An Excursion Very Ear West.

soon changed to a mask , and men Avith heads covered by those of wild animals , and clad in their skins , performed strange antic dances illustrative of the animal they personated . In . return for the honour done us , the Indians received a gift of provisions . The present duly acknowledged , they Avent on their Avay , and ive soon heard their savage

music echoing from the door of the nearest officer ' s house . Some of our party inquired from tlie chiefs if they could not gratify us Avith a si g ht of their celebrated Avar dance ; but they shook their heads solemnly : —" Tlie hatchet is buried , " they said ; "let us not pretend to dig it up , lest our young men dream it is true . " In other Avords , they dreaded the excitement .

In the evening Ave strolled through the Indian camp , to see Avhat AA'as going on . The Avarnith of tho Aveather had brought all the inhabitants out of their close Avigwams , and they stood grouped around the entrances ; the ivomen gossiping and laughing together in their musical voices , the men standing or sitting together in circleseither smoking or

lis-, tening to some legend or tradition , related by one of their number ; or , as in tivo or three cases , singing in a IOAV recitative love songs , or the Avarlike deeds of their forefathers . But the greatest number were collected Avhere the boom of the drum and the rattle ofthe calabash announced that the dance

ivas being held before the Avigwam of some chief . In these dances the women though spectators , are not allowed to mingle , nor are they permitted to join in any other social gathering , except the " medicine dance , " and there they enjoy equality ivith the men . The " medicine dance , " ivhich we had subsequently an opportunity of seeing , is the

festival of a society of men and ivomen ivho pretend to almost unlimited magical powers , and are highly reverenced , and their impostures implicitly believed by the simple people among whom they dwell . As we strolled down towards the shore , we Avere surprised by seeing a number of gloiving fireslike gigantic fireflies

, , Hitting across the lake , and sending long gleams of quivering light over its glassy surface . The Indians ivere fishing by torch light , aud the fires streamed from huge pine torches , borne in the prows of the canoes to attract fche dazzled fish , and at the same time enable the spearsman to take aim , ivhich he usually does unerringly .

And now it greAv late , and we departed from the city of AvigAvams , highly pleased AA'ith the quietness , order , and decorum of its uncivilized inhabitants . " Were spirits permitted to be sold on the island , you Avould have witnessed a very different scene , " replied one of the residents , to Avhom Ave had imparted our sentiments .

" The rod man loves Avhisky , and , like pouring fire Avater on tire , it influences the fierce natures that only slumber , to a pitch of ungovernable fury . The ancient feuds between their tribes are ever ready incentives to battle , and the Avar ivhoop , the fcomahaAvk , and the rifle are the speedy folloAvers of the 'fire water . ' It is the Indian ' s greatest failing , and has done more for his destruction than all the encroachments of the Avhifces . "

English Masonic Charity.

ENGLISH MASONIC CHARITY .

Ix a series of letters in the Voice of Masonry ( published by Ih-o . Hob Morris , at Louisville , Kentucky ) , from the pen of Bro . Elisha D . Cooke , at present on a visit to the united kingdom , Ave find the following on the English Masonic charities : — '' From Avhat 1 have seen and can learn , the Lodges in London usually meet some time in the afternoon , s ; iy from three to five o ' clock . About soi-eii or eight o'clock they repair to the banquet , which is generally good

enough for a prince , and this is the case nearly ( and with some Lodges quite ) , every time they meet . Those who are fond of joking , myitis the fourth ( librae in JIasonry . Thence originated tin ; saying j hat in England they are knife and foil ; Masons , and here , I must conjoss , that while Ave hang very heavily on the one extreme , our English brethren by far outiveigh us on the other . But , after all , the amount Ij , . eharity dispensed by the Freemasons of England is almost incredible . ¦ Uiey can point with pride to their Female School , the graduates of Wlu . cn aro ornaments to society ; to their Male School , Avhich is pro-

English Masonic Charity.

clucing some ofthe most useful men the country can boast of ; and last , but not least , to their Benevolent Institution for agod and decayed Masons and their Avivcs . These three institutions are supported by voluntary contributions , and it is at the festive board they get many ot these largo contributions . It is when the work is done , anil the J . AA . litis called them from labour to refreshment , at the time when the social feeling is perfectly developed , that the British hearts beat most responsivelto the calls of their less fortunate brethrenIs not this a lorious

y . g work to be engaged in ; what a beautiful theme for contemplation ! Think of them taking the little orphan child , and while giving it food aud clothing , furnishing the young tender mind with good and wholesome information , thus teaching it the duties of an E . A ., and when it becomes au F . ( J . placing it in a situation in which it may put the information already obtained to a proper use . Noi- stopping here , but watching with care until it becomes a MM even through lifeand

.., yea , , when old , feeble , and tottering with decay , and through , misfortunes , so destitute as to need Masonic assistance , furnishing a home in which oven old age is nursed with that tender caro and affection , that Avhen the hour of death comes and the M . M . is called from this imperfect to that all perfect Lodge above , he passes aivay thanking the Divine Providence that gave birth to an institution founded on the principles of brotherly love , relief and truth . "

Archæology.

ARCH ? OLOGY .

BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY . THE proceedings of the forthcoming congress at Newbury are attracting considerable attention , and arc looked forward to with much interest . A programme of the intended excursions , & c , has been published , iroirHvhichlt appears that the first day , Monday , Sejitember 12 th , will be chiefly devoted to the general meeting ,

the Earl of Carnarvon ' s opening address , and visits to objects of interest within the toivn ; Tuesday , excursion to the first battle field , the Countess of Craven ' s park , Roman encampment at Spcen , Donnington Castle , Avingtou , Wickliam , and Specn Church , & c . ; Wednesday , Silchester , Upton Court , Alverinaston , Brimpton , and Tliatcham Churches , & c . ; Thursday , visit to Grimsbury Camp , and other similar objects of interest on the

White Horse Hills ; Friday , visit to the President at Highclerc Castle , thence to Reading , reception iu the council chamber , the Abbey ruins , Friary , churches of St . Lawrence , St . Mary , St . Giles , & c . ; Saturday , excursion to the Vale of White Horse , and visit to the many objects of interest in that locality . A meeting ivill be held in the Mansion House on the evening of each day , when papers on various objects of local and national interest will be read .

Archæological And Natural Society Of Somerset.

ARCH ? OLOGICAL AND NATURAL SOCIETY OF SOMERSET .

Ox Jlonday week the members of this society proceeded to the ancient toivn of Glastonbury , for the purpose of holding their eleventh annual meeting . The annual meeting took place at tivelve o ' clock ; Mr . F . II . Dickinson presided . The Rev . F . Warre then read the annual report , from ivhich it appeared that the society is making progress , and continues to further the objects for AA'hich it was established . ; ' The committee ivould refer

to the volume of proceedings recently issued as an indication of the progress which is being made toivards collecting materials for a County History , and they feel assured that the periodical issue of these volumes ivill be the meansof creating and sustaining more generally an interest in the objects and pursuits to ivhich the society is devoted . The outlay , however , which the production of such a volume involveswithout any of those special donations

, from individual members which other societies of a similar nature frequently obtain , necessarily absorbs so large a proportion of the annual income , as to leave a very small balance for carrying out otlicr jiurposes equally important . Tbe committee are likciiise engaged in preparing portions of Collinsous History of Somerset , according to the suggestion of R . AV . Falconer , Esq ., M . D ., of Bathto be used as the basis of a more lete aud correct

his-, comp tory of the district to which the sections respectively relate . During the past year the committee have provided a fitting case in which to deposit the Pigott Collection of Drawings . It is with great regret the committee have to report that , on the sudden disappearance of the late curator , it AA'as found that a considerable amount of subscriptions had been collected hy him , but not paid iu to the treasurer ' The exact amount ofthe defalcation has not

. yet been ascertained , but it is partly eoi'ereil by the value of the collection of objects of natural history , & c , belonging to him , which remains in the museum as the property of the society . " Upon the motion of Jlr . W . A . Sanford , the report was unanimously adopted . Mr . W . A . Sanford read an interesting paper on the arrangement of specimens in the museum at Taunton ,