Mahatma Letter No. 107

Quick Facts
People involved
Written by:	Koot Hoomi
Received by:	A. P. Sinnett
Sent via:	unknown
Dates
Written on:	unknown
Received on:	March 1883
Other dates:	none
Places
Sent from:	unknown
Received at:	Madras, India
Via:	none

This is Letter No. 77 in Barker numbering. See below for Context and background.

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Page 1 transcription, image, and notes

Pray, convey to Col. Gordon the expression of my sympathy and friendly esteem. He is indeed a loyal friend and trustworthy ally. Tell him that with every allowance for the motives given and his own quiet modesty I yet believe he may do much good in his own unassuming way. A Howrah Branch is really needed and he alone can create the nucleus. Why not try? He cares not for the service and is ready at any moment to throw it up. But this is unnecessary so long as it lasts and gives him a strength and authority with some native members which otherwise he would not have. At any rate then he is going to be taken to Simla and will have plenty of "nothing-to-do" time. Why not

NOTES:

• Howrah was a suburb of Calcutta.

Page 2

use his opportunities for putting the Eclectic and Himalayan in order — of course in his official capacity, as a member of Council and Vice-President of the Eclectic. I will have Olcott send him an official paper to that effect and write instructions for him myself. I am anxious to remove the Anglo-Indian "Eclectic" to Calcutta, and have its Headquarters (though it be nominal for a while) announced through the journal hitherto as established in the capital — the native members of the Eclectic incorporated in the Himalayan and a para: inserted to notify all those who would join the Anglo-Indian Branch that in your absence they would have to address themselves to Col. W. Gordon, Acting President in your place. Some are born for diplomacy and intrigue: I rather think that

NOTES:

• The Himalayan seems to be a Simla branch comprised of native Indian members.

Page 3

it is not my particular province. Withal, I believe the arrangement calculated to impede the disastrous effects of Mr. Hume's intrigue and his endeavours to have the Society (Eclectic) dead and buried, thus showing those concerned with it, that he was its Creator and Preserver, and that his retirement was its death-knell. Thanks for Col: G.'s letter.

The 30th is as good as any other day after the 27th. No; a Branch at Madras is not absolutely necessary from the very starting. But it does stand to reason that if it is Madras that is to furnish the largest share of the funds that it would also have the preference after Calcutta. So long as the money is not in

NOTES:

Page 4

it is useless to fix any dates. Our paper once established I will never concern myself any more with any worldly enterprise. Yes, I have worry and annoyance indeed; but then it had to be expected, and no fish undertaking a ramble on the river's bank and outside its own element need complain of catching a lumbago. We are near the end now, one way or the other, and once I take my leap back into the crystal wave — few will ever have a chance of seeing me peeping out again. Mankind are not always what they seem and I have lost much of my optimism in the late affray. Mankind was somewhere named the poetry of creation and woman the poetry of earth. When she is not an angel she must be a fury. It is in the latter capacity that I have ever met her on my way when Rajahs and Zemindars were quite ready to disburse the necessary funds. Well well, the affray is still raging and we may yet win brilliantly the day.

Yours truly,

K. H.

NOTES:

• lumbago is low back pain.
• affray battle or conflict.
• Zemindars means landlords.

Physical description of letter

The original is in the British Library, Folio 3. According to George Linton and Virginia Hanson, the letter was written:

KH script in blue pencil on all four sides of a sheet of folded note paper, somewhat cream colored. It is interesting that the writer ran out of space just before finishing and so completed the letter by turning it upside down and writing at the top of the front page.