The District Grand Lodge Of Northern China.

THE DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF NORTHERN CHINA .

WE think that all Masonic Students will like to read the following extracts from a very interesting Meeting of the District Grand Lodge of China at Shanghai , on January 7 th , 1880 . The importance of the communication demands serious consideration . En . M . M . The R . W . D . G . ' M . said the business on the circular was now concludedbut

, they could transact any other Masonic business in accordance with the bye-laws . He had noticed in reading the Freemasons Journal that Masonry in England , as well as in other parts of the world , seemed to have been on the decline , but latterly there had been a revival , and he trusted that it would be extended to Shanghai . The installation meetings that had recently been held were numerously attended , ancl he hoped this might be considered as a proof that

greater interest was being taken in the Craft generally in the Far East . At one of these meetings there was present a Brother Chinaman , the first Chinaman he had had the pleasure of meeting in Lodge . It was true that this Brother was not initiated in China ; he had taken his degrees in America , showed great interest in the work , ancl duly appreciated the benefits of Freemasonry . He was not aware of the initiation of any Chinaman in the Lodges in Shanghai ; still they learned that Masonry had existed for many years in China , at least they were told so , but it had never been so clearl y brought to

their notice as it had within the last few months . Brother Chaloner Alabaster , H . B . M . ' s present Consul at Hankow , as the Brethren were aware , had devoted himself to the study of Chinese literature—he had dived deeply into their ancient literature ancl manners and customs , and lately he had written him some very interesting letters clearly showing that something answering to Craft Masonry had existed in this ancient empire for three or four thousand years before our present era . He proposed to read these letters so that the

Brethren could judge for themselves . The subject was a most interesting and important one , ancl if members of the body would study it and make known the result of their researches , he was sure it would not onl y interest Masons in China but all over the world , and he sincerely hoped that some of the sinologues would do so . Much notice had been taken of ancient Masonry by Brethren at home , and one of our Brethren noted for his zeal when amongst

us in Shanghai , W . Bro . Robert Freke Gould , P . M . of the Northern Lodge of China , No . 570 , had written a book regarding " The Four Ancient Lodges , " ancl so highly was this book esteemed that the Rfc . W . Grand Master had ordered the copy presented to the Grand Lodge by the author to be placed in their Library . The R . W . D . G . M . then read the first letter he had received from Bro . Chaloner Alabaster , which was a follows : —

British Consulate , Hankow , 30 th November , 1879 . My Dear Thome , —In the course of my studies , I have come across so many coincidences in the ancient religion of China , dating some 3 , 000 to 4 , 000 years B . C ., with Masonry , that it is worth directing tho attention of the Craft to the subject in the hope that one of the sinologues the Brethren number among them , may be induced to make special study of the matter .

Among other curious coincidences is the fact that the oldest , or one of the oldest , words in the language for right conduct means literally The Square aud Compasses , which we may assume therefore were then , as now , the symbol of the perfect man , and the reason for the adoption of the symbol is given by the explanation that these two symbols hieroglyphic-ally express the sum of Chinese Philosophy .