A word to those on whose account || mantle round the shivering limbs of we are assembled, and we conclude. You are an organized society of high antiquity, and though we admit there is no moral duty enjoined by your constitution and laws, but what is urged with stronger motives by Christianity, yet it is certainly in your power to do much good. We most sincerely recommend to you to wipe away your reproach, by adhering firmly to truth, cleaving earnestly to sobriety and temperance, modelling your lives by equity and justice, and continuing in the exercise of that charity and benevolence which has long been the characteristic of your fraternity. Your order never was intended to include all men, and is it not a radical error to admit members that will never do you honour. If you cannot reclaim, expel such from among you; for, according to your principles, an intemperate, dishonest Mason, is as great a contradiction as an irreligious impious Christian. "By putting away every brother that walketh disorderly," you may become a praise on the earth. Then, how delightful will be your work. To ameliorate the miseries of mankind will be your joy. Your manner of doing good, ought to put our modern Christians to the blush, for your charity never reaches the newspapers and public prints, like those who do good to be seen of men. We the naked. And if you can do no more, shed the tear of sympathy with the disconsolate; even this seeming trifle may never be forgotten. But, sirs, I think I am in my proper place, when I tell you, "Ye must be born again." Having obtained the light of your science, you must seek and obtain "the light of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ." Then, squaring your lives by the gospel, and regulating your hearts by the Spirit of grace, when death, the grand leveller, comes, having finished your work, you shall be caught up to the third heavens by the Great Architect of the universe, and spend eternity in unutterable praises. These blessings, in time and eternity we sincerely wish you, through Jesus Christ. Amen. MASONIC ARAB. The following account will be read with much interest by the brethren of the craft, as affording conclusive evidence of the truth of the position assumed by them, that the light of Masonry is co-extensive with the great natural luminary of our planetary system; and that its principles flourish alike vigorously in the frozen regions of Lapland, or the scorching deserts of Africa. To our readers generally, it will afford some additional particulars of a country, now familiarized to them by the Narrative of Riley. The Rio del Ouro, or River of Gold, in which the sloop of war anchored, enters the ocean in latitude 24, N., between Cape Bajador, where the Commerce was wrecked, and Cape Barbas, the place at which captain Riley was afterwards made captive by the wandering Arabs. are sorry, that in this case, Christians should have less sense of propriety, and less knowledge of the gospel than you. Be this as it may, you will go on to cause "the widow's heart to sing for joy." Let your bounty feed the hungry; extend your clemency to the distressed, and cast a ray of light on every benighted mind; always cultivate and cherish the sympathies of your nature; let your whole life be ent at Cape de Verd Islands, for the without an aberration from truth, or a AFRICA. We are indebted to our correspondfollowing information of the Rio Ouro dereliction from justice. You will ever and the coast of Africa, from Cape meet with objects of distress: be ever Bajador to Cape Blanco. Boston Pa ready to prove the goodness of your system by shielding the defenceless, protecting the weak, and casting your triot. Port Praya, St. Jago, Dec. 21. Arrived his Britannic Majesty's ship Leven, Capt. D. E. Bartholomew, C.B. commander, last from Rio Ouro and Cape Blanco, and sailed on the 2d January, for Goree and the Gambia, surveying. Captain Bartholomew informs, that at Rio Ouro, he had an interview with a tribe of wandering Arabs, and strange to learn, found water to pass at spring-tide, consequently had to remain until the next spring-tide before he could return. At the head of the river is a small island, containing two or three acres, but he could discover no fresh water, though from the appearance a large stream emptied in against the island among them a Free Mason, who spoke | during the rainy season. No ore or a little Spanish, and said that in Arabia Felix, where he had been, were many Free Masons, and offered to go on board the ship, but was prevented by the chief. These Arabs are in the habit of burying their bodies in the sand, whenever they discover a boat approach the shore, and lie thus concealed until the party land, when by a signal or yell of the chief, they all instantly rise, surprise and make prisoners of the party. The officers and crew of the Leven, whenever they landed, were prepared with side arms and muskets, and when approaching the natives, required them to lay down their arms, they doing the same. Captain Bartholomew describes them as a treacherous race, and though he never saw above six or seven persons at a time, yet he never saw the same persons a second time, save the chief. earth was found containing gold, from which the river derived its name, nor huts, nor verdure discovered as far as the eye could reach, and nothing was seen but a dreary sandy desert. Captain Bartholomew sounded the coast from Cape Bajador to Cape Blanco, which he found regular, and anchored every night in fourteen fathoms, distance five miles from shore, except at Cape Barbas, where he anchored in fourteen fathoms, distance three miles from shore. He found good bottom in twenty-five fathoms, distance ten miles from shore, and thinks that vessels may with safety run into nine fathoms, with cables bent, excepting into St. Cyprian's Bay, where it is better to keep a greater distance, in order to weather Cape Barbas. Captain Bartholomew saw no huts along the coast excepting at the bottom of St. Cyprian's Bay, where he discovered six on a low piece of table land, and in the Bay saw two wrecks, a ship and brig, the latter supposed to be the On getting under weigh and coming dowu the river, he saw numerous fires along the banks, signals of his departure, and believes that a large number of the natives had assembled at differ-Mary, of New Bedford, wrecked in ent points, waiting a favourable moment to board the ship. Captain Bartholomew thinks, from their expressions, they knew his ship to be a man of war, and looking at the colours, made a loud yell, and said they were not Spanish. He describes the river, if such it may be called, as being about twenty-three miles in length, and three in width, and the banks not so high as the topmast head, with quicksand bottom, for in weighing his anchor, found it buried several feet in the sand, and many fathoms of the chain worn perfectly bright. He found the channel winding, and passage intricate, and on the bar at the mouth was only 1818; saw nothing of the wreck of the brig Commerce at Cape Bajador. that brotherly love among Masons is an essential ingredient in the formation of our social compact; then let brotherly love continue among Masons. That this may be our portion as brothers, we must receive, acknowledge, and obey, a law, or general rule of our faith and practice adapted to our social relation, and emanating from an approved source. No one among us has any just claim to the privilege of giving laws to another. As brothers, we enter upon all those moral and voluntary relationships to each other upon the level. A brother then is not superior to a brother; nor is he to be esteemed as an inferior; each yielding alike, some minor though inherent rights, that he may be equally partaker of the general good; alike conscious of our natural ignorance, and impotency, and of the necessity of a faithful leader during our pilgrimage through this life. The Mason as well as the Christian, has taken the word of God as revealed in the canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as the rule of their faith and practice.There they are taught to have faith in God; hope in immortality, and charity to all men; to mind the same things; to work by the same rule, and carefully to observe and preserve the same sacred level, upon which we entered into this social, this fraternal relationship to each other, that brotherly love may continue. In divine revelation, the great light both of the Christian and Masonic world, we are mutually taught to love one another, "not in word only, but in deed and in truth." We are also told that this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and by this, says Jesus Christ, shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. as We are taught to "do unto others we would they should do unto us;" to love our brother as ourself; to bear each other's burdens; and so fulfil the law of Christ: thus strictly observing our duty each to the other in our individual capacity, we derive both plea sure and profit from the general rules, by which we are governed collectively; nor shall we be disposed to reject as the Jews did, this inestimable boon of Heaven; this light of the gospel, because the Divine Giver of all good has previously invested us with inferior donations. It is our duty, and ought to be our delight, implicitly to obey the voice, and joyfully to do the will of God, in whatever way it may be revealed to us; whether he speak as he did to Adam, to Enoch, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, and to others, our brethren in this mystic order, by an immediate voice from Heaven, or whether it be through universal nature, wherein the firmament of Heaven, the sun, the moon, and the stars speak forth his will in his wonderful works; or whether it be from a survey of the globe which we inhabit, where every plain is a leaf, and every river a line, in which we may read that there is "a God above us, that he delights in virtue;" or whether with David we learn from the diurnal motion of this earth, that day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge; or whether we hear his voice, speaking, as to our fathers, by the prophets, (for which the Jews contended) or whether he speak to us by his Son, our Saviour, and the apostles, as in those last days he has done, it is our unquestionable duty, as well as our high privilege, to receive his testimo ny, and to obey his law, as the rule of our faith and practice. And as the dignified rank in creation that man is destined to hold, and the noble faculties with which he is endowed, clearly indicate our accountability to our Creator, we ought to be the more careful in tracing our religious genealogy, that it may appear that we are the sons of God; being entitled to this privilege on the reception of his word; and thus becoming brethren, we should, in obedience to our Heavenly Father's will, let brotherly love continue. In the holy rule of our faith and practice, as revealed in the sacred scriptures, without distinction; who, as created by the same Almighty Parent, and inhabiting the same planet, are bound to aid, support, and protect each other. On this principle, Masonry unites men of all countries, nations, sects, and languages, and conciliates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance. RELIEF, are contained innumerable incentives to determine us in favour of continuing in brotherly love. Our own experience, reason, tradition, religion, and Masonry, all combine in justification of this doctrine. Then let me stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance of the things you have known; when like St. Paul, caught up into the third Heavens, there to hear wORDS not lawful to be uttered, which, nevertheless, must influence the mind of every true and faithful brother among us, in favour of the sacred lecture contained in our text. Brotherly love or charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil. Charity never faileth; it is great- || indissoluble chain of sincere affection, er than faith; it is greater than hope; it emanates from God, who is love; it conforms us to his image; and while it is leading us back to the enjoyment of his presence, in paths we had not known, and while through its sacred influence darkness is made light before us, we can say notwithstanding the dangers and difficulties of the way, behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, as the dew of Hermon that descended upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded a blessing; even life for evermore." Is the next tenet of our profession. To relieve the distressed, soothe calamity, alleviate misfortunes, compassionate misery, and use all possible means to restore peace to the troubled mind, are duties incumbent on every member of the great family of mankind; but more particularly on Masons, who are linked together by an and whose grand aim is to ameliorate the condition of mankind. On this basis, every true Mason forms his connections, and establishes his friendships. TRUTH, The foundation of every virtue, is an attribute of the Deity, and one of the first lessons taught in Maso While our conduct is influenced by Masonry. Truth, hypocrisy and deceit will be strangers among us, sincerity will distinguish us, while our hearts and our tongues will unite in promoting each other's welfare, and rejoicing in each other's prosperity. TEMPERANCE Instructs us to govern our passions, to place a due restraint upon all our affections and desires, and frees the mind from the allurements of vice. It invigorates the body, and should be the constant practice of every Mason, by which means he will be enabled to preserve inviolate, the solemn obliga tions he is under to the craft. FORTITUDE Enables us to endure pain, encoundeemed necessary, and to withstand ter danger, when with prudence it is "By its effects the disorder and confusion that might otherwise have attended so immense an undertaking was completely prevented; and not only the craftsmen themselves, who were eighty thousand in number, but every part of their workmanship, was discriminated with the greatest nicety, and the utmost facility. If defects were found, by the help of this degree the overseers were enabled without difficulty to ascertain who was the faulty workman: so that all deficiencies might be remedied, without injuring of the industrious and faithful of the craft." The steps which lead mankind to Heaven, the credit, or diminishing the reward In number are exactly seven : While we have Hore we mount up four, And FAITH one step will lead us more; But to attain our journey's end, True CHARITY must prove our friend.* In fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh degree. *1 Corinthians, xiii. 8, 13. MARK MASTER'S DEGREE. In this degree the candidate is introduced to beauties far exceeding any he has before discovered, and is particularly taught his dependence on an overruling Providence, with an assurance, that all who diligently and faithfully "seek, shall find." He is most solemnly impressed with the great obligations he is under to relieve a brother in distress. It shows him in a very striking manner the punishment that awaits the unfaithful and negligent, and has a powerful tendency to influence the mind of every reflecting brother, to the performance of the Charge to be read at Opening the Lodge. "Wherefore, brethren, lay aside all malice, and guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings. "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and preous; ye also, as living stones, be ye built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up sacrifices acceptable to God. "Wherefore, also, it is contained in | the scriptures, Behold, I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste to pass it over. Unto you, therefore, which believe, it is an honour; and even to them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the |