i88a.] 
Occultism Reconsidered . 
445 
knowledge of the guests, chose these particular cups, which 
were taken from amidst other sets. Besides, there are two 
roads from Simla to the final destination of the party. 
Neither Madame Blavatsky nor Col. Olcott had any share 
in the selection of the one actually taken, and had the other 
been chosen the party would never have picnicked at that 
particular spot. Hence, as the fadts are presented, the 
second supposition seems inadmissible, and there remains 
only the third, startling as it admittedly is. It should be 
mentioned, as Mr. Sinnett candidly admits, that Mr. X, who 
dug up the cup, afterwards changed his opinion asto the 
satisfactory character of the occurrence, and argued that 
the cup and saucer might have been thrust into their 
places by means of a tunnel cut from a lower part of the 
bank. 
A variety of other feats are recorded, for which we must 
refer to Mr. Sinnett’s book. The Brothers were further 
petitioned to give some demonstration of their powers which 
should be utterly incontrovertible, such as to produce in 
India a copy of the London “ Times ” of that day’s date. 
Root Hoomi, however, pronounced this test inadmissible, 
precisely because it would close the mouths of the sceptics. 
Says he — “ What are they to expeCt who would offer the 
world an innovation which, owing to human ignorance, if 
believed in will surely be attributed to those dark agencies 
that two-thirds of humanity believe in and dread as yet. . . . 
What, then, would be the result of the most astounding 
phenomena supposing we consented to have them produced? 
However successful, danger would be growing proportion- 
ately with success. Test after test would be required, and 
would have to be furnished. Your daily remark is that one 
cannot be expected to believe unless he becomes an eye- 
witness. Would the lifetime of a man suffice to satisfy the 
whole world of sceptics, &c.” We fully admit that there is 
a certain force in this reasoning, and we warmly appreciate 
the spirit of the following passage; — “ The public safety is 
only ensured by our keeping secret the terrible weapons 
which might otherwise be used against it.” 
But it seems not to have struck Mr. Sinnett that there are 
tests of another order far more convincing than “ feats,” 
incapable of being mistaken for jugglery, not calculated to 
arouse popular superstition, not requiring to be seen in order 
to convince, and which would at once decide whether or no 
“ occultism has been carried in the domain of physical 
science far beyond the point which we have reached,” 
