248
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
The road was crossed, and St. Thomas's Quarters entered. Mr. Buxton gave
occasional chatty expositions as occasion offered, and attention was particularly
called to the very pretty forest views in this part. The ramble was continued
through Honey Lane Ouarters, and so to High Beach, where we met our President,
Mr. Howard, who had missed the train, and had been searching for us all the
afternoon. The ramble was then continued over Fairmead Bottom, Blackbush,
and Pear-tree plains, and so on to the Forest Hotel, Chingford, where tea was
served at half past five.
At 6.30 an ORDINARY MEETING (the 163rd) was held in the Queen Elizabeth's
Room at the hotel, Mr. David Howard, President, in the chair.
Mrs. Buxton, of Warlies, was elected a member.
The President called upon Mr. E. N. Buxton, as "Conductor" during the
afternoon, to make some remarks.
Mr. Buxton, after a few words upon the general work of the Club, the
advisability of the regular appearance of The Essex Naturalist, and on the
Forest Museum, gave a short address on the characteristics of the Forest as
viewed during the afternoon's ramble, and particularly laid down some principles
which, in his opinion, should govern the management of the woodlands under the
care of the Conservators.
[An abstract of Mr. Buxton's Address is given in the present number,
pages 233-236.]
In proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Buxton for his services, the President
said that he wished more people would really study the Forest. He had been that
afternoon in parts of the woodlands where extensive thinnings had been made, but
it was really exceedingly difficult now to trace these operations, the woods in their
present state looked so extremely natural, and in his opinion abundantly justified
the action of the Conservators. With reference to the agitations in the newspapers
in former years, he felt compelled to quote the saying that children and fools
should not be allowed to see half-finished work. People must allow a reasonable
time to elapse before they judged the effect of forestal operations.
The vote of thanks was heartily accorded to Mr. Buxton.
Mr. W. Cole, as Hon. Curator of the Epping Forest Museum, then gave a
short Report on the work there. The Report recalled the fact that the Museum
was opened to the public ou November 2nd, 1895, and consequently Monday
next (November and) would be the completion of the first year. During that
period it was estimated that over 9,000 people had visited the Museum, and a
very considerable number of schools and other institutions had also attended. It
was intended, if permission could be obtained from the Conservators, to light up
the Museum by means of incandescent gas-burners, to allow the collections being
seen on dark and foggy afternoons, and perhaps occasionally at night.
It is unnecessary to give the text of the Report here, as a complete Report
will he read at the Annual Meeting of the Club.
The Curator emphasised the fact that the Museum was at present in a very
undeveloped state, and that a large amount of work and considerable expenditure
were needed to make it worthy of the Forest, and interesting and useful to the
ordinary visitor and to the student. With respect to the future, the need of more
space was greatly felt. Mr. Cubitt, a gentleman who had taken great interest in
the building, and had surveyed it, had expressed his opinion, as a skilled
architect, that the first floor of the building was originally one room, similar to
the banqueting room, and could be restored to that condition at a moderate