Correspondence.

agreement with each other , and cheering up and exciting to exertion numbers of men who in their isolation were almost beginning to despair . Undoubtedly the crisis is serious . ' Every information may be obtained by persons wishing to join , from the Registrar , No . 30 Essex-street , Strand , W . C All applications must be by letter only . " —Morning Post , 4 th February 1884 .

GRAND CHAPLAINS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I am very much afraid that Bro . Jacob Norton ' s statement in his last letter— " and it is a fact that the Grand Lodge of England had no Chaplain before 1813 "—will not stand the test of examination . I have recently had occasion to search through the minutes of the Atholl Grand Lodge from 1798 to 1813 , and among the Grand Officers yearly appointed will be found the name of

the Rev . Edward Barry as Grand Chaplain towards the close of that period , and that of the Rev . Henry Isaac Knapp as Deputy Grand Chaplain . These two Brothers , with the Rev . Lucius Coghlan , who was Grand Chaplain of the Moderns , were the first appointed Chaplains after the Union , or rather they were appointed as such at the

Consu tarnation of the Union on the 27 th December 1813 . It will not , of course , be a very difficult matter to trace the earliest appointment of these officers in the two Grand Lodges . Faithfully and fraternally yours , " Q . "

Testerday ( Friday ) was fixed for the half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of the Crystal Palace District Gas Company , ami the Directors' Report , -which was then , to be submitted , is in all respects a most satisfactory evidence of the progress made by the Company daring the six months

ended 31 st December 1883 . The Gas Examiners' Reports , as to the illuminating powers of the gas supplied and its freedom from sulphuretted hydrogen and ammonia , leave nothing to be desired , while the price of the supply , which was reduced at Michaelmas last to 3 s per 1 , 000

cubic feet , will , " from and after the date of the Lad y Day quarter's accounts , " be still further reduced to 2 s lid per 1 , 000 . These are points on which the public would gladly have been informed , and the proprietors will have been equally satisfied with that portion of the Report which

more immediately concerns them , namely — that the Directors have considered themselves justified in recommending a dividend for the half-year , free of income tax , at the following rates , namely—6 per cent , on the Preference Stock , 7 per cent , on the ordinary 7 per cent .

Stock , 10 per cent , on the Ordinary 10 per cent , Stock , and 7 per cent , on the New Ordinary 7 per cent . Shares . These together will absorb , in round figures , £ 12 , 015 , but as the profit and loss account shows a balance of net profit amounting to within a fraction of £ 20 , 735 , there is ample

justification for the declaration of such a dividend , with a liberal margin over to meet the contingencies of the current half-year . Only one subject of regret is referred to by the Directors , namely—that Bro . Sir Erasmus Wilson has

signified his intention of retiring from the Chairmanship of the Company , in consequence of failing health , but the regret will be minimised when it is known that his services as a Director will be still available .

The Chigwell Lodge of Instruction will in future meet at the Lough ton Tavern , Station Road , Lough ton , on Friday evenings , at 7 * 30 , instead of at the Prince ' s Hall , Buckhurst Hill , as heretofore . Bro . J . E . Curteis P . P . S . G . W . Devon , owner of the Yacht

"Talisman , " 99 tons , and the celebrated twenty-tonner " Quickstep , " has been unanimously elected Rear Commodore of the Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club . Lord Francis Cecil is Commodore , and Mr . N . S . Kelly Vice-Commodore .

Tho following Festivals have been lately hold at the Freemasons' Tavern : — March 10 th—Veglioni of the Italian Colony Club , St . Georgo and Corner Stone Lodge , University Chapter ; 11 th—Swallow Bicycle Club Ball , St . James ' s Union Lodge , Urban Lodge ; 12 th —North of Thames Licensed Victuallers' Ball , United Lodge , London and Gal

loway Association ; 13 th—Holborn Cricket Cub Ball , Rose of Sharon Chapter , Polish National Lodge , Lodge of Regularity , St . George ' s Chapter ; 14 th—Quadrant Ball , Britannic Lodge , Bedford Lodge , Eclectic ; 15 th—Batchelors' Ball . March 17 th—St . Patrick ' s Festival ; Grand Master ' s Lodge ; British Lodge ; Royal Albert Lodge . 18 th—Cadogan Lodge ; British Home

for Incurables ; Salisbury Lodge . 19 th—Hackney Carriage Proprietors' Association ; Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers ; Grand Stewards' Lodge ; Oak Lodge ; Buckingham and Chandos Lodge ; Norer Magus ; Licensed Victuallers . 20 th—Old Acquaintance Musical Society ; Linnman Club ; St . Mary ' s Lodge ; Universal Lodge ; Globe Lodge ; Great Northern Lodge . 21 st—Jordan Lodge ; Sunday Society Ball ; Highland Society .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Review should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , Belvidere Works , Hermes Hill . Pentonville , London , N . — : o : — South Australia : its History , Productions , and Natural Resources , By J . H . Stow . Written for the Calcutta Exhibition by request of the South Australian Government . Adelaide : E . Spillor , Government Printer , North Terrace . 1883 .

MOST people have some genera ] knowledge of the amazing progress which has been made by our different Australian colonies since their establishment . They know , for instance , that what , speaking of course comparatively , were only a few years since mere penal settlements or unknown conntry , are now thriving communities , with resources capable of almost infinite development . But how this

progress has been attained can only be gathered from snob a work as this , which gives an elaborate history of one of the said colonies—that of South Australia—throughout its whole career . And it is probable that the task of writing such a history could not in the case of this particular colony have been entrusted to better hands . Mr . Stow speaks in his modest preface of having been a resident in the colony

for over forty years , in the course of which he has accumulated a large store of material . He has had access to all the best anthorities , and having been invited by the Government to undertake the work , he has very naturally received every possible assistance in his labours from the different departments of the pub . lio service . That this experience and these facilities have been

tnrned to the very best account a glance at a few pages here and there will serve to show , but the work conld not have been done as it is had not Mr . Stow possessed a special fitness for the duty entrusted to him . A man may possess a good deal of knowledge and enjoy exceptional facilities for increasing it , but , in order to impart that knowledge to others , he must exhibit a great

variety of qualities , among which tact , discrimination , and method are certainly not the least important , and these are shown to great advantage by Mr . Stow in every part of his history . The earlier chapters contain a full and sufficient sketch of the colony . Then follow particulars as to the constitution , the capital , the agricultural , mineral , and commercial resources of the country , the climate , the

religious and educational institutions , public works , the Aborigines , the fauna and flora , & o . & o . These are supplemented by a mass of statistical matter relating to the whole of the Australian colonies , and by a number of maps , illustrating the political and physical geography of this important section of the British Empire . The style in which

the history is written is admirable for its clearness and lucidity , as well as for its independence of all party politics , so that even from our somewhat limited acquaintance with its contents—a careful and conscientious study of them would require more time than we can well spare—we have no hesitation in recommending Mr . Stow ' s work to the attention of our readers .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

Grove Chapter , No . 410 . —This Chapter held its last meeting for the present season , on Saturday , 8 th inst ., at the Swan Hotel , Leatherbead , under the presidency of M . E . Comp . G . D . Lister . The installation of the Third Principal , Comp . Charlton , who telegraphed his arrival at Malta—on his return from the Antipodes—had again to be postponed . Congratulations were offered to the M . E . Z . Comp .

Lister , as also to Comp . C . Greenwood Prov . Grand Scribe Surrey , for the energetic way in which they had again brought the affairs of the Chapter to a useful and satisfactory ending , notwithstanding the trouble resulting from the nomadic position of their locus in quo . The adjournment to November next was made with regret by all present . An excellent banquet was done justice to at the end of the proceedings .

Torbay Chapter , No . 1358 . —At the annual meeting , held in the Masonic Hall , Paignton , the Companions invested as Officers for the ensuing year were Ex-Companion F . Palk Z ., Ex-Companion Alexander H ., Ex-Companion Jarman J ., Ex-Companion Searle Prov . Grand Prin . Soj . I . P . Z . ; Ex-Companions Bradford S . E ., Emmett S . N ., W . H . Goodridge Prin . Soj ., Marley Treasurer , Eastley 1 st As . sistant Soj ., Cuming 2 nd Assistant Soj ., Toyer Janitor .

Comp . T . G . Fisher will be installed M . E . Z . of the Eccleston Chapter , No . 1624 , on Wednesday , the 26 th inst . The ceremony is to be performed by Comp . Vincent P . Z . A Convocation of the North London Chapter of

Improvement was held on Thursday , at eight o ' clock , at the Alwyne Castle Tavern , St . Panl ' s-road , Canonbury . Comps . Hunter filled the chair of Z ., Holness H ., and

Hubbard J . ; Comp . G . W . Knight was the S . N ., and Comp . Radcliffe the P . S . Comp . John Evans Sheffield is the Scribe E . of this Chapter of Improvement .

HOLLOWAY ' S OINTMBHI AjfD PICLS combine both sanifcive and sanative powers in a high degree—by the former term is understood their ability to preserve health , by the latter their capability to restore health . With these remedies at hand no invalid need be at fault to guide himself or herself through the many trials to whi ch every one is subjected during our long and oft-times inclement winter . Coughs , colds , ulcerated throats , whooping cough , can be successfully treated by rubbing this ointment upon the chest , and . by taking the pills during damp , foggy weather , asthmatical sufferers will experience the utmost possible relief from the inunction of the ointment , and all tonder-chested persons will save endless misery by adopting this treatment .