Alterations To The National Gallery.

The whole of the alterations will be completed—at all events , on the Royal Academy side—by the latter end of April , so as not to . delay the opening of tho annual exhibition . •—Building News .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

BRO . THE BEV . JOHN BREWSTER , H . A . I will feel much obliged to any of the readers of " Masonic Notes and Queries " who will supply me with a few particulars for a biographical notice of our late Bro ., the Rev . John Brewster , M . A ., the historian of Stockton-on-Tees ; as I am anxious to afford him a notice hi my forthcoming History of Cleveland and its Vicinage , as well as in a work which I project , devoted exclusively to the Craft . —GEORGE MAEKUAM TwEnm-UL .

TUB ISRAEL SHOUT . I have heard from an elderly brother Mason , I believe he calls himself an Athole Mason , that in his time they used " the Israel Shout . " What was that , and has it anything to do with the Queen of Sheba ?—A TORMER QUEEIST ( AJAX ) . [ "We recognise the handwriting , and have sent the explanation , which has been no doubt received before this . If our correspondent thinks our elderly brother would

communicate any of his early reminiscences , we should be too happy to receive them , for we believe there are many customs locked up in the breasts of Masons of half a century ' s standing , that would tend to the information of the Craft at tbe present clay . —The Israel Shout has nothing to do with the Queen of Sheba . J

THE QUEEN 01 ? SUEBA . Permit me to say , in reply to the question of R . E . X ., in your number of Feb . 23 rd , there ought to be no doubt that the Queen of Sheba was of a sable hue . The locality of her dominions may be inferred from the presents she brings to King Solomon . " She came with a very great company , and camels that bore spices and gold in abundance , and precious stones " ( 2 Chronicles , ix . 1 ) . This would naturally point out

the southern extremity of Arabia , which , on account of its productions , acquired the name of Felix , or happy . Classic writers of the Greek and Roman periods even then give glowing accounts of a country called Sabea , the people of which they named the Sabaci , iu South Arabia , that sent out ships , and carried westward , spices , gems , ancl gold . Bruce , tbe traveller , tells us he found , in Abyssinia , near the

Red Sea , a Saba ; and the Abysinians say , the Queen of Sheba returned home with a son by King Solomon , and was succeeded by a line of sovereigns who were always proud to trace their ori gin from the King of Israel ; and the Christian religion preached there is strongly embued with Judaism . Josephus says that the Queen of Sheba came from Ethiopia , and we must bear in mind that both sides of the southern extremity of the Red Sea was called by that name . In Luke , xi . 31 , she is called the Queen of

the South . One of our ablest commentators on biblical -literature says , that much confusion of ideas has arisen from the hasty conclusion , that when Seha or Sheba is mentioned , it always denotes the same country ; in Psalm Ixxii . 10 , we find these words : " The Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts ;' ' here they are evidently mentioned as two distinct kingdoms . In Genesis , x . 7 , Seba and Sheba

are spoken of as two of the sons of Ham , and probably they founded the kingdoms of Seba and Sheba , which were named after them ; and as the Saba in Africa mentioned by Bruce , near tho southern extremity of the Red Sea , lies opposite the Saba of South Arabia , they may have been at one time separate , and afterwards united under the sway of the Queen of Sheba , who visited Solomon . Mr . Bruce says ,

that the name of tho Ethiopian Saba or Azaba , means , in the language of the country , south . This is confirmed by Strabo , who also informs ns of a port called Saba , in the Red Sea . This will account for the queen being called , in the New Testament , the Queen of the South ; and whether she was Queen of both Sabas , or only one , whether sho went from the African Saba by land through Egypt to Jerusalem

, or sailed on the Red Sea to Ezion-geber , thence to Jerusalem on camels , hor complexion must have been as sable and as beautiful as that of A Titian . "Venus carved in ebony . —G . M . PASSENGER , W . M . 152 .

MASONIC TOKENS . Iu answer to Denarius' inqub-y of Feb . 16 , relative to Masonic Tokens , I may state that I have several such as he describes iu a perfect state as when issued ; but I consider they are a rude issue of a tavern-keeper , as the inscription ou the rim of one is "Halfpenny payable at the Black Horse , Tower Hill . " The defective part he describes is SIT . LUX . I cannot find out

the coat of arms , but the motto is , "Amor Honor , et Justitia ., " and the inscription is " Prince of Wales elected G . M . 24 th November , 1790 . " Denarius is in mistake iu his description of the figure of Cupid , with one hand resting on a pillar , as mine clearly shows the figure holding a plumb-line in his left hand , and a trowel and square and compass at the foot of it . —J . SMITH , Langley , near

Macclesfield . CONSECRATION OF LODGES IN 1813 . By whom was the ceremony of Consecration performed at the opening of the first lodge after the Union 1813 , and what was the name and number of the first lodge so consecrated?—S . S . G .

THE GREAT EXHIBITION 01 ? 1862 . Is it known if it is in the contemplation of the Commissioners of the Great Exhibition of 1862 to allot any portion of that building for the purpose of holding Masonic Lodges , Chapters , or Convocations of the higher degrees , so as to foster that fraternal intercourse between Masons of various countries which is so desirable an object ?—S . S . G .

MASONIC MATRIMONY . I have been much interested in the advertisement of a Reverend Brother , that appeared in your last number , seeking a wife , and am desirous of knowing whether it is absolutely necessary that a young lady answering the description , the Rev . T . L . inserts , must be the daughter of a Mason , because I have nieces who , in the words of the old Masonic song , say : — ' "None shall untie my virgin zone

But one to whom the secret's known Of fam'd Free-masonry . " I would also enquire if the Reverend Bro . T . L . is the first of the Craft that has resorted to this means to make his brethren acquainted with his wants?—S . S . G . MASONIC JEWEL . Will a P . Prov . J . G . W ., dating from Liverpool , and whose

jewel was engraved in the last number , furnish me , under cover to you , with the letters signified , and their meaning , attached to the left hand cut represented in " Masonic Notes and . Queries . " I have tried my hey , but can make nothing of them , notwithstanding your correspondent's statement that they may be " understood by any Mark Mason . " The right hand figure is obvious to all ?—A MARK MASTER .

KING SOLOMON AND TUB QUEEN 01 * SHEBA . Some , oue has inquired if the Queen of Sheba ivas black or white ? This , I take it , opens another question , viz ., Was King Solomon black or white ? And I believe thc colour is always contended for , as being correct , according to the nationality of the inquirer , upon tho principle of the negro who , on being asked the colour of the devil , replied : "The white man paint him blackand the black man paint

, him white ; but from him old age and belli' called OleNick , I s ' pose him gray . "—Ex . Ex . COLOURED MASONS . Are there any lodges of coloured Masons in the United States ?—0 . 0 . A . — [ An American paper gives the following : — "COLOURED GRAND LODGE . —We publish the following facts

relative to the African triennial communication -. — ' The adjourned session of the M . W . G . L . of the U . S . A . ( coloured ) , met in this city on the 2 nd of July , A . D . I 8 G 0 . A . L . ( No . 5860 ) . 'Ihe following officers were installed for the term of three years—until its next triennial communication . Bros . Wm . H . ltiley , N . G . M . ; Jonathan . Tasspott , N . D . G . M . ; Samuel Van Brakle , N . S . G . W . ; Richard H . Cleaver . N . J . G . W . ; Hanson Johnson , N . G . Treas . ; Jonathan Davis , N . G . Sec . Seven State Grand Lodges were represented . " ]

PRIVILEGES OF THE BRITISH LODGE ( NO . 8 . ) In the Booh of Constitution , see . "Regalia , " small edition page 111 , it states " the above jewels " ( tho lodge jewels ) " to be in silver , except those of the officers of the Lodge of Antiquity ( No . 2 ) , ancl of tho British Lodge ( No . 8 ) , which are golden or gilt . " The Lodge of Antiquity , all can under-