"You must remember," said Mme. Blavatsky, "that I never meant this for a
scientific work. My letters to the Russian Messenger, under the general
title: 'From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan,' were written in
leisure moments, more for amusement than with any serious design.
"Broadly speaking, the facts and incidents are true; but I have freely
availed myself of an author's privilege to group, colour, and dramatize
them, whenever this seemed necessary to the full artistic effect;
though, as I say, much of the book is exactly true, l would rather claim
kindly judgment for it, as a romance of travel, than incur the critical
risks that haunt an avowedly serious work."
To this caution of the author's, the translator must add another; these
letters, as Mme Blavatsky says, were written in leisure moments, during
1879 and 1880, for the pages of the Russki Vyestnik, then edited by M.
Katkoff. Mme. Blavatsky's manuscript was often incorrect; often obscure.
The Russian compositors, though they did their best to render faithfully
the Indian names and places, often produced, through their ignorance of
Oriental tongues, forms which are strange, and sometimes unrecognizable.
The proof-sheets were never corrected by the author, who was then in
India; and, in consequence, it has been impossible to restore all the
local and personal names to their proper form.
A similar difficulty has arisen with reference to quotations and
cited authorities, all of which have gone through a double process of
refraction: first into Russian, then into English. The translator, also
a Russian, and far from perfectly acquainted with English, cannot
claim to possess the erudition necessary to verify and restore the many
quotations to verbal accuracy; all that is hoped is that, by a careful
rendering, the correct sense has been preserved.
The translator begs the indulgence of English readers for all
imperfections of style and language; in the words of the Sanskrit
proverb: "Who is to be blamed, if success be not reached after due
effort?"
The translator's best thanks are due to Mr. John C. Staples, for
valuable help in the early chapters.--London, July, 1892