Year: 1859




arose who was at the same time capable
t Of taking the degree which would give
him the necessary information, and equal
10 the task OF organizing and conducting
voyage of discovery such as those of
brothers Christopher and the Cabots.-
The progress of the world was retarded
many ages by the admission into the mys-
teries of that class of philosophers who
looked with contempt upon all the practi-
cal affairs Of life. Considering it the
proper duty of genius to employ itself
upon those themes which were above the
comprehension of vulgar minds.


1t is only just to brother Flario Gioa,
having deprived him OF the fame of or
iginally discovering the properties of the
magnet, that | should candidly state the
very high grounds upon which his claims
for our gratitude are based. When the
commercial interest had acquired an as
tendency such as 70 enable them to turn
the attention of the Order towards navi-
CATION, the genius, prudence and high
standing of brother Gioa procured him
the office Of Oriental compass manufactu-
rer, position of the highest responsible
ity, as the invention was to be guarded
with the utmost caution, and used only
BY such Of the brethren IT'S had taken the
requisite degree of the needles eye
He is also distinguished for his improve
ments Of the instrument-having first IN
vented the plan Of marking the degrees
and introduced the process Of boxing the
compass. Indeed the fame of brother
Gioa stands on very much the same
ground as that Of brothe. Christopher :;
for it has already been seen that if the
Phonecia were the first inventors of
the magnet, Solomon was also the first
discorerer Of this continent. And how
ever contemporaries may be disposed to
confer honors upon man for the bold
ness of his achievements or the originality
Of his ideas, remote posterity will mea-
sure out his fame in exact proportion to
the amount of benefit which the world
has derived from his ideas or actions.


L may be asked by some, why, if the
/ Order possessed a knowledge OF this con-
tiuent it did not sooner give it to the
world. Which very reasonable question
[ will answer alphabetically, not being
permitted to quote the Chaldaic history
upon this point TO the uniniliated. If The
Order was aware Of the existence Of
this continent (Which | do not say it was
or was not,) IS it not apparent to all
who are acquainted with the history of
the times, that 1t was discovered at the
most propitious moment for the cause of
Liberty? Is it not perfectly obvious that
time Of the discovery was regulated by
some far seeing powerl | am sorry
that l am not permitted to pursue this
question 10 point which would undoubt-
edIy be more satisfactory to the uninita-
ted, but am obliged to confne myself to
such circumstances as have been recor-
ded by baIbaric historians without stating
new facts, as it is justly considered that
it would be lowering the dignity of our
order to place its records in such a posi-
ton as would be likely to induce a con-
fict with books, that have neither the
prestige of antiquity, the clearness of the
dead languages CT the authority of vel
lum and parchment manuscripts.


The various circumstances which had
convinced Columbus Of the existence Of
unknown countries TO the West are most
ly mentioned by contemporaneous histo-
rians, though the full measure and posi-
tive cerJainties Of his convictions were
only known 10 the brethren of our Order,
was al that time the subject of persecu-
lions under the various governments of
Europe, lis liberal spirit and enlightened
principles tending to destroy the system
Of despotic power which at that time
ruled the world. The confirmation Of
the earth, the providence of God, who,
1t was thought, would net, in his goodness,
devote s. large 4 portion Of the world to
barren and waste waters, cofirmed the
theory OF Columbus. Bat the strongest ev-
licences, and those which may Justly be
considered as Divine communications, was
the finding by two brothers of the Order
Of as many pieces Of wood of an unknown
species floating upon the sea, and upon
examination by the learned, these pieces
of timber were found to be CARED with
symbols illustrating Oriental traditions,
and indicating beyond docbt, the exis-
tence to The west Of an unknown Evanic
people of Jewish origin.


D,ra 4a+,-,,,S,,,3 ~, IN, L-a Tho I;s----,, -