Original Correspondence.

and Germans , from Persia , or Media , as one station , merely , of a more extensive journey , by either the southern or northern route from thence . In fact , the generally acknowledged theory of the German philologists , sriven expression to in

Bu . Visen ' s third volume of ' E gypt ' s Place in Universal History ' ( p . 4 ^ 9 ) , brings the modern Germans from still further east than Persia or Media , or from what he terms thc . ' primreval land , ' Iran proper , Airyana Vaego , or the high and

( . ibout the sources ofthe Oxus and Jaxartes , between the 40 th and 37 th degrees of north latitude , and the 86 th and 90 th of east longitude , or in Eastern Central Asia ; that , says he , was the aboriginal Iran proper , inhabited by the fathers of the Aryans ( and , consequently our own , as we

speak the same language . ) " Having observed that Air . AVilson has shown satisfactory indications , after eliminating the Persian and Aled ' an imported additions into the Anglo-Saxon language , that the- | s a small portion of Egyptian or Coptic , similarly imported , but that the

structure and foundation of the language is Hebraic ; in fact , that the basis of the English language may , to a remarkable extent , be found in the Hebrew , many of our most common words and iaanies of familiar objects being almost pure Hebrew—the Hebrew of the Ephraimite or Israelite ,

and not of the Jewish portion ofthe tribes , Professor Smyth proceeds to say , "This is , without doubt , a very capital point ; because as clearly as linguistic connections can make them so , and agreably wilh all the principles of language , applied to ethnological science , and which ,

indeed , seldom has such broad and ample foundations to work upon in its ordinary discussions and conclusions—the Anglo-Saxons are shown to be compounded of the very Israelite people of old ; in fact they are the representatives of those Irsaelitcs , or may be said to be themselves of

Israelite descent , and , therefore heirs of whatever portions of Hebraism were , retained when the more particular religious rites of Mosaicism were abolished and superceded , under king Jeroboam . " ( "Life and Work at the Great Pyramid , " vol . 3 , p . s 8 i ., ixtc . )

I must not trespass farther on your space . It would be gratifying to many of those who take a deep interest in the subject upon yvhich Professor Rawlinson had now employed his pen , to hear that he had reconsidered the subject ; and in the light of such promises as those of

Jeremiah had discerned , not the extinction , but the preservation of Israel— " He that scattereth Israel will gather hint and keep him as a shepherd doth his flock . "' " I will sow the house of Israel and the House of Judah with the seed of man , and with the seed of beast . And it

shall come to pass that like as I have watched over them , to pluck up and to break down , and to throw down , and to destroy , and to afflict , so will I watch ovor them to build and to p lant , saith the Lord . " ( Jer . xxxi . ) Yours fraternally WILLIAM CARPENTER .

[ I am sorry to be obliged to append a long list of corrections , required in my letter which was printed in the Iasf Freemason ( August 24 th ( , without which certain passages in that letter will remain unintelligible , and others more or Jess difficult to understand .

In page 520 , col . 1 , line 3 of thc letter , for l-y read inline 4 , for India read Media—in par . 2 , line 1 , for the effect read this effect—in line 9 , for India read Media—in par . 4 , line I , for is read as—in col . 2 , line 8 , after " effect" insert and—line 13 , for l-nl read that—line 14 , for not read nunc—line 20 , for . fine read pure—line 22 , fot

turned read carried—line 23 , for India read Media—line IT ,, for how read nun- —line 22 , for weapon read weakenin par . 3 , line 1 , for agrees read argues—in col . 3 , par . 2 , line 7 , enclose tlie words , " The Ten Tribes" in inveited commas—line 28 , for aphad read ephnd—line 44 , for riles read cities—line ( 10 , for India read Media—in page 521 , col . I , line 17 , 18 , for Mashaneerees read Kashmeeres—line

10 , for Kurds read Kurds—line 20 , for " quoting an wilh , " read ijiwling Dr . Killa—line 24 , for disappear read dis . appeared—in par . 3 , line 18 , take away the comma , after found—line 28 , for «/ ' read or—line 32 , for thought read though—line 44 , for with read un / u ; and in the next line for innermost read ntlcrniusi—in col . 2 , line 1 , for land , read Lord .

In page , 520 , col . 3 , all the lines after 13 to the end of the par . should he struck out , and tlie following take their place—Israelite town : It was a town in the tribe of Benjamin , part of the Kingdom of Judah . N ' ebo was a city of Judah , believed by Euscbius and Jerome to lie t ' ne same as Nabau , about eight miles south of Hebron . Bethel , though once an Israelite city , was taken by Abijah , King of Judah ( 3 Chron . xiii . jo ); and I do not find that

Original Correspondence.

it was ever retaken by Israel . In the time of Asa , that and other towns of Ephraim were still in the possession of Judah ( Ch . xv . 8 ) , as they were at a still later period ( Ch . xix . 4 ) . In fact , at the time spoken of by Professor Rawlinson , Bethel was not an Israelite city , but a city ot Judah .

In tlie first letter , in Freemason ( Aug . 3 rd ) , the following errata occur : —p . 471 , col . 1 , line 30 from the bottom , for and , after Ti g lath-Pilcser , read or l-y—line 3 from thc bottom , for on Sargon read or Sargon—col . 2 , line 5 , for Korsuhuii read Knrsal'ud , ~\

PROHIBITION OF MASONIC PROCESSIONS .

To the Editor of the Freemason : Sir and Brother , — I met a brother from Ireland a few days ago , who seems to be well posted in Alasonic matters , who told me , that previous to

the 24 th of June last , a circular was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland prohibiting Alasonic processions on that day . I thought that through your columns and other sources of information I have , that if anything of that kind had occurred I should have known it . I therefore doubted his statement .

Could you , Sir , or any of your numerous readers enlig hten me ? Scotland , ioth Aug ., 1872 . Ex-auiRr . R .

THE BALLOT FOR W . MASTER .

To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Your correspondent , "A Alasonic Student , must forgive me if I frankly tell him that I have not gathered very much "light " from his communication . He thinks I must he

a very young mason , or I should not have suggested any amendment to the present very perfect system of electing a AV . AI , Although it really has nothing to do with the point at issue , I may relieve " A Alasonic Student ' s " doubts by informing him that my G . L .

certificate is dated several years ago , and that I have always given as much attention and study to Alasonic matters as my professional avocations would allow . Your correspondent fails to seize the point yvhich I presented for

solution , viz . : —that under the present system of voting a brother might be placed in the chair without haying the majority of the votes present . In order to make more evident my meaning , I will suppose a lodge of twenty members met to elect a W . AL There shall be live brethren

eligible for the office , whom we will call respectively A , B , C , D , and E . Each brother of the twenty present recording his vote for his favourite candidate , theresult shall be as follows : —A , 5 votes ; B , 4 votes ; C , 4 votes ; D , 4 votes ; E , 3 votes . Thus A , having rive votes will be elected W . Al , ; although , if his name

were placed singly before the lodge he might not obtain another vote beyond the five alread y given in his favour . Your other correspondent , our learned brother W . J . Hughan , does not think my question so very frivolous , and I thank him for the attention which he has devoted to it . The

expression " opposing candidates in my letter , to which he justly objects , was merely a slip of the pen and not intended to convey the meaning that there should be any " seeking for the ofiice " on the part of those brethren eligible for election .

I deprecate as strongly as our talented brother does , any unseemly opposition , and especially the bickerings and complaints that one unfortunately sometimes hears after an election of W . AL It is precisel y for this reason that I think some authoritative rule required .

The mode of election proposed b y Bro . W . J . Hughan , is in principle the same as that suggested by myself last week ; but to the working details of his plan there appears one objection . The preparation ofthe lists of eli gible candidates ( of which a considerable number mi ght be

required it the voting were even ) would entail either trouble in writing or expense in printing . And this trouble or expense , be it remembered , must be repeated every year . I see no reason why , instead of putting a X against the name in

list , the voter should not himself write the name of the brother for whom he votes on a slip of paper , fold it and deposit it in the ballot box . The W . AI . could count the number o " . slips to see that they corresponded with the niber o f

Original Correspondence.

voters . I suggest then that the bye-law should stand somewhat as follows : — ELECTION OF W . AIASTER . — " The Secretary having read out the names of all the brethren eligible for the office of Master , every member shall write the name of the brother for whom he

intends to vote on a slip of paper , which he shall place , folded , in the Ballot Box . The brother having the least number of votes shall be withdrawn ; the Secretary shall again read out the remaining names , and the voting shall proceed as before , and shall be repeated in like manner until some brother obtains a majority of the votes of the

members present , when he shall be declared duly elected by the presiding officer . " It is , I believe , important that there should be uniformity of yvorking in this , as in all other matters , within our lodges , and I shall be glad to elicit the judgment of some of our leaders and rulers .

I am , Dear Sir , Fraternally yours , AVILLIAM DATE Crewkerne , August , 26 th , . 1872 .

Gibraltar.

GIBRALTAR .

LODGE OF FRIENDSHIP . —The regular meeting of this Lodge took place on the 7 th inst ., a goodly muster of the brethren had gathered together within the walls ofthe Alasonic Hall , as it had transpired that although no business appeared on the summonses , the W . AL would in all

probability seize this opportunity of presenting the immediate Past Alaster with the Testimonial which had been voted to him some months back and which it was generally known had arrived out from England by the last mail . Punctuall y at 9 p . m . the W . AL Bro . Carver opened the

lodge , being supported by Past Alasters Balfour Cockburn , Sal mond , Dautez , Henry and Ale Loughlin , liro . Price , S . W . Bro . Alarshall J . W . & c . After the usual preliminaries , the W . Al . stated that as no business had presented itself , he , considered this a most favourable occasion to

carry out , yvhat was at all times , but more especially in this instance , a most interesting and gratifying ceremony , and with a few graceful and appropriate words he proceeded to present Past Alaster Bro . Balfour Cockburn , with a singulary chaste and handsome silver claret jug

on which was engraved a long and highl y complimentary inscription . Bro . Balfour Cockburn returned his acknowledgements for this very magnificent gift in suitable and expressive terms , adding that the many pleasant and instructive hours he had spent in the Lotige of Friendshi p

had made too deep and too lasting an impression in his heart , to need any reminder such as the beautiful cup now before him , nevertheless he accepted it with the highest personal gratification and he would be even proud of exhibiting it , and perhaps it mi ght prove an incentive to lukewarm brethren to devote their energies to

the service of the Craft , confident that honest industry and devoted service , must always bring with it some pleasing and tangible proof of general approbation . Prior to closing , the names or Captain Collings and Lieutenant Preston , Royai Engineers , were announced as candidates for initiation at the

next regular meeting . The Lodge was then closed according to ancient custom and the brethen retired to refreshment .

NARROW ESCAPE or THE HON F . WALPOLE , D . P . G . AL , FOR NORFOLK . —Early on Tuesday morning , a yacht riding at anchor in Holkham Bay , on the Norfolk coast , was seen to be making signals of distress . A heavy gale , which had lasted all night , yvas blowing from the

North , and the sea was running tremendousl y high . The Penny Readings Lifeboat , Eliza Adams , which belongs to the National Lifeboat Institution , and is stationed at AVells , was immediately manned and rowed down to the Bar , where she was joined by a steamer , and

proceeded towards the yacht , whicli proved to be the Stella . The lifeboat with difficulty succeeded in getting alongside , and saved those on board , consisting of Bro . the Hon . Frederick Walpole , ALP . for North Norfolk , and his young son , two friends , aud four of the crew