CHRONOLOGICAL SURVEY

OF THE CHIEF EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF H. P. BLAVATSKY AND
COL.HENRY. S. OLCOTT,
FROM FEBRUARY TO OCTOBER, 1889, INCLUSIVE.
(the period to which the material in the present volume belongs)

1 8 8 9

February 1—H.S.O. in Hong Kong; sails next day for Shanghai; sails for Kobé, Feb. 6th, reaching there the 9th (ODL, IV, 93-94; Lucifer, IV, 420 ; Theos., X, Suppl. to April, 1889, p. lxi).

February 10—H.S.O. leaves Kobé for Kyoto, arriving the same day; delivers several lectures to large crowds; Dharmapala sick with rheumatism and forced to remain there (ODL, IV, 95; Lucifer, IV, 243; Theos., X, Suppl. to April, 1889, pp. lxi-lxii).

February 15—H.S.O. goes to Osaka; returns to Kyoto the 18th; meets in Council with the chief Priests of all the sects at Choo-in Temple, Feb. 19th—an unprecedented event (ODL, IV, 103-04; 106-115, description of proceedings; Lucifer, IV, 244-48, 421-22; Theos., X, Suppl. to April, 1889, pp. lxii-lxiii, lxv).

February 16—Alexander Fullerton leaves New York for London, “on important business for H. P. Blavatsky” (Path, III, March, 1889, p. 394) .

February 17—T.S. Branch founded in Stockholm, Sweden; President is Dr. Gustaf Zander (Lucifer, IV, 84) .

February 24—H.S.O. visits Otsu ; goes to Kobé 26th, sails on the 27th from Kobé to Yokohama, reaching there the 28th (ODL, IV, 115-16; Theos., X, Suppl. to May, 1889, p. lxxviii).

March 1—H.S.O. leaves for Tokyo by train; will stay there about a month (ODL, IV, 117 et seq.; Lucifer, IV, 422-24; Theos., X, Suppl. to May, 1889, p. Ixxviii).

March—New York Headquarters moved to 21 Park Row, Room 47 (Path, III, 395) .

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March 23—H. S. Olcott leaves Tokyo by train; goes to Sandai, Kanagam and Yokohama (ODL, IV, 129-35; Lucifer, IV, 423; Theos., X, Suppl. to June, 1889, pp. xei, xciii).

April 3—Col. Olcott leaves Yokohama for Hamamatsu; reaches Okasaki the following day; then Nagoya, Narumi, Gifu, Ogaki; thence goes to Kioto (ODL, IV, 135-39; Theos., X, Suppl, to June, 1889, p. xci).

April 28-29—Third Annual Convention of the T.S. in America, held at Palmer House, Chicago, Ill. (Path, IV, May, 1889, pp. 61-64).

May—Staff of lecturers suggested to be farmed in England. Dr. Herbert Coryn placed in charge of the project (Lucifer, IV, 240).

May 6—Col. Olcott leaves by train for Osaka; thence takes steamer for Okayama and Takamatsu; goes to Hiroshima (9th) and Nagatsu; leaves (14th) for Shimonoseki (17th) (ODL, IV, 147-51; Theos., X, Suppl. to Aug., 1889, pp. cxl-cxli ) .

May 10—Annie Besant joins the Theos. Society, ace. to inform. of Chas. Johnston (Theos. Quarterly, XXIV, July, 1926, p. 14).

May 17—Col. Olcott goes to Nagasaki and Kumamoto; returns to Nagasaki the 23rd (ODL, IV, 152-154; Theos., X, Suppl. to Aug., 1889, p. cxlii).

May 26—Col. Olcott reaches Kobé; leaves there (28th) on French steamer Oxus, reaching Shanghai 30th; thence to Hong Kong (ODL, IV, 154-57; Theos., X, Suppl. to Aug., 1889, p. cxlii; Ransom, 259).

June—Circulating Library established at the New York Headquarters, Room 47, 21 Park Row (Path, IV, 95).

June 6—H. S. Olcott sails for Saigon, reaching there the 9th; sails next morning for Singapore, arriving the 11th (ODL, IV, 157; Theos., X, Suppl. to Aug., 1889, p. cxliii).

June 19—Col. Olcott reaches Colombo, Ceylon, on his way back from Japan; works throughout Ceylon (ODL, IV, 157 et seq.; Theos., X, Suppl. to July, 1889, pp. cxiii; cxliii-cxlv).

May—June-Troubles brought about by Dr. Elliott Coues and his claims.

June (later half) —W. Q. Judge issues pamphlet concerning Dr. Coues; and H.P.B. publishes an explanatory article entitled: To All Theosophists. “The Esoteric Section of The Theosophical Society” and Its Enemies, dated from London, June 21, 1889.

June 22—Executive Committee of the American Section, T.S., expels Dr. E. Coues from the Society (Path, IV, 127; Lucifer, VI, 524).

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June 26—Grand Evening Concert at Prince's Hall, Piccadilly, London, proceeds to be devoted to spreading Theosophical literature (Lucifer, IV, 352).

July (early)—July 23 (approx.) -H.P.B. goes to Fontainebleau, France, for a rest, and writes there The Voice of the Silence, the greater part of it between July 15-20 (Masters, p. 21) ; is visited by Annie Besant, Herbert Burrows, and Mrs. Ida Garrison Candler of Boston, Mass. (Path, IV, 162; In Memory, pp. 37-38; Lucifer XVI, p. 180; Autobiogr., pp. 352-53 ; Path, X, pp. 239-40) .

July 8—Col. Olcott sails for Madras; reaches Adyar the 11th (ODL, IV, 164; Theos., X, Suppl. to Aug., 1889, p. cxlv).

July (about third week)—The Key to Theosophy published (Lucifer, IV, 325; Theos., X, Suppl. to July, 1889, pp. cxx-cxxi; Letter of H.P.B. to Edward Parker, dated July 19,1889).

July (late) —August (early part)-H.P.B. on Jersey Island, at St. Aubins and St. Heliers; summons G. R. S. Mead to come over and read The Voice (In Memory, pp 31-32). Seems to have been away from London for about five weeks altogether (Lucifer, IV, p. 445).

August 4 and 11—Annie Besant lectures in the Hall of Science, London, on the subjects: “We Seek for Truth” and “Why I Became a Theosophist” (Lucifer, IV, 486-98; full text of second address; Ransom, 257).

August 8—Col. Olcott embarks for Marseilles on the French steamer Tibre; transship at Colombo on the Djemnah. Some disagreement had arisen between him and H.P.B. on the subject of one of the Rules of the Esoteric Section; this Rule is amended by H.P.B. (ODL, IV, 168; Ransom, 260).

August—Annie Besant has deeds drawn up vesting in the hands of Trustees her property at 19 Avenue Road, London, as Headquarters for the British Section, T.S. (Ransom, 257).

September 1—Col. Olcott reaches Marseilles, France, and is met by Baron Spedalieri (ODL, IV, 169).

September 4—Col. Olcott arrives in London, at 7 p.m.; talks to H.P.B. until 2 a.m.; finds Annie Besant living in the house (ODL, IV, 171; Lucifer, V, p. 68) .

Sept. 17—Col. Olcott lectures at South Place Chapel (Mr. Moncure Conway's place of worship), with Mrs. Besant in the chair; subject is “The Theos. Society and its Work” (ODL, IV, 175-78; Lucifer, V, 147; Theos., XI, p. xvii).

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September (later part) —The Voice of the Silence is published. Issued at the same time as the Adyar, Madras, and the New York editions (Path, IV, p. 287) .

Sept. 29—Cot. Olcott lectures at the Hatcham Liberal Club, New Cross; largest audience of the season (Lucifer, V, 147-48).

September—Most likely time when H.P.B. issued her pamphlet on “The Thersites of Freethought”

October 1—Col. Olcott leaves London for a short visit to Wales. Goes to Liverpool (Oct. 5 ) to meet his sister after a separation of eleven years. Stays there until the 12th (ODL., IV, 187; Luc., V, Oct., 1889, pp. 148 et seq.; Ransom, 261).

October 12—H.P.B. speaks on the “Gospel of St. John” at the Blavatsky Lodge (Minutes).

October 12—Col. Olcott goes to Ireland accompanied by Bertram Keightley. Stays in Dublin at the home of Fred J. Dick. Visits Limerick the 15th, and goes to Belfast the 17th (ODL., IV, 188-91; Luc., V, Oct., 1889, pp. 150, 249-50; Ransom, 261) .

October 21—Col. Olcott returns to Liverpool (ODL., IV, 192-95; Luc., V, p. 250 ) .

October 24—H.P.B. speaks on the subject of Jesus and St. John at the Blavatsky Lodge (Minutes).

October Approximate time when Tookarâm Tatya starts a Prey in Bombay (Theos., XI, Suppl. to Oct., 1889, p.v).

October 29—Col. Olcott lectures in Birmingham (ODL., IV, 196;

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KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS

Autobiography—Unpublished MSS. autobiographical sketch written by A. P. Sinnett, dated June 3rd, 1912, with some later additions; original in the Archives of the Mahatma Letters Trust in London, England.

In Memory—H.P.B. In Memory of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. By some of her Pupils. London: Theos. Publ. Society, 1891, 96 pp. Mostly reprinted from Lucifer.

Lucifer—Journal started by H.P.B. in London, 1887.

Masters—H. P. Blavatsky and the Masters o f the Wisdom, issued as a Transaction of the H.P.B. Lodge, London. Theos. Publ. Society, London, Benares and Adyar, 1907, 57 pp.; also Krotona, Theos. Publ. House, 1918.

Minutes—Minutes of the Blavatsky Lodge in London, now in its Archives.

ODL—OId Diary Leaves, Henry Steel Olcott, Fourth Series, 1887-1892. London: Theos. Publ. Society; Adyar: Office of The Theosophist, 1910.

Path—The Path. Published and Edited in New York by William Quart Judge. Vols. I-X, April, 1886—March, 1896 incl. Superseded by Theosophy.

Ransom—A Short History of The Theosophical Society. Compiled by Josephine Ransom. With a Preface by G. S. Arundale. Adyar, Madras: Theos. Publ. House, 1938. xii, 591 pp.

Theosophical Quarterly—Published in New York by the Theosophical Society in America (Hargrove Group). Vols. I-XXXV, July, 1903 Oct., 1938.

Theos.—The Theosophist, publ, first at Bombay and later in Madras, India, beginning with October, 1879. In progress.