is and the next year. All unsound wood was removed and replaced by
good oak. The diamond shapes are still to be seen, but the black, white,
and brown patterns have been improved away. The discovery of the site of
the Saxon church, which will be described hereafter, was made in 1883.
Steady progress continued to be made in securing the safety of various
parts of the church; and on July 11th, 1889, a temporary choir having
been fitted up, divine service was again held in the ancient ritual
choir, which extended two bays into the nave.

During the next two years many contributors to the general fund for the
restoration, and some others, made gifts of special objects for the
embellishment of the choir. By the end of May, 1892, the mosaic pavement
was almost completed, and the bishop's throne, the pulpit, the litany
desk, and eighteen stalls had been erected. These gifts were solemnly
dedicated at a stately service held on June 2nd, when, after the litany
and an anthem, the special service was taken by the Archbishop of
Canterbury at the altar, and after that _Te Deum_ was sung. A sermon was
preached by the Bishop of Durham, formerly Canon. The Archbishop and
Bishops wore their convocation robes.

Two years later the fitting up of the choir was very nearly complete,
four stalls only remaining to be supplied. At a second dedication of
gifts on May 10th, 1894, these additional gifts were in position; new
organ and case, canopied reredos, retable, iron screens inclosing the
four eastern bays of the choir, pillars and choir gates (part of a
design for an elaborate screen), eight stalls, extension of mosaic
pavement, fourteen sub-stalls and seats for lay-clerks and choristers,
altar-rails, and credence table. Up to this date, since the commencement
of the restoration in 1883, upwards of L32,400 had been expended upon
the fabric, besides more than L17,800 upon the internal fittings of the
choir. All the woodwork of the choir is now quite complete.

In speaking of the repairs carried out on the west front at the end of
the nineteenth century we touch on a matter which gave rise to no little
controversy. The insecure state of the west front had been known for
years. In the early part of 1896, a scaffold was raised in order to
enable Mr Pearson, the architect of the cathedral, to make a complete
examination of the front, special causes for alarm having lately been
detected. At first it was believed that underpinning the central pier