were found worthy; none were rejected, but all of them tried, and most found to fail signally, as for example—–­and—–.  Some, instead of being accepted and pledged this year, were now thrown off for a year.  The Mahatma, I found, speaks very little English—­or at least it so seemed to me—­and spoke to me in my mother-tongue—­Tamil.  He told me that if the Chohan permitted Madame Blavatsky to visit Parijong next year, then I could come with her.  The Bengali Theosophists who followed the “Upasika” (Madame Blavatsky) would see that she was right in trying to dissuade them from following her now.  I asked the blessed Mahatma whether I could tell what I saw and heard to others.  He replied in the affirmative, and that moreover I would do well to write to you and describe all.

I must impress upon your mind the whole situation, and ask you to keep well in view that what I saw was not the mere “appearance” only, the astral body of the Mahatma, as we saw him at Bombay, but the living man, in his own physical body.  He was pleased to say when I offered my farewell namaskarams (prostration) that he approached the British territory to see the Upasika.  Before he left me, two more men came on horseback, his attendants I suppose, probably Chelas, for they were dressed like lama-gylungs, and both, like himself, with long hair streaming down their backs.  They followed the Mahatma, when he left, at a gentle trot.  For over an hour I stood gazing at the place that he had just quitted, and then I slowly retraced my steps.  Now it was that I found for the first time that my long boots had pinched my leg in several places, that I had eaten nothing since the day before, and that I was too weak to walk further.  My whole body was aching in every limb.  At a little distance I saw petty traders with country ponies, carrying burdens.  I hired one of these animals.  In the afternoon I came to the Rungit River and crossed it.  A bath in its cool waters revived me.  I purchased some fruit in the only bazaar there and ate heartily.  I took another horse immediately and reached Darjiling late in the evening.  I could neither eat, nor sit, nor stand.  Every part of my body was aching.  My absence had seemingly alarmed Madame Blavatsky.  She scolded me for my rash and mad attempt to try to go to Tibet after that fashion.  When I entered the house I found with Madame Blavatsky, Bahu Parbati Churn Roy, Deputy Collector of Settlements and Superintendent of Dearah Survey, and his assistant, Babu Kanty Bhushan Sen, both members of our Society.  At their prayer and Madame Blavatsky’s command, I recounted all that had happened to me, reserving of course my private conversation with the Mahatma.  They were all, to say the least, astounded.  After all, she will not go this year to Tibet; for which I am sure she does not care, since she has seen our Masters and thus gained her only object.  But we, unfortunate people! we lose our only chance of going and offering our worship to the “Himalayan Brothers,” who, I know, will not soon cross over to British territory, if ever, again.