Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
To the Editor of the Freemasons' Quarterly itivicw . Sir , — " May this foundation-stone prove the superstructure of a building that shall endure for all ages . " Such is the concluding rcmaik of a brief sketch you have given of tlie Lodge '" Rising Star " of Al ' estern India , inNo . 3 of your Review , dated March 31 , 1844 ; and in it you are most cordially joined by the whole fraternity of that distant province
, and no doubt by all tbe Brethren scattered throughout the globe . Personall y I have not the honour of your acquaintance , of your predecessor I had ; him I knew to be zealous , and have no reason to doubt but that you are the same ; consequentl y I suspect it will give you , as well as no iew oi your readers , pleasure to hear a little of the progress of Rising Star ; and being myself fond of masonic chit-chat , I will , if you will allow me , tell you what we have been doing , and how we have
been doing it . You are perhaps aware that the island of Bombay can boast of a greater number of languages , religions , ancl nations amongst its inhabitants than almost any other place in the known world ; for , besides considerable numbers of every Christian sect , it contains indefinite numbers of Musselmans , Hindoos , and Parsees , neither are Jews , Chineseand more or less of every neihbouring nation
wantingin-, g , cluding in its 300 , 000 souls some of almost every European as well as Asiatic country , America being not altogether unrepresented . Be it remembered too , that the vernacular language of each oi these parties is still in use at Bombay ; although , to some little extent , the English is known to most . The Romanist still uses the Portuguese ^ the Musselman Arabic , Persian or Hinclustanee , according to the countiy
from whence he is derived ; the Parsee clings with cherished fondness to his adopted language , the Guzrattee , whilst the Hindoo of Bombay is colloquial in his native Mahrattee . But to a person unaccustomed to India , what idea can be given of the prejudices of caste , or of the impassible barrier it opposes , not only between the various nations , but the different families of the same nation ? Amongst all of them , certain foods are religiously forbidden ;
and no two of them will together participate of the same meal , the Christian alone being above the prejudice , and freely using all God ' s creatures ; each sect looking upon another ivith no little jealousy , ancl some dread ; the Hindoo and Parsee still recollecting the horror ancl persecution ofthe Mahomedan invasions , ancl all feeling the present supremacy ofthe British power . With people then of these different habits and feelings is the great society of Bombay composed ; but it will not be necessary for
me further to particularize their peculiarities , as I wish to tell you whyj and on what principle , the native Lodge has been founded . You will recollect , that , about the beginning of the year 1843 , the foundation stone cf the Jamestjee Jejeehoy Hospital ivas laid in Bombay , with Masonic honours , in the presence of the founder ancl the Honourable the Governor ; ancl nothing of the sort having been witnessed there before that impressive ceremony , which was beautifully performed by the R . W . P ,
G . M . of AA'estern India , and a large assemblage of Brethren , it made a considerable impression upon the wondering natives ; and nothing more so than by observing the high and wealthy of the Residency in such close communion with their more humble brethren ; and constant ind earnest were the after-enquiries , respecting the mystic tie , that could bind them so intimately together . To the inquiring mind the Craft lave ever been ready and willing to explain to the uninitiated the grand
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
To the Editor of the Freemasons' Quarterly itivicw . Sir , — " May this foundation-stone prove the superstructure of a building that shall endure for all ages . " Such is the concluding rcmaik of a brief sketch you have given of tlie Lodge '" Rising Star " of Al ' estern India , inNo . 3 of your Review , dated March 31 , 1844 ; and in it you are most cordially joined by the whole fraternity of that distant province
, and no doubt by all tbe Brethren scattered throughout the globe . Personall y I have not the honour of your acquaintance , of your predecessor I had ; him I knew to be zealous , and have no reason to doubt but that you are the same ; consequentl y I suspect it will give you , as well as no iew oi your readers , pleasure to hear a little of the progress of Rising Star ; and being myself fond of masonic chit-chat , I will , if you will allow me , tell you what we have been doing , and how we have
been doing it . You are perhaps aware that the island of Bombay can boast of a greater number of languages , religions , ancl nations amongst its inhabitants than almost any other place in the known world ; for , besides considerable numbers of every Christian sect , it contains indefinite numbers of Musselmans , Hindoos , and Parsees , neither are Jews , Chineseand more or less of every neihbouring nation
wantingin-, g , cluding in its 300 , 000 souls some of almost every European as well as Asiatic country , America being not altogether unrepresented . Be it remembered too , that the vernacular language of each oi these parties is still in use at Bombay ; although , to some little extent , the English is known to most . The Romanist still uses the Portuguese ^ the Musselman Arabic , Persian or Hinclustanee , according to the countiy
from whence he is derived ; the Parsee clings with cherished fondness to his adopted language , the Guzrattee , whilst the Hindoo of Bombay is colloquial in his native Mahrattee . But to a person unaccustomed to India , what idea can be given of the prejudices of caste , or of the impassible barrier it opposes , not only between the various nations , but the different families of the same nation ? Amongst all of them , certain foods are religiously forbidden ;
and no two of them will together participate of the same meal , the Christian alone being above the prejudice , and freely using all God ' s creatures ; each sect looking upon another ivith no little jealousy , ancl some dread ; the Hindoo and Parsee still recollecting the horror ancl persecution ofthe Mahomedan invasions , ancl all feeling the present supremacy ofthe British power . With people then of these different habits and feelings is the great society of Bombay composed ; but it will not be necessary for
me further to particularize their peculiarities , as I wish to tell you whyj and on what principle , the native Lodge has been founded . You will recollect , that , about the beginning of the year 1843 , the foundation stone cf the Jamestjee Jejeehoy Hospital ivas laid in Bombay , with Masonic honours , in the presence of the founder ancl the Honourable the Governor ; ancl nothing of the sort having been witnessed there before that impressive ceremony , which was beautifully performed by the R . W . P ,
G . M . of AA'estern India , and a large assemblage of Brethren , it made a considerable impression upon the wondering natives ; and nothing more so than by observing the high and wealthy of the Residency in such close communion with their more humble brethren ; and constant ind earnest were the after-enquiries , respecting the mystic tie , that could bind them so intimately together . To the inquiring mind the Craft lave ever been ready and willing to explain to the uninitiated the grand