Freemasonry In India.

the merry days when we were younger than we are now , and the era in my life when , at your hands , I " received the light ; " the more so from the interesting fact , that having revived our very old Regimental Lodge at this station , on the 4 th April last , working under the warrant of the venerable age of 96 years ( 3 rd May , 1759 ) , we are now revising the old bye-laws , and have adopted some of the articles in tho bye-laws of 766—my mother lodge ; thus my Masonic parent has been present in my thoughts to some purpose . Our 29 th Lodge is an Irish one , No . 322 . I was , I rejoice to say ,

the means of reviving it after a dormant state of many years' standing ; and although nominated W . M , by the voice of the brethren applying , still the M . W . G . M . appointed our Lieutenant-Colonel ( a Companion of the Bath and a distinguished officer , and through whose aid , freely granting his sanction to the revival—a M . M . himself—we obtained the permission ) as Master , my humble self S . W ., and another captain , J . AV . However , the W . M . being absent on staff employ , I have been ruling in his absence , making the third Lodge I have sat as Master of since 1852 . It is not

in the spirit of boasting that I thus write ; but to mark my feelings of gratitude to the AV . Master , Wardens , ancl Brethren of 766 , " Old time-honoured Lancaster ' s " namesake , in the good old town of Leicester , through whose instruction and example I have thus been sustained in my Masonic career . I was fortunate enough to obtain the approbation of the brethren of No . 609 , " True Brothers , " at Dinapore , who unanimously voted me a very handsome gold P . M . jewel on leaving the E . Chair . The brethren of 794 " Philanthropy , " at Maulmains , in the same way , passed a minute appointing mo an honorary member for life , and voted me a tea-service of

plate ; ancl , to crown all , the R . W ., the Provincial Grand Master of Bengal was pleased to appoint me , for the little service I was able to render during my occupancy of the E . chair , Past Provincial Senr . Grand Deacon of the District Grand Lodge of Bengal ; for each and all of which , AV . M ., I return sincere and heartfelt thanks to you , and the Wardens , and brethren of my mother Lodge . And I trust that , some of these days , I may have the pleasure of visiting the Lodge , and , in person , say what I now write . Rumours are afloat that the 29 th are for Europe this year ; if so , and I

can get a spare moment , I will , of a certainty , if the G . A . permit it , visit your town ; although , perhaps , few of my acquaintances are now left . Should any of them think of me , pray give them my sincere and warmest regards . The recruiting subaltern , although now a captain , never forgets the kindness experienced by him there . Your reply to my former letter was duly received , but since then I have travelled over much space and never had the opportunity of giving you the information sought regarding the Masonic emblems on the Allahabad Fort . It is perfectly true that our

emblems appear in many places in India ; and , although not a Mason at the time , I remember seeing carved on the face of the marble rocks in the Run Nerbuddah in Central Hindoostau , figures which I was at the time informed were Masonic , and now know to be so . I have also heard , from undoubted authority , that a R . A . brother can enter the holy places of the Brahmins , while the unauthorized brother would be driven away with insults and abuse , perhaps death , if he attempted to enter . . . . . Believe me to be , my dear brother , . . . Yours , fraternally and sincerely .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

UFIFOEMITT OF IITUAL . To the Editor of the Masonic Mirror . SIR AND BROTHER , —I have perused with great interest , the very well timed Article , entitled "Uniformity of Ritual , " which appears in your number for this month , and I venture to offer a few remarks upon one point , which seems to me to be particularly deserving of consideration and discussion . I allude to your suggestion , that the Grand Lodge should depute some properly qualified brethren to visit the