Published by The Blavatsky Archives Online. Online Edition copyright 2000.
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First S.P.R. Report on H.P.B.APPENDIX XXIX.
The remarks we have already made about Appendix XXVI. apply here.
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“Hints,” p. 106.
Statement of BAL NILAJI PITALE, a Brahmin.
It was at Girgaum, and at night, in Colonel Olcott’s room. On this occasion the Naib Dewan of Cochin was present. A very interesting conversation was going on about the material advancement of the people, spiritual science, &c. During the conversation, the Dewan asked for Madame Blavatsky’s card. She said that she had only one by her then, but he asked for another --- one brought to him in a phenomenal way. In the meantime something fluttered on the wall about two feet from the ceiling --- which was about 15 feet high --- and an oblong piece of paper was seen to drop on Colonel Olcott’s table. It turned out to be a fac-simile of the card given to the Dewan. The third time I saw a phenomenon was at the Crow’s Nest Bungalow at Breach Candy. One of the members of the Society had brought with him a medium. He is one of the graduates in medicine of the local University.. He has been lately practising mesmerism, and wished to show Madame Blavatsky how far he had advanced in his studies. While the experiments were going on, Madame Blavatsky asked the operator to ask his subject, who was in a partially clairvoyant condition, when she would receive a letter from Ceylon that she expected. The answer given was that she would not receive it when expected. She then asked the company, numbering about 17 persons, to stand up and form a circle, clasping each other’s hands. This was done immediately. But lo! in the twinkling of an eye a piece of paper fluttered in the air, visible about three feet from the ceiling, and then slantingly dropped on the floor. The paper turned out to be a letter from Ceylon enclosed in an envelope addressed to her in red ink. The reason why the persons were asked to form themselves in a circle and clasp each other’s hands was that nobody should afterwards insinuate that it was thrown by any one composing the group. The impression that is left on my mind after beholding these phenomena is that they were bona fide scientific experiments.
“BAL NILAJI PITALE.
“Bombay, 14th February, 1882.”
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