Ar00401

Bro . Bimell , J . G 1602 „ Simpson , G . 1611 „ Howes , Joseph 1623 „ Durham , Edmund ... 1639 „ Christian , W . T W . M . 1662

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Bro . Calderwood , George Henry 1677 „ Klenck , J . Matthew ( P . M . 1339 , Z . Chap . 1339 ) ... W . M . 1686 „ Killick , Charles K . ... W . M . 1693 „ Pnrkiss , William Thomas W . M . 1695

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Bro . Murray , J . J 1706 „ Farnfield , W . H W . M . 1716 „ Snelling , W . H

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions 0 / our Cor . respondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . AU Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

ANONYMOUS CORRESPONDENTS .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICIE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Eev . Bro . Simpson is nofc the only man who objects to anonymous correspondents , but it seems to me there are many cases in which it is an advantage for people to be able to express their opinions in the columns of a newspaper without divulging their names . All editors will do their best to keep out libellous

communications , and most editors will disallow what are ungentlemanly in tone . and feeling and statement . " SPES BONA " questioned the justice or propriety of certain statements made , or opinions expressed , by Eev . Bro . Simpson at a Lodge banquet , in the presence of a considerable number of brethren , but there was nothing per . sonally offensive to my rev . brother in the manner in which your

correspondent so questioned them . Indeed , " SPES BONA " is , in my opinion , entitled to Rev . Bro . Simpson ' s thanks ; for while he wrote with a full knowledge thafc , if he misrepresented or misinterpreted what Bro . Simpson had stated , he exposed himself to the penalty of being corrected and rebuked , not only by that brother , but by others who were present on the occasior , he did so with the certain know .

ledge that , in case of necessity , Bro . Simpson would explain what , if I judge rightly from "SPESBONA ' S" letter , was the interpretation which others , as well as he , attributed to Bro . Simpson's statements . In writing as he did , there was no necessity for " SPES BONA " to make his name public , though I dare say he is not ashamed—there is , in fact , no reason whatever why he should be ashamed—to divulge it .

There is another case in which the opportunity of writing anony . mously is clearly a great advantage . As you well know , I have , with your kind permission , written several letters in your columns , on matters of general interest , and , in nearly every case , some brother or brethren have expressed themselves pleased with the opinions I have expressed . I am a young Mason , if not a young man , and

probably my views might have passed unheeded had it been known they emanated from one so inexperienced . As it is they had a certain weight , and exercised a certain influence on the minds of others . I do not say they would not have produced the same feeling had I appended my name , but they might not have done so . Similarly , the anonymous articles , be they social or political , which we read in the

journals of the day , we accept and respect them as expressing the opinions of a section of tho general public ; but if the names of the writers were appended we should come to look at them as merely the opinions of the writer . I read the articles in my favourite paper —the Times , the Standard , or the Telegraph—and I say perhaps to a

friend—Have you seen the Standard ' s article on the war , or reform , or what not ? I do not know , nor do I concern myself as to who wrote it . The article expresses a certain form of public opinion , and that is sufficient ; but if I were aware it was from the pen of Mr . Jones or Mr . Eobinson , in time I should bring myself to regard it , nofc as public opinion , but as the opinion of the writer only . Yours fraternally , PETER .

An Inquiry.

AN INQUIRY .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Can I obtain , through the medium of your journal , the following information ? List of Masonic works calculated to assist an inquirer in investi .

gating the history of a London Lodge from 1750 to 1813 . Names of Lodges dating their existence prior to the Union in 1813 of whioh histories have been written , including those printed for pri . vate circulation only . Yours fraternally , A MASONIC STUDENT .

The weekly gatherings for instrnction , held at the residence of the W . M . of No . 23 , were adjourned from the 5 th until Tuesday the 19 th inst ., to afford the brethren who are capitular Masons the opportunity of being present at the Prudent Brethren Chapter Public Night .

The third annual banquet of the members of the Metropolitan Lodge of Instruction , No . 1507 , -will take place on Tuesday , 12 th February , at the Metropolitan Club , Kings Cross . Bro . R . T . Kingham , W . M . of the parent Lodge , will preside .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Heview should bo addressed to the Editor of Tlie Freemason's Chronicle , 67 Barbican , E . C , The Country of the Moors ; A Journey from Tripoli in Barbary to the City of Kairwan . By Edward Eae , F . E . G . S ., author of " The Land of the North Wind . " Map and Illustrations . London : John Murray , Albermarle . atreet , 1877 .

Works of travel , even if they are only moderately well written , are always popular with the English reading public , while books which contain an account of some comparatively unknown region are read with avidity . Tho work before us comes under the latter category , for though the coast-line of Tripoli may be tolerably well known , and likewise some of the principal towns , yet the interior is not

traversed by many people , and consequently there is much in these pages which will be new and highly interesting to the reader . As to the author , he appears to possess most of the requisite qualifications for a traveller , and especially that determination to please and be pleased , combined with firmness and self-possession , of which a man moving among comparatively uncivilised strangers stands in absolute need . He is an adept in the uso of his pen , to tho extent

of writing in an easy and unaffected stylo , and his knowledge of photography has enabled him to present a few illustrations , chiefly of the ruins he was permitted to see . Indeed , tho number is such as to make us wish they had been far more numerous . Just prior to starting , Mr . Eae received a variety of commissions from friends and even strangers , to bring back for them embroideries , silken stuffs , china , & c , & o . One of them we transcribe at length : —

" Dear Eae , I send a list of a few things I wish you would get for me . Twelve inlaid hand mirrors with mother-of-pearl and ivory ; five or six essence cabinets , such as are found in Tunis and Cairo ; two soft silk scarfs , of scarlet and plum colour j a set of coffee-cups and silver holders set in turquoise ; must be old ; any blue and white china worth having ; whatever large pieces of silver work—brace .

lets , < Scc . —you don't want yourself ; some old embroidery ; a brass Jewish lamp ; and a brass ewer and basin . " Another gentleman asks for shells and birds' eggs , and he kindly forwards Mr . Eae an illustration showing him how he is to blow the eggs : and yet another asks him to execute commissions to the extent of fifty or a hundred pounds in oriental embroidery . These aro only

a few out of the many purchases ho was invited to make . We pass over the earlier chapters till we come to the ruins of Septis , whioh are still of considerable extent , but which , if the present work of spoilation goes on , will soon be reduced to nothing . Thus , at p . 44 , wo read : " We ascended the hill , and found on its crest a gang of fifteen or twenty negroes , with a Maltese overseer ,

hard at work excavating . They had como upon the sito of a temple , of which the noble red granite columns still stood erect under the sand . They had excavated a huge hole , and length by length tho columns were being removed , aud placed ready for transport to Horns . This disgraceful traffic is destroying what remains of Lebda ' s glories . Maltese and low Mediterranean traders in Homs are growing rich

upon the sale of columns which , it seems , are " invaluable as olive , crushers , " and one case is mentioned of a " Maltese who came penniless to Homs , " and now has " a shop of . his own , and is doing well . " Some interesting details are given of tho early history of the city , and among them tho following legend is worthy noting : — " In order to settle disputes as to the boundaries between Cyrene and Carthage

it was determined that certain deputies should set forth from each capital simultaneously , and the spot afc which they met should be determined as the boundary . Two brothers , Philroni , set out from Carthage , and , travelling swiftly , outstripped the more dilatory Cyrenians , encountering them ou the shores of Leptis . Enraged , and fearing the vengeance of their countrymen , the Cyrenians began

to pick a quarrel , and declared thoy would ' fix' the Carthaginians , who must have started before their appointed time . They gave them the option of withdrawing to the spot the Cyrenians desired as a boundary , or of being buried alive where they stood . The disinterested Fhilceni , for the welfare and glory of their fatherland , chose the latter alternative , and were interred , living , somewhere in

the neighbourhood of these ruins . Here the Carthaginians erected altars , and instituted at Carthage religious solemnities in their honour . We were , " adds the author , " on the point of shedding a tear to the memory of the Philconi , when wo referred to our chart , and discovered that the Cyrenians must havo travelled from seventy to eighty miles more than the Carthaginians . "

Chapter XV . contains some interesting details of the City of Sfax . While there , the arrival of a caravan , from the Djerid , with dates , took place , but they proved to be unsaleable , owing to the plentiful suppy that season . It is , however , worth learning about the prices and qualities of their fruit . "Tho finest dates of Tunisia , " says Mr . Eao , " or , indeed , of Africa—the deghla—can be bought in Tunis for thirty-five shillings the hundredweight ; in the Djerid for ,

perhaps , ten shillings . There are dates in Djerba , known as bilahh and as b ' sir , but they are far behind the deghla . In Morocco is a date also known as bilahh . On the flatiah lands of Kerkeneh there grows a soft dark date , called ertotib , cheap , and not very good . " As to measures , we are told that the Tunisian pound , the rotal attari , is just equivalent to our lb . avoirdupois ; the ofce contains two ratals , and tho kantar fifty okes . The Tunisian measures for corn , flour , & c ,