The "amorous Major" mentioned at the end of the note was Major Philip D. Henderson. He was present on the occasion of the cup and saucer phenomenon and helped dig them out of the ground. He joined the T.S. on that day, his membership certificate being produced phenomenally on the spot. However, the next day he became suspicious and resigned, thereafter joining H.P.B.'s critics.
A few words more: why should you have felt disappointed at not receiving a direct reply to your last note? It was received in my room about half a minute after the currents for the production of the pillow-dâk had been set ready and in full play. And — unless I had assured you that a man of your disposition need have little fear of being "fooled" — there was no necessity for an answer. One favour I will certainly ask of you, and that is, that now that you — the only party to whom anything was ever promised — are satisfied, that you should endeavour to disabuse the mind of the amorous Major and show to him his great folly and injustice.
Yours faithfully,
KOOT' HOOMI LAL SINGH.
Letter No. 4 (ML-143) Rec. Oct. 27, 1880
This is a very short letter and one of the few in the volume where both sides of the correspondence are shown.
Col. Olcott and H.P.B. had left Simla on October 21 for Amritsar and a tour of northwest India. The Sinnetts returned to Allahabad, their permanent residence, on October 24.
The test phenomenon of the pillow incident seemed to Mr. Sinnett so perfect that, before he left Simla, he wrote a short note asking the Mahatma whether he wished the story to be described in The Pioneer. The reply was received after the Sinnetts had reached Allahabad.
The Mahatma approved publication of the story "on account of our much ill-used friend" (H.P.B.) who had been subject to a great deal of adverse criticism following publication of the story of Brooch No. 1. And also as the result of another incident involving overzealousness on Col. Olcott 's part, to be discussed later.
Sinnett says in The Occult World that the people who had flooded the Press with their comments (he calls them "simple comments", meaning, obviously, "stupid comments" for some of them were ridiculously far-fetched; he mentions a number of them) had nothing to say about the "pillow incident."
Would you wish the pillow phenomenon described in the paper? I will gladly follow your advice.
Ever yours,
A. P. SINNETT.
It certainly would be the best thing to do, and I personally would feel sincerely thankful to you on account of our much ill-used friend. You are at liberty to mention my first name if it will in the least help you.
KOOT HOOMI LAL SINGH.
Letter No. 5 (ML-4) Rec. Nov. 3, 1880
Olcott thought Sinnett should immediately publish reports of all the Simla phenomena in The Pioneer. When this didn't happen, he wrote an article entitled "A Day with Madame Blavatsky" in which he described some of these phenomena. In this article he mentioned the names of several prominent Englishmen who had been present on these occasions. He sent the story to Bombay, to Damodar Mavalankar, who was in charge of headquarters during the absence of the founders, to be reproduced and circulated among local members of the Theosophical Society.
Unfortunately, the Times of India somehow got hold of a copy and published it, along with some abusive comments. Damodar wrote a protest which the Times refused to publish. However, the Bombay Gazette did publish a sharp rejoinder by H.P.B.
The persons whose names Col. Olcott had mentioned in his article were extremely embarrassed and unhappy about the publicity, and of course the whole thing boomeranged on H.P.B. She became frantic and sent a call for help to the Mahatma K.H. She and the Colonel were in Amritsar at the time.
At this time, the Mahatma K.H. was en route — in his physical body — through Ladakh on his return from a visit to the Mahachohan to consult with him concerning some developments mentioned in the first paragraph of Letter No. 5 (ML-4) as well as about the letter which he (K.H.) had received from Hume. When he heard H.P.B.'s frantic cry for help, he decided to change his route and go to see her.
Meanwhile, before Sinnett left Simla, he sent a registered letter to H.P.B. at Amritsar, to be forwarded to the Mahatma K.H. (This was in addition to the short note about the "Pillow Incident" which is chronologically Letter No. 4 (ML-143).)
H.P.B. received the registered letter on Oct. 27 and sent it on to K.H. by occult means as soon as she received it; the time was fixed by the postal register as 2:00 p.m. The Mahatma K.H. was on board a train (in what is now Pakistan) en route to see her.
He received the letter at 2:05 p.m. near Rawalpindi. At the next station (Jhelum) he got off the train, went into the telegraph office, and wrote out a telegram of acknowledgment to Sinnett, which was, of course, dated and filed by the telegraph agent.
The Master also instructed H.P.B. to return to Sinnett the envelope in which the letter had been received, which showed the date and time of the registration. At first, Sinnett could not understand why he was to save this old envelope but save it he did, and later he saw the connection: the date and time of the letter 's registration and the date and time of the sending of the telegram showed that the letter could not have reached him by other than occult means. Later, the Mahatma asked Sinnett to get the handwritten copy of the telegram, which Sinnett finally did, and it is among the Mahatma Letters in the British Museum. Thus Sinnett was made aware that H.P.B. had managed a very quick transmission of his letter across some hundreds of miles.
Thus, it seems, the Mahatma K.H. was willing to give Sinnett another bit of proof of his existence, and something of his powers. The whole incident is one of the most convincing pieces of evidence anywhere in the literature.
Apparently received 5th November.
Madam and Colonel O. arrived at our house, Allahabad, on December the 1st, 1880. Col. O. went to Benares on the 3rd — Madam joined him on the 11th. Both returned to Allahabad on 20th and stayed until 28th.
Amrita Saras,8 Oct. 29.
My Dear Brother,
I could assuredly make no objection to the style which you have kindly adopted, in addressing me by name, since it is, as you say the outcome of a personal regard even greater than I have as yet deserved at your hands. The conventionalities of the weary world, outside our secluded "Ashrams," trouble us but little at any time; least of all now, when it is men not ceremony-masters, we seek, devotion, not mere observances. More and more a dead formalism is gaining ground, and I am truly happy to find so unexpected an ally in a quarter where, hitherto there have not been too many — among the highly educated classes of English Society. A crisis, in a certain sense, is upon us now, and must be met. I might say two crises — one, the Society's, the other for Tibet. For, I may tell you in confidence, that Russia is gradually massing her forces for a future invasion of that country under the pretext of a Chinese war. If she does not succeed it will be due to us; and herein, at least we will deserve your gratitude. You see then, that we have weightier matters than small societies to think about; yet, the T.S. must not be neglected. The affair has taken an impulse, which, if not well guided, might beget very evil issues. Recall to mind the avalanches of your admired Alps, that you have often thought about, and remember that at first their mass is small and their momentum little. A trite comparison you may say, but I cannot think of a better illustration, when viewing the gradual aggregation of trifling events, growing into a menacing destiny for the Theos. Soc. It came quite forcibly upon me the other day as I was coming down the defiles of Kouenlun — Karakorum you call them — and saw an avalanche tumble. I had gone personally to our chief to submit Mr. Hume's important offer, and was crossing over to Ladakh on my way home. What other speculations might have followed I cannot say. But just as I was taking advantage of the awful stillness which usually follows such cataclysm, to get a clearer view of the present situation and the disposition of the "mystics" at Simla, I was rudely recalled to my senses. A familiar voice, as shrill as the one attributed to Saraswati's peacock — which, if we may credit tradition, frightened off the King of the Nagas — shouted along the currents "Olcott has raised the very devil again! . . . The Englishmen are going crazy. . . . Koot Hoomi, come quicker and help me!" — and in her excitement forgot she was speaking English. I must say, that the "Old Lady's" telegrams do strike one like stones from a catapult!