Ceylon.

Bro . Arrowsmith ( who had been elected ) in resigning on his departure , he ( Bro . AA'illiams ) would not have occupied that position . He acknowledged the obligations they were under to the Sphinx , and said they should never forget them . He said that as yet the Masters had had the glory of the evening to themselves , and he thought they had glorified themselves to a pretty considerable extent ; but thoy should not forget that much of the working of the lodge depended on the AVardens ,

and he would propose the AVardens of all the lodges . —Bro . J . L . Sim returned thanks , with an expression of hope that the new officers might be able to carry on the Sphinx Lodge as it had been in the past , and in conclusion , proposed the health of it Past Officers . —Bro . Maitland , P . S . AV ., returned thanks in an appropriate speech , in which be touched on the success of the lodge under Bro . Grindrod ' s rule , assured the new officers that there was lots of work to doand expressed his confidence that

, with such officers all would go well . Before sitting down he proposed " The Visitors . "—Bro . AY right , in acknowledging the toast , said he had been " made" in Nova Scotia twelve years ago , and drew upon his recollections of Masonry in Ceylon prior to 1 SG 0 , and his knowledge of its progress since , for good auguries as to the future . — The W . M ., in fitting terms , proposed "The Ladies , " calling

upon Bro . Ken-ton , of whose innate gallantry they were aware , to reply . Bro . Newton did reply with eloquence worthy the theme ; adding , with respect to the Sphinx , that he had been one of its founders , that his name was enrolled on tbe Grand Lodge warrant , and that when he looked round on those who were met under that authority , he could not but feel proud of the fact . ( Hear , hear . ) The Tyler gave "All Poor

and Distressed Masons throughout the A \ orld , " which was drunk in solemn silence . This was the last toast of the evening ; but speeches only gave place to song , and the brethren did not separate until Bros . Morris , AVilliams , and Newton had each thus added their quota to the harmony and hilarity of the occasion . The National Anthem ( solo by Bro . Morris and chorus by all present , accompanied by Bro . Grower on tho harmonium ) concluded a meeting in which nothing had occurred to mar the thorough good feeling and enjoyment that distinguished all its proceedings .

India.

INDIA .

( From the Indian Freemasons' Friend . ) BENGAL . CAZCVTTA . —Lodge St . John QSo . 4-86 ) . —A regular meeting of this lodge was held at Freemasons' Hall , No . 48 , Cossitollah , on Friday , October 21 st , 1 S 65 . Present : —Bros .. John AA'illiam Brown , D . Prov . G . M . of Bengal and P . M . of the lodge ; Dr . Frank Powell , P . M . of the lodge ; Feun , S . W . ; Rosamond , as

J . A \ . ; Lattey , as S . D . ; George Chisholm , J . D . ; Baxter , See . and Treas . ; A angreikcn , as I . G . ; Daniel , O . G ., members and visitors . Elected as joining members .- —Bros . Walker Marshall , Pink , and II . S . Erskine . Bro . Powell conferred the second degree on Bro . Hopkins . Bro . Brown initiated Messrs . G . K . Livesay and AV . J . B . Alder . Relief was voted to the widow of a M . M . who bad perished in tho storm of the 5 th October .

On the motion of Bro . Chisholm , adopted by tho lodge , it was arranged that a list be opened for contributions from the members of the lodge in aid of the sufferers by the cyclone of the fourth and fifth days of October . A regular meeting was also held on Friday , the 11 th November . Present : —Bros . E . AV . Pittar , AV . M ., presidimr ; Dr . Frank Powell , P . M . ; John AVm . Brown , D . Prov . G . JL of Bengal ; Fenn , S . W . ; Rosamond ,

S . AV . ; AA . G . Baxter , Sec . and Treas . ; George Chisholm , S . D . ; J . Wright , J . D . ; J . Amory , I . G . ; D . J . Daniel , Tyler . The following brethren were elected joining members : —Captain J . Obbard , J . T . Foggo , H . Clarton , and J . B . Morewood . The following gentlemen were initiated into Freemasonry : —Captain Edmund Stacepool , Richard Allen Lattey , and Montague dementi Smith . Bro . Grenville Moffet was raised to the degree of

M . M . by Bro . John AVilliam Brown , P . M . LODGE HTJMIMTX AVITH FORTITUDE ( NO . 229 ) . —A meeting of this lodge was held at Freemasons' Hall , Calcutta , on the 7 th November , last . Present : —Bros . Hugh D . Sandeman , Prov . G . M . of Bengal , and an honorary member of the lodge ; J . Bruce GUlon , AV . M . ; J . G . Bowerman , P . M . ; F . McAlpin , S . AV . and Treas . ; B . Symonds , J . AV . ; H . Cockbum , Sec- ; J . Mackintosh , S . D . ; A . D'Cruz , jun ., as J . D . j E . Hickmott , I . G . ;

B . Jacob , Tyler , members and visitors . The report of the Permanent Committee was read and adopted . A ballot was taken for the admission of Bro . J . Besemeres , a membar of Lodge True Friendship ( No . 218 ) , which resulted in his being unanimously elected . An application for relief from a distressed brother , warmly seconded by Bro . Macgregor , was then read , and a donation granted . Allusion w-as then made to tho loss the lodge had sustainedin consequence of the late cycloneby the

, , death of three old and valued members , Bro . Salmon , late Secretary of the I . G . S . N . Company , passenger iu the ill-fated Persia , and Bros . C . P . Sutherland and P . Hill , in command of the tug sterfmers Liear / canalh and Phasnix respectively . Fitting tributes were paid to the memory of those true and upright brothers by B ~ rO . Bowerman , the AV . M ., and the S . W ., and a resolution was adopted , expressing the grief of the lodge at

their loss , and respect to their memory . Bro . E . Little , of Lodge Harmony ( No . 64-1 ) , Cawnpore , was proposed as a joining member , and Bro . J . B . Nelson was re-transferred to tbe subscribing list . At the banquet table , after the customary toasts had been proposod and duly honoured , the W . M . proposed tie health of the Prov . G . M ., adverting to the dismay which had been caused amongst the Masonic fraternity by the rumour that that brother had been lost in the recent tempest , and the joy experienced when the rumour was proved to be groundless . Tbo

Prov . G . M ., in responding to the toast , spoke of the pleasure it always gave him to visit Lolgc Humility with Fortitude—one great reason for which was that he looked upon it as Bro . Hoff ' s lodge , and , in addition to all its other merits , honoured the lodge on this account . In proposing the health of the AV . M ., the Prov . G . M . paid him and the lodge a high compliment , speaking of the careful and orderly mode of working , and tl e thoroughlfraternal spirit which prevailed . The AV . Master

y having duly acknowledged this toast , next proposed , in suitable terms , the health of the visiting brethren . This was responded to by Bro . E . A . H . Haldane , who mentioned that be had had the honour of ruling over the mother ledge of tie AV . M . ( St . Andrew's in tbe East , No . 343 ) , Poona , and was much pleased that one of the pupils of that lodge should have turned out so well , and attained to such honour in the Craft . The

health of the officers of the lodge was then proposed by the AA . Master , who congratulated himself on having such efficient supporters in the ruling of the lodge , and paid a well-deserved tribute to the Treasurer for his financial exertions . He expressed his pleasure at seeing the Secretary ' s chair once more filled by Bro . Cockbiu-n , who bad returned from Simla , and he thanked Bro . Mackintosh for tbe willing aid rendered by him in tbe discharge of the duties of that post . The evening was enlivened by some melodies from Bros . Beatson , Cockburn , Cooper , MeAlph ' , and other musical brethren .

ROYAL ARCH . DISTRICT GRAND CHAPTER OF BENGAL . The annual Convocation of the District Grand Chapter was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Calcutta , on Thursday , Nov . 3 , last . The Convocation had been preceded by an emergent convocation of Chapter Hope , which , iu compliance with a request made bthe Grand Superintendenthad met early in the evening for

y , the purpose of installing Comp . Stephen AV . Rains , the first Principal elect of an Irish chapter in Colombo , Ceylon . The Grand Superintendent , M . E . Comp . Hugh D . Sandeman , presided at tbe meeting of the District Grand Chapter . He informed the companions that a new chapter had been established at Rangoon , and that an old chapter had been revived at Peshawur . Tho list of chapters iu tho province stood as follows .-

—Hope , 109 , Calcutta ; Holy Zion , 392 , Calcutta ; Firm Hope , 413 , Meerut ; Dalhousie , 459 , Simla ; Mount Sion , 519 , Benares ; Ramsay , 552 , Lncknow ; Umballa , 563 , Umballa ; Border , 582 , Peshawur ; Morning Star , G 14 , Rangoon ; St . John the Baptist , 639 , Mnssoorie ; Punjab , 7 S 2 , Lahore . The chapters at Lucknow and Meerut had not yet rendered returns for 1 SG 3 ; and Chapter St . John the Baptist , at Mnssoorie , had furnished no return since the year 1859 . It would

he necessary to deal firmly with the Mussoorie Chapter . The Prov . G . Scribe read the report of the Finance Committee on the audit of the Prov . G . Treasurer ' s accounts . The receipts during the year amounted to Rs . 853 , and the disbursements to Rs . 1 , 549 . Tbe balance in hand was Rs . 1 , 114 , of which Us . 1 , 000 was a fixed deposit . The disbursements bad been chiefly on account of the clothing ordered for the District Grand Chapter last year .