Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . EELIC OE BUENS IN CONNECTICUT . "TO THE EDITOtt OF THE EBEEMJASOSS * SJAGAZINE AUD MASONIC HIRHOR . DEAE BEOTHEE , —Having through the MAGAZINE of 16 th July last been asked by you well-informed correspondent" Ex . Ex . " to ive an opinion on the

, , g genuineness of a piece of wood presented by a distinguished American brother , "Wm . E . Clapp , to the Connecticut Masonic Historical Society as " a section of Burns ' s and his Highland Mary's Trysting Thorn , " I have great pleasure in being able to offer an opinion favourable to the genuineness of the " relic" in

question . One cannot , of course , say positively that the relic shown at Connecticut is really what it purports to be ; but the result of my investigation in connection with the question of its genuineness proves the party of whom Mr . Clapp had it to have been in possession of a piece of Mary ' s Thorn and consequently in a position to make the presentation ; although it proves also that the relic did not come into Mr . Eitchie's

possession in the way he led the recipient to believe . In the letter accompanying his gift to the Masonic Historical Society , Bro . Clapp says , " It was presented to me in 1855 by Bro . Davidson Eitehie , who at that time occupied the ' auld clay biggin , ' where the immortal bard first drew breath . One part of the tree had died , and the proprietor , after removing it ,

presented it to Bro . Eitehie . " Iu answer to my question upon this point , the proprietor of Montgomerie , "William Paterson , Esq ., in a letter addressed to me under date , " Montgomerie , 1 st August , 1864 , " remarks , " .... I beg to say I do not recollect having ever presented part of Mary ' s Thorn to any person ; and that , to the best of my knowledge , I never had any communication with the late Davidson Eitehie . "

Had my inquiry terminated on receipt of Mr . Paterson's letter , the erroneousness of the one part of Mr . Eitchie ' s statement might in some minds have raised a doubt as to the genuineness of the article donated by him to Bro . Clapp ; but determining to prosecute my investigation alike to the living and to the deadand recollecting that a brother

, of the late Davidson Eitchie ' s had at one period served in the capacity of coachman to the proprietor of Montgomerie , and might possibly have been the original donor of the relic in question , I , a few days ago , undertood a pilgrimage to Stair , a clachan situated within a couple of iniles of the spot Avhere Burns

"took the last fareweel" of his " sweet Highland Mary , " and being successful in finding Mr . Eitehie at home , I at once made known to him the object of my visit , and had the satisfaction of learning from him that he had , some fifteen or eighteen years ago , presented his brother , Davidson ( then lessee of Burns's

Cottage at Alloway ) , Avith a piece , about 12 in . long , of a decayed limb of Mary's Thorn , cut surreptitiously from the tree by a party still living in this neighbourhood , but whosename , forprudential reasons , I for the present withhold . Having thus upon this indubitable testimony traced to the possession of the late Bro . Davidson Eitehie a pieceof Mary ' s Thorn , I have no hesitation in expressing my belief in the genuineness of the " relic "

Correspondence.

of Burns and his Highland Mary presented by him in 1855 to Mr . Clapp , and which seems in 1861 to have been gifted by that brother to the Masonic Historical Society of Connecticut . Mary's Thorn still exists—it stands on the southern , bank of the Eail rivulet near its confluence with the Ayrand Avithin forty yards of " the Castle o'

Mont-, gomerie . " The tree appears to have had five- limbs parting from the trunk quite close to the ground : one of these has been removed , the remaining four have grown to a height of about 25 ft ., are bare for about 10 ft ., at which distance from the trunk the limbs put forth a goodly array of branches which at

the proper season are usually clad with a profusion of healthy foliage . Coilsfield House , mentioned by Burns under the name of " The Castle of Montgomerie , " in his beautiful song of " Highland Mary , " was along with the estate of the same name sold by the late Earl of

Eglinton to its present proprietor twenty years ago , the earl retaining for his family the right of again acquiring the property upon payment of a stipulated sum . I remain , dear Brother , faithfully yours , D . MUBEAT LYON , P . J . W ., of Mother Kilwinning , and one of the Grand Stewards in the Grand Lodge of Scotland . Avr , August 23 , 1864 .

Masonry In New Zealand.

MASONRY IN NEW ZEALAND .

TO THE EDITOR OB THE JFBEEUASOtCS * MAGAZINE AKD 1 SASONIC UI & ROB . DEAE SIE AND BEOTHEE , —The accompanying extract from the Southern Gross may prove interesting to those brethren who have friends in New Zealand : — " Eor some time past it has been considered desirable that another Masonic lodge should be established in Aucklandand that it should be called the United

, Service Lodge , and be open to the members of all the Imperial and colonial forces at present serving in the colony . Accordingly , about forty members of the Masonic Order met at the Masonic Hotel , and the new lodge was opened by dispensation by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of New Zealand

, Bro . Henry De Burgh Adams , assisted by the officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge . The ceremony was an interesting one , and on its conclusion one member was admitted under the dispensation . The folloAving office-bearers were appointed until next St . John ' s Day June 24 : —Brothers Adams , Worshipful Master ;

S . Adamson , Senior Warden , late S . D . No . 76 , Winchester , and P . M . 341 , Eye ; J . Collins , Junior Warden ; J . M . Armstrong , Secretary ; George Collins , Treasurer ; James Anderson , Senior Deacon ; H . Vessy , Junior Deacon ; J . Bates , Inner Guard ; Charles Porter , Tyler ; — Gessner , Organist . This is the second lodge opened bthe DeputProvincial

y y Grand Master since he has been in office , the last being the Onchunga Lodge , which is now fairly established . The first meeting of the United Service Lodge will be an emergency one on the Sth June next , for the adoption of by-laws , and the admission of members . Its regular monthly meeting will take

place on the 22 nd June . The Worshipful Masters of the Waitemata Lodge and Lodge of St . Andrew ' s were present at the opening . " Tours fraternally , AL : FEED SMITH , P . M . 76 . Winchester , August 23 , 1864 .