which the coin had been wrapped was gone. A little later, in the
drawing-room, she said that the brooch would not be brought into the
house, but that it must be looked for in the garden; and then, as the
party went out accompanying her, she stated that she had clairvoyantly
seen the brooch fall into a star-shaped bed of flowers. Mr. Hume led
the way to such a bed in a distant part of the garden, and after a
prolonged and careful search made by lantern light, a small paper
packet, consisting of two cigarette papers and containing a brooch
which Mrs. Hume identified as that which she had originally lost, was
found among the leaves by Mrs. Sinnett.
All this, and a great deal more, including the conviction of all
present that the occurrence was of an absolutely unimpeachable
character as an evidence of the truth of the possibility of occult
phenomena, being carefully embodied in the published statements, which
had been duly read over to the party and signed. The publication of
the statement aroused a great discussion in the newspapers of the day,
by no means confined to India, and gave a powerful impetus to Madame
Blavatsky's views.
Mr. Allan Octavian Hume, happily still alive, son of Joseph Hume the
great Radical member of Parliament, created C.B. for his very
distinguished services in the Mutiny, retired from the Indian Civil
Service in 1882 after a notable career in many departments.
Ornithologist, and since his retirement following hereditary instincts
by organizing and supporting the National Congress, and criticizing
much of the policy of the Government of India.
Mr. Sinnett, the leading actor in the affair described above, not long
after the publication of the Simla narrative, ended his connection
with _The Pioneer_, and may be regarded as one of the leading spirits
of the Theosophical movement, in connection with which he has written
many books, and he now holds high office in the London branch of the
Society.
NOTES
[A: _Lit. Great Ladies_, i.e. _Wives of Heads of Departments_.]
[B: _A genus of molluscous animals_.]
[C: _A primary constituent of matter._]
[D: _A slightly narcotic mixture_.]
[E: _Throne_.]
[F: _Hindu festivals in honour of the Ganges and the War God
respectively_.]
[G: _Household._]
[H: _Official messengers._]
[I: _Lit. high-handed._]
[J: _Fairs._]
[K: _Table attendants_.]
[L: I have assumed the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in
commemoration of the happy termination of the Afghan War.--A.B.]
[M: _Confirmed in the appointment_.]
[N: _Settlement of the land revenue_.]
[O: _Children_.]
[P: _Kitchen_.]
[Q: _Grooms._]
[R: The chuprassies are official messengers, wearing Imperial livery,
who are attached to all civil officers in India.]
[S: _Civil servants_.]
[T: _An old English form of avaunt, begone!_ Vide "_Macbeth_," _I.
iii. 6._]
[U: "_Bring me a brandy and soda._"]
[V: _Low-lying land_.]
[W: _News_.]
[X: _An arrangement, a plan_.]
[Y: _Criminal cases_.]
[Z: _Land revenue settlement_.]
[AA: _A water-carrier's leathern bag._]
[BB: _Chief Board of Land Revenue in the United Provinces_.]
[CC: _Equivalent to Sir._]