directed to this place, and remove the rubbish till they discover the keystone.  This they convey to the Grand Council, as stated in the Lecture.  After the Grand Council have examined it, they pronounce it to be the work of the Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, and direct them to return and prosecute their researches, not doubting that they will make many important discoveries.  The candidates return and let down one of their number by a rope; he finds three squares, is drawn out, and all proceed with them to the Grand Council.  The Grand Council inspect them, and pronounce them to be the three ancient jewels that belonged to the three ancient Grand Masters, Solomon, Hiram and Hiram Abiff.  The candidates then return to the vault and let down another of their number.  Here, let it be remarked, some Chapters, for the purpose of lightening the labor of the candidates, call in the aid of machinery.  A pulley is suspended over the vault, and the candidate is exalted from the bottom at the tail of a snatch block; the one last let down find at the bottom a small chest or box, upon which he gives the signal to be drawn out; he no sooner discovers the box than the air in the vault, in the language of the Lecture, “becomes exceedingly offensive.”  This is strictly true; for at the moment he takes up the box and is preparing to ascend, fire is communicated to a quantity of gunpowder at his feet, so that by the time he arrives at the top, he is so completely suffocated with the fumes of the powder, that he is almost deprived of the power of respiration or motion.  The box is carried to the Grand Council and pronounced to be the ark of the covenant.  It is opened, and a Bible taken out, and some passages read from it. [See Lecture.] One word respecting the representation of the ark.  It ought to be a splendid box covered with gold, and some of them are really elegant; but the Chapter must have such as it can afford; if it is too poor to procure splendid furniture, cheap articles are made to answer; for an ark, if the funds are low, a plain cherry or pine box will answer, and sometimes a cigar box is made the humble representation of the splendid ark, made by divine command, of shittim wood, and overlaid with pure gold.  The High Priest takes then from the ark a vessel containing something to represent manna.  This vessel is of various forms and materials, from an elegant silver urn to a broken earthen mug; and the substance contained is as various as the vessels in which it is deposited; such as a bit of sugar, a piece of cracker, or a few kernels of wheat.  Whichever is used, the High Priest takes it out and gravely asks the King and Scribe their opinion of it; they say they think it is manna.  The High Priest then looks at it intently and says, “It looks like manna;” smells it and says, “It smells like manna;” and then tastes it and says, “It is manna.”  The High Priest then takes from the ark a bit of an apple tree sprout, a few inches long, with some withered buds upon it, or a stick of a similar length, with some artificial buds upon it, which, after consulting with the King and Scribe, he pronounces Aaron’s rod.  He then takes out the key to the ineffable characters and explains it.  This key is kept in the ark on four distinct pieces of paper.  The key is marked on a square piece of paper, and the paper is then divided into four equal parts, thus: