India.

SCOTCH MASONRY IN INDIA . ( From ihe Indian Freemason ' s Friend . ) In our last issue a correspondent noticed the neglect Avith Avhich communications from Calcutta are treated by the Grand Secretary in Scotland . It will be satisfactory to him to know that a complaint has been despatched from Bombay to the Duke

of Athol , which may lead to the application of a remedy to the evil . His Grace has been informed , that " should the subject not meet with speedy and due attention , and the several lodges receive the diplomas to which their members are fairly entitled , the interests of Freemasonry will suffer much iu India . " In one instance , a lodge had submitted its return , Avith a bill for the feesso long ago as the year 1861 and it has since been

, , ascertained that the bill Avas duly cashed to Bro . Laivrie ; after cashing the bill , however , Bro . LiiAvrie seems to have relapsed into torpidity , and the consequence is that no diplomas have as yet been sent out . Similar complaints have been made by all the Scotch Lodges in Western India .

A Ditcher At Lahore.

A DITCHER AT LAHORE .

( From the Indian Freemason's Friend . ) The following is from a friend at Lahore , dated the 10 th of July-. — " * * * * I will , oh , I Avill talk of the weather , for am I not a Briton ? From the latter end of April till the beginning of July , I underwent no end of scorching , bun ing , baking , grilling , roasting , frying , & c , in my OAVH person , till I felt very much like a leg of mutton over-done to a very cinder !

In Calcutta one can open out the lvindows after a hot day and enjoy the look of comfort , even if there should not be a refreshing breeze ; but here , if you don't keep your doors and windows closed nearly the Avhole of the night , the " hot winds" will rush in like a blast from a furnace and roast you , ready for eating in ten minutes . The heat has heen something I was not prepared for ; though a high JIasonie authority did tell me that

at some seasons all the clothing one could possibly bear would he a sheet of the Lahore Chronicle slung in front and another behind ! Fancy , one Sunday evening , my being nearly knocked over by the hot wind as I came out of church—it being cooler in the closed church , with punkahs , than out iu the -air , at seven o'clock p . m . I went home at high temperature , -far above fever heat ; could do nothing hut saunter about and

sit before a thermantidote kept under khus-khus tatties ; AA-ent to bed at ten o'clock ; the sheets were like a toast ready to be buttered ; tossed about till one a . m . on Monday morning , when I could endure it no longer , and by Avay of having something to do , Ai-ent to the thermometer : it was 95 in my bed-room , and 94 in the garden , at that hour ! This place is not intended as a habitation , in hot weather , for human beinss ; none but

salamanders can thrive m the hot winds at Lahore ! But the rainy season has come in , and I can breathe again . " 21 st July . —I have been obliged to put aside this letter for -want of time , and now , having a little leisure , I hope to finish and despatch it . Tho first news you will naturally look for is JIasonie You have seen the Lodge-rooms at Lahore , I am told , so I need not describe to you how Avell the building has been adapted for the administration of the Royal Arch Degree

, and even the third ; ivhat peculiar triangular pedestals stand 'before the chairs of the Jlaster and Wardens ; how cunningly the dais is raised ; and how significantly the name of the founder of the Lodge , and of him who laid the foundation ¦ stone , our esteemed and honoured * Prov . G . JI ., peeps out from the Avail at the north-east corner of the lodge on the foundationstone itself . It is a very nice compact buildingmost suitabl

, y iirranged for the put pose for AA'hich it is intended . There was a little delay , arising from unavoidable circumstances , 1 believe , in my being invited to the lodge . However , the reception , Avhen it came , ivas very handsomely conducted ; and I have had the satisfaction of being elected an honorary member of Lodge Hope and Perseverance ( No . 1084 ) , Lahore . I look on this as a very high compliment . Honours are very properly distributed

Avith a sparing hand in this lodge , and are therefore the more highly prized irhen they are conferred . I believe there is but one other honorary member in the lodge , and that is the Prov . G . JI . himself . Tell him , for I am sure he will be pleased to know , that he , not as Prov . G . JI ., hut as Bro . Sandeman , the founder and first master of the lodge , is remembered , every time the lodge meets , in the most affectionate terms . Indeed , I have everything to say in favour of this lodge . There is an

A Ditcher At Lahore.

excellent spirit reigning throughout the members , and every man is true , earnest , and sincere . I don't think there are many JIasons at Lahore who do not attend lodge , and some of the members come regularly from Jleean Jleer , a distance of five or six miles , are punctual , and thoroughly enjoy these Masonic re-unions . A stranger ' reading these last Avords might be disposed to say with a sneer , 'Oh ! no doubt they do ! JIasonie

enjoyment is in a feed and a jovial song afterwards ; of course , JIasonie re-unions are enjoyed , and people will come a reasonable distance for such enjoyment ! ' I will not deny that there is a great deal of happiness in the social intercourse AA'hich our glorious institution affords . But this happiness is rendered elevated , rational , and refined , in the consciousness that it is associated with Avorthy deeds and sublime principles . To shoiv the true JIasonie spirit of our lodge , for I am proud to identify

myself with it , I must tell you that we have no table furniture ; each member brings his OAVH plates , spoons , etc . What money can be spared is expended on the lodge , and there is little to spare ; ancl yet , with the funds iu this state of attenuation , I ivas witness to their giving aAvay the other night the sum of 50 rupees to a brother , a stranger to the lodge , ivhose i only recommendation was , that he was in difficulty and distress , passing through Lahore , and Avanting that sum to help him on to a near station , Avhere he hoped to obtain employment ! P . G . "

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

JIETROPOLITAN . SOUTIIAVAEK LODGE ( NO . 11 , S . C ) . —The installation meeting of this lodge was held on Monday , October 5 th ; at Bro . J . Stevens's , Royal Oak Tavern , High-street , Deptford . Bro . H . A . Collington , P . M . 164 , and the It . W . JI . elect opened the lodge . The minutes of the previous meeting being confirmed , Bro . F . AValtersW . JI . 731 according to ancient customplaced Bro .

, , , H . A . Collington into the chair of K . S . The W . JI . appointed the following brethren his officers , viz ., Bros . A . D . LoeAvenstark , D . R . W . JL ; C . H . Jluri . S . W . ; AV . Y . Laing . J . W . and Treas . ; F . Walters , Sec ; J . C . Gooddy , M . O . ; F . Durrant , P . JI ., S . O . ; M . Spier , J . O . ; P . Abrahams , ' S . D . ; J . Iv . Elliott , J . D . ; A . D . Steel , T . K . ; Aldliouse , Tyler . Three brethren ivere balloted for , and admitted as joining members , to be advanced at the

next meeting . It ivas determined that the future meetings of this lodge be always held in Southwark . Business being ended , the brethren sat down to a superior banquet and dessert , all served up in Bro . Stevens's first-rate style . No visitors ivere present .

Notes On Music And The Drama.

NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA .

La , France Musicale has the following on the subject of the mysterious " Al ' ricaine , " from ivhieh it appears that London , and not Paris , will be the first to listen to that opera -. — " We understand tiiat the director of Covent Garden has for some time strongly urged Meyerbeer to produce his neiv opera in London . AVe do not know if the clever impresario will triumph

over the objections of the illustrious composer , but it is certain that on no other stage in Europe Avould the composer of the " Prophet" find artistes so Avorthy to interpret the inspirations of his genius . Adeliua Patti and Lucca , tvA-o stars of the first magnitude , Tamberlik and Naudin , two tenors unrivalled , a wonderful chorus , and au orchestra conducted by Costa , in

Avhom Meyerbeer has long had full confidence , offer conditions that may Avell he accepted . Let then , our Grand Opera take heed lest this ' African , ' after which it has sighed for years , should cross over to London Avithout stopping in Paris . " Mme . dair Occa Schoberlachner , AVIIO , about 20 years ago , ivas a leading singer at La Scala and other first-class Italian

theatres , has just died at St . Petersburg !] . Her throne is , for the moment , filled by a French lady , Jlme . Lafon . Mme . La Grange , thecantati . ee , has created a furor in Spain .