Freemasonry In Jamaica.

FREEMASONRY IN JAMAICA .

Eoyal Keystone Lodge , No . 240 . —An ordinary meeting Avaa held on the 17 th March , at the Friendly Rooms . Present : — Bros . R . Langley W . M ., M . Dias S . W . pro tern , E . X . Leon J . W . pro tem , W . J . Rutherford S . D . pro tern , and several other Officers . Fourteen candidates and two joining members were elected , but only

eight candidates were advanced . Tho Prov . G . M . of Mark Masons of Jamaica was reported in attendance , aud Avas received with honours . Ho then handed over to tho W . M . the charter of the Lodge that he had received from tho Grand Lodgo of England , and made some very appropriate remarks . Ho also assisted in the

advancement of the candidates . The W . G . J . Cordova of the Phoenix Mark Lodgo , Port Royal , and the Wor . Brother M . Dias of the Glenlyon Lodgo , Avere elected honorary members . The Lodge was closed , and tho brethren spent a few hours in social enjoyment . After refreshment , the usual Masonio and Loyal toasts Avere proposed , and heartily received .

A correspondent writes in cheering terms of the revival of Masonry in the island , and says : — The " Union et Concordia , " once an old and flourishing Lodge of this island , has revived from its

ashes . All tho old members havo met again , and through the permission of the District Grand Master for East Jamaica , arrangements have been made when they will shortly proceed to elect a Master , and recommence working .

The District Grand Master for East Jamaica and some of his Officers paid an official visit to the Friendly Lodge , Kingston , Jamaica , on 10 th March , at their ordinary meeting , which waa presided over by Bro . Moses Delgado . Friendly Boyal Arch Chapter . —A Quarterly Convocation

was held at their rooms on 27 th March . Present : —M . E . J . L . Ashemien Z ., G . C . H . Lewis H ., E . Brandon J ., and other Officers . The following Officers wore installed for the present year : —Comps . B . Stines jun . Z ., E . Brandon H ., M . E . Ross J ., E . De Pas S . E ., M . Alexander S . H ., L . Mordecai Treasurer , E . Dazerado P . S ., A .

Finzi First Assistant , E . Tozi Second Assistant . Among those present wore tho following Principals : —J . J . G . Lewis P . Z . Friendly , C . Davis P . Z . Royal , R . Langley P . Z . Royal , R . Garsia P . Z . Royal , M . B . Dias P . Z . Glenlyon , and several Companions of other Chapters .

The Most Excellent A . De Cordova P . Z . and Superintendent of the Grand Chapter for Jamaica was elected a life member . This worthy Companion occupied tho chair of Z . for threo years , and some time ago was presented with a jewel .

Tho Most Excellent Altamont De Cordova is appointed Deputy Grand Superintendent , and H . Lewis Grand Scribe E . of the Grand Chapter for Jamaica . Tho other Officers will shortly be appointed . Phoenix Mark Lodge , No . 242 . —At an ordinary meeting , held on 13 th March , at the Pbcenix Hall , there were present : —Bros .

J . De Cordova XV . U ., W . D . Smedmore S . W ., E . Do Pass J . W ., W . J . L . Rutherford Sec , and other Officers . The Provincial Grand Master for Mark Masons in Jamaica Avas announced and received with honour , when ho AV . IS pleased to hand over to tho W . M . tho charter

received from tho Grand Mark Lodge of England , aud made some very appropriate remarks , wishing the Lodgo every success . Three candidates were elected , but only two were advanced , the Provincial Grand Master giving his able assistance . Tho Lodgo was closed , and the brethren retired to supper .

A meeting wes hold on the 26 th March , at the Friendly Rooms , presided over by the Rt . Wor . Hon . Dr . Hamilton Prov . G . M . of Mark Masons for Jamaica , when he appointed the following Officers for the year : —Bros . J . XV . Whiteborne Sussex as D . P . G . M ., J . J . G . Lewis Clifton Mount as P . G . S . W ., R . Langley Royal Keystone P . G . J . W .,

G . J . Do Cordova Phconix P . G . M . O ., A . De Cordova Clifton Mount P . G . S . O ., G . J . Sargeant Royal Keystone P . G . J . O ., B . Stines jun . Royal Keystone P . G . Treas ., E . X . Leon Royal Keystone P . G . Sec , 0 . Delgado sen . Phoenix P . G . Regis ., S . E . Pintoz Sussex P . G . S . D .,

J . L . Ashemien Clifton Mount P . G . J . D ., 0 . Delgado jun . Phoenix Sup . W ., G . J . Peynado Sussex D . C , G . A . Campbell Royal Keystone Sd . B ., D . Barned Phoenix Std . B ., A . H . Jones Sussex Org ., G . R . Taylor Sussex I . G ., Dr . T . Allen Sussex , Capt . Dadsou Sussex , and L . C . Hollar Phcenix Stewards .

New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND

Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 1338 . —On 7 th March , a most interesting meeting of this Lodge took place at the Masonic Hotel , Auckland , Now Zealand , the business being tho presentation of Past Master ' s jewels to Brothers Past Masters Moritz S . Leers , G . N . Brassey , XV . 11 . Skinner , and Rev . C . M . Nelson . Bro . Dr . Dawson W . M . presided , and amongst tho visitors wore Bros . Dr . Goldsboro

Dist . G . Treasurer ; W . P . Moat Dist . G . S . D ., and other brethren , including the W . M ., Wardens and Officers of Lodge Waitemata , and brethren from the Lodges under tho Scotch and Irish Constitutions in the city . Bros . Skinner and Brassey were unable to be present , but the presentations were made to Bros . Leers and Nelson , by the W . Master iu a few complimentary sentences . To Bro . Leers , the

Prince of Wales Lodgo owes a deep debt of gratitude , as one of tho founders of the Lodge , Mid most earnest Masons in tho district ; he is no less thoroughly we I versed in the ceremoni ' . s than in the regulations and laws of thi Institution . lo is largely to his continuous and successful e :: ei- ions ever since t he founding of the Lodge that its present proud prsit '_ n in New Zealand is now owing , and as President of the Board oi General Purposes of the District Grand

New Zealand

Lodge of Auckland he enjoys tho universal esteem and respeofc of tho brethren . After the meeting dinner was provided by Brother Hood , with his usual excellent taste . About twenty-five brethren sat down , and enjoyed the good things provided . Tho usual toasts wero proposed and responded to , several songs were sang , and a very enjoyable evening was spent .

Lodge of Light ( LO . ) — This Lodge , established at tho Thames Goldfields , has lately suffered a loss in the death of Bro . Jas . Hopcraft P . M ., who died on the 10 th March , from congestion of tho brain . Bro . Hopcraft held a commission in the 3 rd Regiment of

Waikato Militia during the Maori war , and saw a good deal of service , and subsequently joined tho staff of the Thames Times , eventually founding the Thames Evening Star , of which he Avas editor at the time of his death . He was one of tho Principals of the Abbotsford Royal Arch Chapter .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Beview should be addressed to th . Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , E . C . — : o : — The Four Old Lodges : Founders of Modern Freemasonry and their Descendants . A Record of the Progress of the Craft in England ,

and of the Career of every Regular Lodge down to the Union of 1813 . With an authentic compilation of Descriptive Lists for Historic Reference . By ROBERT FREKE GOULD , late 31 st Regiment , Barrister-at-Law . London : Spencer ' s Masonic Dep & t , opposite Freemasons' Hall . 1871 ) .

IF , to use the language of th » Latin poet , he who first committed his frail bark to the stormy ocean had his heart protected by a shield of triple brass—which , being interpreted in the vulgar tongue , means that he was incapable of experiencing the slightest sense of fear—it is certain that he who attempts to deal exhaustively with the history of our oldest Lodges must possess , at least , an equal degree of

courage . Masonic history is , and we fear will remain for years to come , in a vague and -unsatisfactory state . As a mysterious confraternity the body of Freemasons has jealously guarded what archives of importance may have been preserved from the prying eyes of its more curious members . The majority of those who have aspired to take rank as historians of the Craft have done more harm

than good by their Avell-meant but silly attempts to create for it a history out of elements Avhich either never existed , except in their own imagination , or which , if they did exist , it was impossible seriously to attempt connecting together in the form of a continuous and acceptable form . The amount of ridicule which , not unjustly , has been brought upon Freemasonry by the enthusiastic inventors

of impossible histories who have fancied they could trace a Masonic mystery in every circumstance or even the most ouc-of-the-Avay occurrence is incalculable , and it will be a long time before the more practical , the moro matter-of-fact , yet by no means loss earnest , brethren of tho day who devote their time to Masonic studies will be in a position to boast that by their labours they have in some

measure retrieved the fair fame of our Society from the charge of having palmed-otf a series of astounding fables as solemn historic truths . What is needed is a veritable history of Freemasonry as it has beon and is , not as it has been pictured by tho visionary and the all too credulous enthusiast . It may amuse , bnt cannot be edifying to thoso who hear it , to claim that Freemasonry has numbered

among its chief rulers , or Grand Masters as they are called , Noah and Abraham , Solomon and Zerubbabel , Pythagoras and Euclid , St . John thj Baptist and St . John the Evangelist , St . Alban the Protomartyr of Britain , and a long roll of other worthies whom ib would occupy too much valuable space to enumerate . By seriously associa . ting these and others with our Craft , and making them to have been

among its rulers , a number of well-intentioned writers have brought into bad odour with the serious public an Institution which is not only respectable , but can likewise boast of a truly remote antiquity . However , into this question of the antiquity of Freemasonry we are nob prepared to enter now , nor is ib desirable we should do so , seeing that it is outside the scope of the Avork before us . Let us , therefore ,

betake ourselves to our duties as critics , and note carefully the character and contents of Bro . Gould ' s sketch of the Four Old Lodges and their descendants . Readers of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE have already had an opportunity of judging to a certain extent of his work from the series of papers which appeared on this subject in these columns last

year . But let them not imagine it is a mere reprint of those papers in a connected form , with an Appendix containing the most important Lodge Lists , printed by authority of Grand Lodge , and showing tho numerical changes which occurred between the establishment of Grand Lodge and the Union . This is very far from being the case . True , what was published last year reappears

iu this work , but the additions are considerable , and the emendations numerous , to the extent , indeed , of making it almosb a new work . These of course have entailed on the author an immense amount of labour : in fact , we think it necessary to state , at the outset , that only an enthusiast conld have undertaken so difficult a task as this . Examining lists is dry and uninteresting work , and requires an amount of labour of which few people can form any adequate

conception . Then the compilers of the earlier among these lists had not always been careful to keep in view the necessity of being strictly accurate in the matter of dates . Consequently Bro . Gould ' s already diffi : ult task proved much harder of accomplishment than probably e ^ en he conld have anticipated . Had Pine and other publishers f Lodge Lists made a point of following up dates correctly , f id confined any alterations they thought proper to make to < ises of proved error , not only would Bro . Gould