CHRONOLOGICAL SURVEY
OF THE CHIEF EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF H. P. BLAVATSKY AND
COL.HENRY S. OLCOTT,
FROM JANUARY, 1879, TO DECEMBER, 1880
INCLUSIVE.
(the period to which the material in the present volume belongs)
1 8 7 9
January 1—Steamer, with the Founders on board, enters British Channel; pilot taken on at 2:30 p.m.; anchored off Deal, 5:30 p.m. (ODL, II, 3) .
January 2—Still in the Channel; have to anchor a second night; reach Gravesend morning of the 3rd, and take train to London (ODL, II, 4).
January 3—Arrive in London at the Fenchurch St. Station. Stop at the suburban home of Dr. and Mrs. D. H. J. Billing at Norwood Park (ODL, II, 4; Ransom, 123).
January 5—The Founders attend a meeting of the British Theosophical Society in London (ED, 12; ODL,II, 4).
January 6—H.P.B. and Mrs. Billing visit the British Museum (ODL, II, 7) .
January 17—Order No. 1 from Col. Olcott appointing General Abner Doubleday as Acting President of the Theos. Soc. ad interim. Covering letter from Wm. Q. Judge dated Jan. 31st (ODL, II, 8; Ransom, 124-25 for text).
January 17—The Founders, Miss Rosa Bates and E. Wimbridge leave from Euston for Liverpool, at about 9:40 p.m. (ODL, II, 8; Ransom, 125) .
January 18—The party is at Liverpool and at 5 p.m. embark on the SS Speke Hall (ODL, II, 8).
January 19—After lying at anchor in the Mersey River the night of the 18th, sail at dawn (ODL, II, 9).
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January 23—Round Cape Finisterre (ODL, II, 10-11).
January 28—Anchor at Malta; party goes ashore; leaves again next morning (ODL, II, 10-11).
February 2—Reach Port Said; enter the Suez Canal at 10:30 a.m; tie up that night opposite the Arab village of Khandara; tie up the following night five miles from Suez (ODL, II, 9, 11) .
February 12—Flue bursts on steamer; they stop for repairs (ODL, II, 12).
February 16—Enter the Bombay harbor in the early morning. Met by Mûlji Thackersey, Pandit Shamji Krishnavarma and Mr. Ballaji; the Founders are taken to Harichandra Chintamon's own house on Girgaum Back Road (ODL, II, 12-13, 16) .
February 17—Reception held at the photographic studio of Harichandra Chintamon; about 300 invited guests (ODL, II, 18).
February 17—Probable date of the famous phenomenon of the transport of a glove to London on behalf of C. C. Massey (Vania, 41-42; Bombay Gazette, Mch. 31, 1879) .
February 18—First disappointment with Harichandra; he renders large bill for expenses incurred (ODL, II, 20).
February 25—First letter from Alfred Percy Sinnett, Editor of The Pioneer, to Col. 01cott, expressing desire to become acquainted with the Founders; answered by 0lcott on the 27th (ODL, II, 28; C. W. Leadbeater in Theos., XXX, July, 1909, p. 488) .
March 2—The Indian Spectator publishes H.P.B.'s first article written in India and entitled “Not a Christian.” She wrote it Feb. 25, in reply to an annoying article publ. on Feb. 22 in The Bombay Review (Ransom, 127).
March 2—Mûlji finds a servant for H.P.B., a Gujarâti boy named Babula, 15 years old, speaking several languages (ODL, II, 21) .
March 7—The Founders take up residence in a lodging house at 108 Girgaum Back Road, Bombay (ODL, II, 21) .
March 18—Shamji Krishnavarma sails for England to join Prof. Monier-Williams at Oxford (ODL, II, 22-23).
March 23—Col. Olcott delivers his first public address at the Framji Cowasji Hall in Bombay, on “The Theosophical Society and its Aims” (ODL, II, 38-40; TROS, 49 et seq.).
March 24—CoL Olcott begins framing and discussing with others new Rules for the Theos. Soc., and arranging new council, because of great distance of other early members (Ransom, 128).
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March 29—Date of the curious incident when the Founders drove in company with Mûlji Thackersey to a house in the vicinity of Bombay, to see an Adept. The house could not be found on any later occasion (ODL, II, 42-46).
March 30—Col. Olcott's first article in Indian papers is written for The Bombay Gazette, on the subject of “Theosophical Thaumaturgy.” (Ransom, 129).
March—Beginning of a collection of books for a Library; Shankar Pandurang presents a copy of his translation of the Rig-Veda to the Society (Ransom, 129).
April 4—H.P.B. goes by train with Col. Olcott, Mûlji and Babula to see the Caves of Kârli, and receives orders from her Teacher to go to Râjputâna; returns from Kârli about the 8th. On the return trip, H.P.B. flings from railway coach a handwritten note addressed to her Teacher, and Col. Olcott receives in Bombay a telegram from him in reply thereto. This is one of the earliest written communications from the Master (signing himself Goolâb Singh) on record, and is still in the Adyar Archives (ODL, II, 46-61; HPB to Alex. Wilder,. Apr. 28, 1879; Ransom, 129).
April 11—The Founders leave for Râjputâna, together with Mûlji and Babula (ODL, II, 62). Visit Allâhâbâd, Benares, Cawnpore (14th), Jâjmau (15th), Bharatpur, by way of Âgra, and the ancient palace at Digh. Thence to Jeypore (20th) and Sahâranpur. Visit Amber. After a visit to Meerut, start May 7 back to Bombay, via Jubbulpore (May 9th), returning to Bombay in the morning of May 10th (ODL, II, 63-81; Diaries; HPB to Alex. Wilder, April 28, 1879, in Theos. Forum, XIX, July, 1941).
May 13—General Council meets and expells Harichandra Chintamon, on recommendation of Dayânanda Saraswatî (Ransom, 131) .
May 20—Approximate time when the Founders went with Miss Bates to visit the Sardâr of Dekkan (ODL, II, 90-91).
May 19—Col. Olcott publishes in The Bombay Gazette a Letter concerning the police surveillance to which the Founders were subjected, entitled “Chops and Tomato Sauce.” (Vania, 44-47 for text).
May 23—Entry in Col. Olcott's Diaries stating that H.P.B. “broke ground” for the writing of “her new book on Theosophy.” On the 24th he “gave her, by request, the skeleton outline of a book embodying such crude ideas as suggested themselves to one who did not intend to be the writer of it.” On the 25th the Colonel “helped in preparing the Preface”; on June 4th they finished it, and “that seed lay in the mummy's hand five or six years before it sprouted as The Secret Doctrine, for which the only thing I then did was to invent the title and write the original Prospectus . . .” (ODL, II, 89-90) .
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June 5—Ceylon Times publishes a brief defence of H.P.B. by Emma Coulomb (ODL, II, 97; Vania, 51, for text).
June 10—Letter from Emma Coulomb to H.P.B. written from Ceylon, and begging for a loan (Report, App. VIII, 6; Hastings, II, 18; ODL, II, 96, where date of Aug. 11 is given).
June 11—Letter from Master M. to Col. Olcott (LMW, II, No. 27). As far as can be ascertained, this seems to be the earliest letter from him that has been preserved.
June 23—The following curious entry was made by Col. Olcott in his Diaries: “At 10:30 p.m. went to H.P.B.'s room and worked with her until 2:30 a.m. on the idea of an Antetypion, or machine to rescue from Space the pictures and voices of the Past." Nothing else seems to be known about it (ODL, II, 89).
July 4—Consultation held which decided the Founders to publish a magazine of their own (Diaries).
July 6—Prospectus for the magazine The Theosophist is written (Diaries).
July 9—The Founders correct first proofs of the Journal (Diaries).
July 15—Master M. comes in his physical body. H.P.B. sends Babula to Col. Olcott to tell him to come over to her bungalow; “a most important private interview” follows (Diaries).
July 31—Wimbridge designs the cover of The Theosophist (Diaries).
August 3—Col. Olcott issues Fellowship papers to Dâmodar K. Mâvalankar (ODL, II, 95).
August 6—Fellowship in the Society given to Lt.-Col. Wm. Gordon and Mrs. Alice Gordon (ODL, II, 96).
August 22—The Founders are busy revising articles for the forth-coming Journal (Diaries).
September 2—Wimbridge begins engraving the heading of the Journal (Diaries).
September 11—Workmen fitting up The Theosophist Office in the new Compound (Diaries).
September 20—First form of 8 pages of The Theosophist, is run off (Diaries). The last foam is made up on the 27th.
September 28—Col. Olcott goes to printer at 5:30 a.m. to make certain changes ordered by the “revered Old Gentleman,” late the night before (Diaries). This might he Master Nârâyana.
September 30—400 copies of The Theosophist (32 pages, royal 4to) are delivered (Diaries).
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Sept.-October—Approximate time when Dr. Anna Bonus Kingsford and Mr. E. Maitland first read Isis Unveiled; it was before they left Paris to return to England (Life, II, 15-16) .
October 1—First issue of The Theosophist is out. “All hands busy pasting and directing wrappers . . .” (Diaries).
October 3—Letter received from Master Serapis ordering the Founders to assert their rights to the Journal which was established for them (LMW, II, No. 29).
October 4—Durbâr held for the Founders and party by Sand Saga Achârya, Jaina priest in Bombay (ODL, II, 98).
October 30—The Theosophist has by now 381 subscribers, and it is decided to print 750 copies for second issue (Ransom, 135).
November 29—The Founders celebrate the 4th anniversary of the Theosophical Society, the first public function of the kind. The Library is opened (ODL, II, 111-13; Ransom, 135-36).
December 2—The Founders leave Bombay by train, with Dâmodar and Babula, on their way to Allâhâbâd to visit the Sinnetts (ODL, II, 113; Dâmodar, 32-33, letter to Judge, Jan. 24, 1880) .
December 4—The party arrives at Allâhâbâd by early morning train; they stay with the Sinnetts until the 15th (ED, 23-26; ODL, II, 114-18; OW, 42; Autobiogr.). Meet Allan Octavian Hume also, during same period. Dâmodar goes to Benares alone to see Dayânanda Saraswatî on Ritual business (Dâmodar, 33).
December 15—The Founders go to Benares with the Sinnetts and Mrs. Alice Gordon; stay at house provided by the Mahârâjâ of Vizianagram; spend some time with Dayânanda Saraswatî. The Sinnetts return home after two days (ODL, II, 118; OW, 51; Autobiogr.).
December 16—The Founders visit Majji, the female ascetic; she returns the visit (ODL, II, 120-21, 123; Dâmodar, 35-39) .
December 17—Meeting of the Small General Council held at the Palace of the Mahârâja; Dayânanda present; the Rules are revised (Ransom, 137).
December 22—The Founders leave Benares, and go back to Allahabad, staying with the Sinnetts again (ODL, II, 136; Ransom, 138; Autobiogr.).
December 23—Reception given the Founders by Hindûs at the Allâhâbâd Institute. Col. Olcott delivers an address on the “Ancient Âryâvarta and Modern India,” and H.P.B. makes one of her very infrequent discourses (ODL, II, 136) .
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December 26—The Sinnetts are taken into Fellowship. At about the same time Prof. Adityarâm Bba˜˜âchârya, orthodox Brâhmana and famous Sanskritist, joins the T.S. (ODL, II, 136-37; Ransom, 138).
December 30—The Founders leave for Bombay, and arrive there on New Year's Day, 1880 (ODL, II, 137; Autobiogr.).
1 8 8 0
Jan. 4—First formal meeting of the T.S., as a body, in India, in the Library at Bombay (ODL, II, 137).
January—H. S. Olcott undertakes weekly lectures at the Bombay Library, on Mesmerism, Psychometry, Crystal—reading, etc., with experimental illustrations (ODL, II, 138).
Feb. 26 and 28—Revised Rules for the T.S. considered and ratified by the Council (Ransom, 140).
March—H. S. Olcott proposes institution of Medal of Honor (ODL, II, 142; Theos., I, Mch., 1880, p. 134).
March 9—Khân Bahâdur N. D. Khandalavala admitted into T.S. at a special meeting (ODL, II, 143).
March 15—H.P.B. disappears in the evening of the 14th and turns up the next day at Thana Station. H.S.O. speaks of the whole experience as a “chapter out of `Arabian Nights’.” (Diaries).
March 18—“Severe and scornful” letter from Swâmi Dayânanda Saraswatî, returning his diploma (Ransom, 141) .
March (middle)—Approximate time when H.S.O. asks Laymarie to form a Branch in France (Ransom, 141).
March 25 (evening) —H.P.B., H.S.O. and Dâmodar, while on a drive out during a thunderstorm, to the Warli Bridge at the farther end of causeway, meet one of the Teachers (not identified by name) whose portrait H.P.B. wore later “in a large gold locket.” (ODL, II, 144-46) .
March 28—Alexis and Emma Coulomb arrive in the evening at Bombay Headquarters, from Galle, Ceylon (Diaries; ODL, II, 146) .
April 9—Tookaram Tatya, then a cotton commission merchant, calls for the first time (ODL, II, 149).
April 25—Organization of the Bombay T.S. Branch, the pioneer of all Indian Branches, and the third in the whole Society (ODL, II, 152).
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April 17—Date of a letter written by H.P.B. to General Abner Doubleday in New York, notifying him of his election as Vice-President of the T.S. (Theos. Forum, XV, Nov., 1939).
April—A silver badge with gold center made for H.P.B.; later worn by Annie Besant (ODL, II, 151).
May 7—H.P.B. and H.S.O. embark for Ceylon on the British India coasting steamer SS Ellora (Captain Wickes); accompanied by E. Wimbridge, Ddmodar, Purshotam, Panachand Anandji, Sorabji J. Padshah, Ferozshah D. Schroff, Mrs. Purshotam and Babula. Leave Headquarters in charge of Miss Rosa Bates and Emma Coulomb (ODL, II, 152, 153; Theos., I, June, 1880, p. 240). It is on this trip to Ceylon that the Founders met for the first time young D. H. Hewavitarne, sixteen years of age at the time, who later became the world—renowned Anâgârika Dharmapâla, the great Buddhist reformer.
May 16—Drop anchor in Colombo harbor. Met by Meggetuwatte Gunananda and others (ODL, II, 156).
May 17—Arrive at Galle and land, staying at the house of Mrs. Wijeratne (ODL, II, 158).
May 26—The party starts in carriages from Galle northward; first to Dodanduwa (ODL, II, 169-70).
May 27-29—The party is at Piyâgale, Kalutara, Pânadure (where H.P.B. makes one of her infrequent speeches); they leave by rail for Colombo (ODL, II, 170-71, 177).
June 8—Colombo T.S. organized (ODL, II, 179).
June 9—The party leaves by train for Kandy (ODL, II, 179).
June 11—H.S.O. delivers an address at the Town Hall in Kandy on “The Life of Buddha and its Lessons” (ODL, II, 181) .
June 13—A visit to Gompola, returning to Kandy (ODL, II, 182).
June 25—The party is at Galle, and at Mâtara on the 26th (ODL, II, 198).
July 13—The party embarks at Colombo on SS. Chanda, on their return trip to Bombay; accompanied by the Pereras and others; sail on the 14th, at 7:07 p.m. One evening, while on board, Master M. and two other high occultists visit Dâmodar and leave with him a letter for H.P.B. to be read by him also (ODL, II, 205; Diaries; Dâmodar, 57-58, letter to Judge, June 21, 1881) .
July 15—Party arrives at Tuticorin (Diaries).
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July 24, 9:37 a.m.—Party reaches Bombay, after brief stops at Alleppey (18th), Cochin and Calicut (19th), Tellicherry (20th), Canmore (21st), and Karwar (22nd). (Diaries.)
July 24—Situation at Headquarters colorfully described by H.S.O. in his Diaries: “Arriving house found a hell of a row on the carpet between Dame Coulomb and Spin. Bates.”
July 28—H.S.O. obliges the quarreling Coulomb and Bates to consent to an “armed neutrality” (Diaries).
July—Emma Coulomb offers to sell H.P.B.'s “secrets” to the Rev. Bowen of the Bombay Guardian. Begins to build her plan of treachery soon after her arrival in Bombay (LBS, No. XLVI, p. 110).
Aug. 4—One of the Teachers visits the Founders and dictates a long and important letter to an influential friend of theirs in Paris. Whereabouts of this letter is unknown (ODL, II, 208).
Aug. 6—Differences between Rosa Bates and the Founders come to a head; H.S.O. immortalizes the event in most telling language: “Hell of an explosion between Rosa and us , : . This settles her hash: she must go” (Diaries)
Aug. 12—Approximate time when the original foursome finally split; E. Wimbridge moves to another part of Bombay and, helped. by Olcott's connections, sets up an art-furniture and art-decoration business (ODL, II, 210) .
Aug. 15—Date on which Henry Kiddle delivers his address on “The Present Outlook of Spiritualism,” at Lake Pleasant Camp Meeting; this gives rise later to the so-called “Kiddle Incident.” (Light, Sept. 1, 1883; OW, Amer. ed., Appendix, 209; consult also ML, Index).
Aug. 23—While H.P.B., H.S.O. and Dâmodar are conversing in the office at Bombay, the portrait of the Yogin of “Tiruvalla”-phenomenally produced for Judge and H.S.O. in New York, and which had disappeared from its frame in the latter's bedroom just before he left New York-falls through the air on the desk; also a photo of Dayânanda Saraswatî Swâmi (ODL, II, 214) .
Aug. 27—H.P.B., H.S.O. and Babula leave Bombay by evening mail train for the North. Halt briefly at Allâhâbâd (ODL, II, 215) .
Aug. 30—The party reaches Meerut; have a debate on Yoga with Dayânanda Saraswatî, whose attitude has temporarily changed for the better (ODL, II, 215-23; Ransom, 145; Diaries; Theos., II, Dec., 1880, p. 46) .
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Sept. 7—While at Meerut H.S.O. writes for the Times of India a Circular regarding the incident with Miss R. Bates, etc. Brief introd. note by Dâmodar; countersigned by H.P.B. It was published Sept. 13th (Vania, 60-62, for text).
Sept. 7, 4:14 p.m.—Party leaves Meerut for Simla. After a halt at Umballa until 11 p.m., they drive all night up the mountain road in a dâk-gârî. At daybreak on the 8th, they stop for some five hours at Kalka; then resume their trip to Simla up the military road (ODL, II, 225; Diaries).
Sept. 8, at sunset—Arrive at Simla to visit with the Sinnetts who live at the time in a house called “Brightlands” just over the Mall (ODL, II, 225; Diaries; ED., 26; Autobiogr.; OW., 56; consult also Marion Crawford's Mr. Isaacs, London, 1882, for visit to Simla).
Sept. 27—Date of a letter from H. S. Olcott to the Secretary to the Government in the Foreign Department, requesting abrogation of measures taken by the Government to spy on the various moves of the Founders. After some back and forth correspondence, measures are rescinded October 20, 1880 (ODL, II, 229-31, 245-48).
Sept. 29—H.P.B., H.S.O. and Mrs. Patience Sinnett go to the top of Prospect Hill at Simla; Mrs. Sinnett gets a note on pink paper from one of the Teachers. It was left in a tree and read: “I believe I was asked to leave a note here. What can I do for you?” Original of this “pink slip” is in the British Museum (ODL, II, 231-32; OW, 61-63; Vania, 81-82 for text of Times of India account).
Oct. 3—Sinnetts give at Simla a picnic-breakfast, at which the cup and saucer phenomenon occurs (ODL, II, 232-34; OW., 66-71; Letter of Oct. 4, from H.S.O. to Dâmodar, in Vania, 65-67; ODL, II, 237). Same evening a dinner party takes place at the Humes, where the phenomenon in connection with Mrs. Hume's brooch occurs (ODL, II, 237-41; OW, 77-85; Vania, 70-71) .
Oct. 7—H.S.O. lectures at Simla, at the United Service Institution, on “Spiritualism and Theosophy.” Attends Lord Ripon’s ball at Government House in the evening (ODL, II, 242).
October (middle)—Approximate time when Sinnett and Hume begin to consider the formation of an Anglo-Indian Theosophical Society (Ransom, 147).
October (most likely somewhat before 15th)—Sinnett sends through H.P.B. his first letter to the Master, addressing him as “Unknown Brother.” Asks about the production of the London Times phenomenon (OW., 93; Autobiogr.; Hastings, I, 14, where approximate date is suggested). Sinnett writes his second letter without waiting for reply to the first one (OW., 94).
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Oct. 16—Mrs. Alice Gordon invites the Founders, the Sinnetts and Major S. to a picnic at her home; phenomenon of duplicating a handkerchief occurs; A. O. Hume sends over to H.P.B. his first letter for transmission to the Teachers (ODL, II, 242-43; OW, 59-60, 102; Diaries).
Oct. 18—Most likely date for the receipt at Simla of the first letter from Master K.H. to A. P. Sinnett (ML., No. 1, pp. 1.6; OW., 95-100, excerpts; Hastings, I, 14) .
Oct. 19—Second letter from K.H. to Sinnett received at Simla (ML., No. II, pp. 6-10; OW., 100-108, excerpts; Diaries).
Oct. 20—Pillow phenomenon at Simla, while picnicking again on Prospect Hill. Mrs. Sinnett's brooch No. 2 is brought and letter from K.H. found inside the pillow (ML., No. IIIB; ODL; II, 244-45; OW., 109-113, 115) .
Oct. 21—The Founders leave Simla a little before noon, and reach Kalka at 8 p.m., staying at Laurie's Hotel (ODL, II, 248; Ransom, 148; Diaries).
Oct. 22—They leave Kalka for Umballa at 3 p.m. by dâk-gârî; dine there and then take the 9:51 train for Amritsar (Diaries).
Oct. 23, 7 a.m.—They reach Amritsar. H.S.O. lectures twice, 27th and 29th). They stay there for the Divâlî festival on November 2nd. Meet one of the Teachers around the Temple. H.P.B. writes (Oct. 25th) her “Occult Phenomena” article, publ. in the Bombay Gazette, Oct. 29th (ODL, II, 248, 255, 256-58; Diaries).
While at Amritsar, the Founders receive news that the Galle, Ceylon, T.S. has opened the first Buddhist Theosophical School with 300 pupils, most of them from Christian schools (Ransom, 149).
Oct. 24—Just before leaving Simla for Allâhâbâd, Sinnett writes a letter to Master K.H. and sends it to H.P.B. who is then in Amritsar (OW., 117, 121; ML., No. IV, p. 13).
Oct. 27—Sinnett reaches Allâhâbâd (OW., 116).
Oct. 27, 2 p.m.—Sinnett's letter addressed to Master K.H., and sent to H.P.B., reaches her at Amritsar. It reaches Master K.H. some five minutes later about thirty miles beyond Rawalpindi (ML., No. IV, p. 13; OW., 121).
Oct. 27—Telegram sent by Koothoomi Lalsingh from Jhelum, to A. P. Sinnett at Allâhâbâd, at about 4 p.m., and received by him the same day (original in the British Museum; OW., 116-18).
Oct. 29—Letter from K.H., then at Amritsar, to Sinnett, replying to his of Oct. 27 (ML., No. IV, pp. 11-17; OW., 119-24, excerpts).
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Nov. 1—Reply of Master K.H. to A. O. Hume's first letter of Oct. 16th (not incl. in the Mah. Lttrs.; copy only in the British Museum; see also OW., 125-39; ML., p. 17; Vania, 102; Diaries).
Nov. 3—H.P.B. and H.S.O. leave Amritsar for Lahore on the 4:45 p.m. train; reach destination at 7 p.m. (Diaries). H.S.O. lectures there on the 7th (ODL, II, 258-60) . Lord Ripon holds a Durbâr described by H.P.B. as “The Durbâr in Lahore,” in the Russkiy Vestnik, Vol. 153, May, June, and Vol. 154, July, 1881 (ODL, II, 263-65) .
Nov. 15—Headquarters in Bombay moved to the so-called “Crow's Nest,” Breach Candy, in the absence of the Founders.
Nov. 17—H.S.O. leaves H.P.B. at Lahore, and goes to Multân (ODL, II, 265) .
Nov. 20—H.S.O. returns to Lahore and finds H.P.B. laid up with Pañjâb fever, nursed by Babula; her condition is quite serious (ODL, II, 266; Diaries; IBS, No. V, pp. 6-7) .
Nov. 25—H.P.B. and H.S.O. take train from Lahore to Umballa (ODL, II, 268; Ransom, 149; Diaries) Reach destination the next morning.
Nov. 28—Tbey take the morning train for Cawnpore and get there the following morning (Diaries).
Dec. 1-11—The Founders are visiting the Sinnetts at Allâhâbâd (ML, p. 11, A.P.S.'s Note to Letter No. IV; Autobiogr.; ED., 29; Diaries).
Dec. 3—H.S.O. leaves H.P.B. with the Sinnetts arid goes himself to Benares, as guest of the Mahârâja; sees Majji while there (ML., p. 11, Sinnett's Note; ODL, II, 268-74) .
Dec. 10—Approximate time when Sinnett received an important letter from K.H., discussing the “Kiddle Incident” and giving a pro. phetic outline of future developments in science, etc. (ML:, No. VI, 22-24; No. XCIII, 420-29; OW., 144, 148-50, excerpts).
Dec. 11—H.P.B. arrives at Benares at about 4 p.m. and joins H.S.O. there; plans to stay about eight days (ODL, II, 274, 275; ML., p. 11; Ransom, 150; Diaries).
Dec. 14—Meeting between H. S. Olcott and a number of scholars and Pandits at P. D. Mittra's residence. Important resolution drawn up with regard to a friendly union between T.S. and the Sanskrit Sâmaja (ODL, II, 277-79; Ransom, 150).
Family motto of the Mahârâja of Benares was at about this time adopted by the T.S. It is a somewhat modified passage from the Mahâbhârata, Sântiparvan, chap. 160, stanza 24 (ODL, II, 280-83; Theos., II, May, 1881, p. 178; Ransom, 151 & (note).
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Dec. 20—The Founders leave by train for Allâhâbâd again, staying at the Sinnetts. H.P.B. suffers for several days with Dengue fever; nursed by Dr. Avinas Chandra Banerji. They spend Christmas with the Sinnetts (ODL, II, 286, 287; Ransom, 151; Diaries; ML., p. 11).
Dec. 28—They take train for Bombay (ODL, II, 287-88; ML., p. 11) .
KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS
Autobiogr.—An Autobiography of A. P. Sinnett, dated June 3rd, 1912, with additions dated May 1916, and Jan. 2, 1920, which exists in the form of a typewritten MSS. in the Archives of the Mahâtma Letters Trust in London. ,
Dâmodar—Dâmodar and the Pioneers of The Theosophical Movement. Compiled and Annotated by Sven Eek. Adyar, Madras: The Theosophical Publishing House, 1965; xvi, 720 pp.; Ill., Index.
Diaries—Col. H. S. Olcott's Diaries, in the Adyar Archives.
ED—A. P. Sinnett, The Early Days of Theosophy in Europe. London: Theosophical Publishing House, 1922; 126 pp., Index.
Hastings—Defence o f Madame Blavatsky, by Beatrice Hastings. Vols. I and II. Published by the Author, Worthing, Sussex, England, 1937. 60 and 105 pp. resp.
LBS—The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett, and Other Miscellaneous Letters Transcribed, Compiled, and with an Introd. by A. T. Barker. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1924. xvi, 404 pp.
Light—A Journal of Psychical, Occult, and Mystical Research, edited by Stainton Moses (“M. A. Oxon.”), London, 1881, etc.
LMW—Letters from the Masters o f the Wisdom. Transcribed and Annotated by C. Jinarâjadâsa. With a Foreword by Annie Besant. IInd Series. Adyar, Madras: Theos. Publishing House, 1925; Chicago: Theosophical Press, 1926. 205 pp.; Ill.
ML—The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (from the Mahatmas M. and K.H.). Transcribed, Compiled and with an Introd. by A. T. Barker. London: T. Fisher Unwin, December, 1923; New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1923. xxxv, 492 pp.; 2nd rev. ed., London: Rider & Co., 1926; 3rd ed., Adyar, Madras: Theos. Publ. House, 1962.
Page xxxvii
ODL—Old Diary Leaves, by Henry Steel Olcott. Second Series, 1878-83. Adyar: Theos. Publ. House, 1900. The original ed. contains nine illustrations, all of them being views of the Theos. Society's Estate at Adyar, Being too faded for further reproduction, eight of these have been eliminated from the 2nd ed. of 1928.
OW—The Occult World, by A. P. Sinnett. London: Trübner & Co., 1881. 172 pp. 8vo; first Amer. ed., with special Appendix regarding the “Kiddle Incident.” New York and Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1885.
Ransom—A Short History o f The Theosophical Society. Compiled by Josephine Ransom. With a Preface by G. S. Arundale. Adyar, Madras: Theos. Publ. House, 1938. xii, 591 pp.
Report—Report of Observations Made during a Nine Months Stay at the Headquarters of The Theosophical Society at Adyar (Madras), India, by Dr. Franz Hartmann. Madras: Printed at the Scottish Press, by Graves, Cookson and Co., 1884. 60 pp.
Theos. Forum—The Theosophical Forum. New Series. Publ. under the authority of the Theosophical Society, Point Loma, Calif. Editor, G. de Purucker. Vols. I-XXIX, September, 1929 - March 1951 incl. Later edited by Arthur L. Conger.
Theos.—The Theosophist. A Monthly Journal Devoted to Oriental Philosophy, Art, Literature and Occultism. Conducted by H. P. Blavatsky, under the Auspices of The Theosophical Society. Bombay (later Madras) : The Theos. Soc., October 1879—, in progress, (Volumes run from October to September incl.)
TROS—Henry S. Olcott, Theosophy, Religion and Occult Science. New edition, rev. and enl. London: George Redway, 1885. xiii, 384 pp.; Glossary; Index.
Vania—Madame H. P. Blavatsky, Her Occult Phenomena and the Society for Psychical Research, by K. F. Vania. Bombay, India: Sat Publ. Co., 1951. xiv, 488 pp.