225. total £1350.
In this cstimote we do not include the cases of wood in which some of the specimens arc framed; these arc to be jmid for by tho
Trustees of the Museum at a valiuition, to be made by two persons, one of whom shall be appointed by the Trustees and the other by
yoursolf, with reference to on umpire in case of thoir differing in opinion as to the value.
WM. BUCKLAND,
G. MANTELL.
T. Hawkins. Ese.
Note. The day following the receipt of this I wrote the Rev. Professor expressive of my ■' perfect content"—the only
phrase that I recollect of the letter, of which I do not possess a copy—at the result of his much pains and patriotism; to
wliicli communication 1 received the following answer.
THE REV. PROFESSOR BUCKLAND TO THOMAS HAWKINS, ESQ.
Oxford, 15M July, 1834.
1 beg to acknowledge your letter of this morning, and to express my satisfaction nt tho result of my cndcavonrs to get your
CoUeetion of Sauri placed in the British Museum. If Lord Althorp retnms to place, I trust a few days may bring flic matter to a
conclusion.
I have recommended Mr. Forshell to obtain tlie assistnnee of Mr. Bracher, in removing the oases to the Museum, should Parlbment
grant the money. 1 bave also told him tliat I write to you to day, to request you to send immediately to Mr. Forshell a catalogue of that
part of your Collection of Sauri which is not included in your hook: it is quite essential that this catalogue be sent to Mr. Forshell before
the Committee ofTriistces can send their application to the Treasury ; you had better not lose a day therefore in making this catalogue.
I liavo lierc to express the deep sense I entertain of Mr. Mantell’s generous attention to and valuable exertion in
effectuating this matter, and my fervent hope that his unique Collection from the Chalk and Wealden Formation—so worthy
his distinguished name—may yet command—by the side of my own beloved DJ’jnn" hataninim,—the national wonder
and homage.
And finally, on the 25th of July, the Chancellor of the Exchequer introduced the subject matter to tlie House of
Commons, which was pieascd to vote the estimate, and immediately thereupon all that portion of my Collection figured in
this book, and all the specimens printed in italics in "The Synopsis," were deposited in the British Museum.
Slmrpham Pntk, Jnnunry, 1835.
IlOgfVei/
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