134 PRESENTATION TO MR. WILLIAM COLE.
in the proceedings. We have here to-night two of our past presidents, Professor
Boulger, who did such admirable service in the light over some questions affecting
Epping Forest, and Mr. T. V. Holmes, whose work on the Dene-holes you all
remember. Mr. Holmes and I spent six weeks underground at Grays,
investigating these pits, and his report in our Journal sums up all that is really
known concerning them. Then there is Mr. Henry J. Barnes, our first
Treasurer, who did much valuable service. That reminds me that the Club was
much favoured in having, at one time, a lady Treasurer. Mr. Royle, who was
Treasurer, had to go abroad on scientific work, and Mrs. Royle very kindly took
his place.
With respect to our work, will you allow me to mention my brother, Mr.
B. G. Cole, who has acted as assistant hon. secretary during the whole life of the
Club. His has been a very quiet work; it does not loom largely in the
Transactions of the club; but it has been, nevertheless, of great importance to
its welfare.
Concerning the Museums, I should like to acknowledge our indebtedness,
first, to the Corporation of London and its Epping Forest Committee for their
kindness in granting the use of the old Tudor Lodge at Chingford as a home for
our Forest Museum, and, secondly, to the Corporation of West Ham for their
public spirit in agreeing to our application for the establishment of a County
Museum at West Ham.. Whatever may be said of local corporations, there is
one thing which most of them strongly favour, and that is, education.
When Mr. Howard and others first met the Corporation of West Ham to discuss
our proposal, we were received in a most cordial way. We are still being
treated most appreciatively, and the progress of the museum in West Ham is
mainly due to the friendly manner in which the efforts of the Field Club have
been met by the Corporation. I have every reason to believe that the
Corporation will continue to cordially support the Museum, and that it will
become in time a treasure-house for specimens illustrating the natural history of
Essex and a valuable aid in imparting instructions to young people and to schools
in the district.
With regard to our little museum in the Forest, it is not in any way complete,
and I should certainly like to see the scheme carried out as it should be. When
the initial work has been accomplished, I venture to hope that the City
Corporation will see their way to set it on a permanent and sound foundation
similar to the arrangements by which the Essex Museum has been taken over by
the Corporation of West Ham. But that is, of course, a matter for the future.
We have had to-night a great deal of retrospective talk. I prefer not to regard
our work as completed, but that rather we should take for our motto Tennyson's
lines—" That which we have done but earnest of the things that we shall do,"
and seek in the coming years even better lines of progress.
For instance, there is the proposal that the Club should organize a station for
local biological research. This is one of my pet projects. I believe it will be
brought before you a concrete form in the near future.
I have alluded to the exploration work we should like to do. There is an
immense field for it in Essex, both in archaeology and natural history. For
instance, the question of the origin and use of Dene-holes should be settled
definitely. I believe it is settled to Mr. Holmes' satisfaction and to my own, but
others are not quite so sure, and more work should certainly be done. Then
there is the origin and meaning of our Essex "Red-Hills.'' These puzzling