Remarkable Masonic Adventure.

Esparto Company—Esparto beinjy a grass that is largely used in paper making and other manufactures . " I assented to that knowledge , beim * somewhat "in tho trade , " and replied that I recollected the captain ' s

departure for his voyage perfectly well . " Tho business in Tunis and Tripoli , " he weut on , "is buying grass from the native Arabs and shipping it to this country . I left the Tyne early last January , bound to Genoa , and on my

arrival there I received instructions to sail to Tripoli , there to load part cargo of Esparto , and thence to proceed to Surkinis Bay , to complete cargo . "My instructions , " laughed , the narrator , " were short , sharp , and decisive ,

though somewhat vague . They were briefly in these words : 'One while house , with a lot of moveable Arab tents and camels- / but I must first go to the ancient town of S ' phax . As you will see by the chart , Sphax lies to tho

eastward of Morocco and Algiers , and to tho northward of Tunis , on the coast of Africa ; and it was loft to me to cruise along the coast until I espy the ' one whito houso , and the lot of moveable Arab tents and camels . ' However ,

the task was accomplished without difficulty , and surely enough tho white house , which is a landmark on tho coast , came into view . "

After replenishing our pipes , onr worthy brother gave a minute description of this town of Sp hax , which he spoke of as the most ancient he had ever seen in the Arab

quarter , and well worthy of a visit . I replied that it was most unlikely I should ever have that privilege , unless , indeed , he shonld bo going over for another cargo of Esparto and would invite me to accompany him , which he

smilingly assured me he wonld do . He described the native streets as all being roofed over , so as to protect the passers along it from the sun and rain , and gave an interesting account , which I will not prolong here , of the

manner m which the streets are sub-divided for the purposes of trade—some of them being devoted to the sale of cotton , others to meat , tin ware , provisions , & o . The Arabs were

to bo seen reclining at tho entrances to their " shops , " quietly smoking chibouques , as they waited for customers to come along j " and , " our Brother exclaimed , " a finer race of men I have never seen in my life . "

But to return to the story . He proceeded to say , " My agent there was an Italian brother , who sent his Arab servant to show me the town , and gavo mo a full description of Surkinis—or rather its encampment—where he

advised mo to make myself known to tho sheikh . Nov / , I need riot tell yon I cannot sponk a single syllable of Arabic ; so that I had no means of making myself known until the following incident happened : I towed boats , with a num .

bor of Arab labourers , to take on board grass from Sphax to Surkinis Bay , as I was informed that nothing could be had , and no assistance procured , at tho latter place . Well , the bowing had been going on all right , and everybody

very busy , except the captain—that ' s me , you know . " At which remark , I suppose I ought to say in parenthesis , as newspaper reporters do , there was " laughter " mutually , for our Brother is by no means a drone at anything he

undertakes . " Tho latter individual , " continued my friend , "betook himself up for a stroll inland , being told by the only two whites on tho settlement that I had nothing to fear from the natives , adding the precaution , however ,

that I must " beware of the dogs , " which were very numerous , aud of a vicious , wolfish breed , having a strong affinity for white men ' s calves , even though though they wore only of " 'salt junk ' " ( more laughter , of course ) .

I ventured to suggest as to the hazardous nature of a journey into the country at a time when the Arabs were in bitter hostility to the English , and stories of the Soudan campaign might have already reached that region , as no

doubt they had clone ; but ( he captain shook his head , and said he had been assured fo the contrary , and the only remark ho added was that , being mounted on a very young horse , he " did not fear tho dogs . " He continued ,

started at daybreak for tho hills , following the camel ' s track , and arrived about noon , when the Arabs were gathering the grass and loading tho camels and donkeys for the next day ' s journey to the encampment . I was

tired after six hours in tho saddle ''—fancy a robust , jolly looking captain of a vessel outside a young horse for six hours at a stretch J—" and after dinner at two p . nil , I crossed tho lulls to another grass place . At five p . m .

I started on my return journey towards the encampment at Surkinis Bay . I had my compass and knew the course to steer ; but unfortunatel y ni ght came on rapidly , and no stars being visible , I got off the track and lost my way .

Remarkable Masonic Adventure.

T found this out by striking a match , and setting my compass . Had I been wiser , I should havo had an older lmr . se , as I was informed before I started that the " old ' tins will find their way homo on the darkest night , as

old farmers' backs do in this country from market , bo the night ever so dark and their masters over so tipsy . " " However did you manage in this predicament ? " I was prompted to ask . " Well , I led tho horse up the hill and

lit my pipe , saw my revolver all right , and prepared for a bad night on the ground . Everything seemed as still as death ; but at ten o ' clock I saw a light in the valley , and

just then a few stars came out ; so I set my compass once more , and steered for the spot on which tho lights were glimmering . These revealed to me a lot of camels and

drivers returning to the mountains for grass , and they seemed alarmed to see a lone fellow there upon tbe dreary wastes on horseback . After a while , however , the sheikh approached , b . ifc as I could not speak Arabic , nor he ,

I imagined , English , the thought flashed across my mind to pass him a Masonic sign—the sign of sorrow . To my astonishment and intense relief , the sign was recognised and returned , and in a moment more we had exchanged

the grip with all tbe heartiness of true 'Hail ! fellow , well met . ' He at once ordered me chabouk and coffee , after which ho despatched an Arab with mo back to the settlement , much to tho surprise of the two whites

there , to whom 1 told the story of my strange adventure , to which they listened with wondering interest . After this I wa-i treated with the greatest respect and kindness ail the time I remained at Sirkinis , and on leaving

I was presented with a sheep and some fowls . " " Then you fared better than the unfortunate bishop who we are informed has recently been captured by some half savage tribes in a remote region ? " laughed I ; to which

tho Gaptain jocularly retorted " Perhaps the bishop is not a Mason , and therefore could not make himself known by signs ! " I was very much interested and amused at our Brother ' s description of the emotions which overtook him

when he " found himself lost , " and his joy at encountering a brother in that "outlandish spot ; " and said as a " chiel amang ye , takin' notes , " I shonld " prent it , " with the editor ' s permission , in the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE .

After the story was told , our Brother added that the only person there who spoke English was a head stevedore , who had been raised to the third degree in Masonry . " This man , whom I had brought from Sphax , inquired

what tbe English intended to do after conquering the Soudan ; but I answered by saying I was not sufficiently advanced in politics to solve such a problem as that . On

expressing surprise that the stevedore was a Master Mason , he assured me I need not be , as many sheikhs were Masons , besides other Arabs . "

Regarding this as another instance , and a very uncommon one , of the " universality of Masonry , " showing that even in the most obscure and remote parls of the habitable globe there are men of all classes ranged under the banner

of the Order , I venture to think you will deem it , worthy of record in your columns , and that the length of this sketch is in some measure justified by tho remarkable character of the information and incidents it contains .

Consecration Of St. Eiltan Mark Lodge, No. 360.

CONSECRATION OF ST . EILTAN MARK LODGE , No . 360 .

f \ S Ti : c : uay , ( lie 22 ud tilt ., tho Right W . rshipfal Bro . C . ptaia * - ? Harder Provincial Grand Master consecrated tbo new Ledge , St , Eiliiin , K " o . 3 f ) l , at tho CisGeHot'd , Amlwch . Tho Lodge has been formed hy Bro . Owen T ' lo . 'naa ns firs : U 13 L , and the Wardens

are IJ ; --O . tho Jler . II " . Thomas ( rural dean ) fin : ! Bro . the Rov . Hoary L ' ovd ( A' ; : i . v < : h ) mil the petitioners , whh Bro . O ' . ren Thomas , being Bro . Dr . T . C . Rolen , M . D ., mid Bro . J . Llovd Griffith ( Holyhead ) . Bro . Capiiiin Hunter was assisted by Bro . Dr . T . G . llodexi D . P . G . AI . end tho Provincial Grand O / Iicers , and Bro . George L . Woodloy

( Lh . ndudne ) P . G . Secretary Past Grand Steward of England acted fu Installing Master . An addro ? n v . -a" ! gieeu by Bro . Contain Hunter to tho brethren w . \ Murk llasmny , euid the , great progress tho Mark degree had made in iTorth Wr . les , and an interesting ceremony f ,: >[ - Iv . vi'd . Tho Provincial Grand Chaplains were Bro . tho Bo v . LInerh

Thomas ( rural dean ) and Brother tho Re ? , Henry Lloyd . Brothei WiIlianr . , Organist of Ghrir-st Church , Carnarvon , presided at the organ , and conducted tho mnsical arrangements . Cohme ! Tudor , Provincial Grand Muster of StafFord-shire ( a P-ist Grand Warden of X . irih Wales ) , wo . ? present . After the consecration , the brethren

iidjoiirard to tho Dinorbon Hotel , where they dined . Bro Captain Binder presided , and was supported on his right by tho B . V / . P . G . iU , of SraiTordihire and the W . " 5 I . Bro . Otvea Th mere and on Ids loft by the i ' li'vinciai Grand G ' rtp ! dns and tin ; , vd 'hnn of Llann'iaii . A'f ^ r n plea « ai : t evening , mo . ; fc of Hie brethren hid to leave by tho 1- ' M tieae , havur : to uo long disUiiew .