He

and enterprise characteristic of all his public labors. visited the public buildings, the religious temples, dined twice with the Duke of Buckingham at the Government House, and was also one of an invited party that dined with the Viceroy of India, Lord Lytton. While visiting Madras, he discussed with the Governor the best and most efficacious methods for the relieving of the distressed and dying. He met several distinguished Brahmins and Mohammedans, high in authority, from the interior of India. He also traveled off into the interior, studying the characteristics of some of the hill tribes of the country, witnessed the effect of their psychological influences, saw them cast out demons, saw them entranced by higher and lower spiritual intelligences, and psychologised several subjects himself. Taken as a whole, Mr. Peebles declares he has never met a class of people so subject to biological or psychological influences as the Hindoos. The secretary of the Princess of Travancore procured for him the genuine soma vine, and other prominent Hindoos prepared for him such incense mixtures as they burn in their temples and their houses for certain purposes.

Mr. Peebles thinks it greatly to his advantage that he was an American and a Spiritualist, for, as he said to us in conversation, the Hindoos look upon Englishmen as bullying, beef-eating intruders in their country, who come either to gratify an idle curiosity or to fill their purses, and then return home to enjoy their hoarded gains. The real mediumistic seers take all possible means to keep their secrets and their esoteric knowledge and spiritual illuminations from Englishmen and Christian missionaries.

He brought with him from India, relics, old manuscripts, figures, and diagrams of their mysteries, and other matters relating to antiquity, which he will probably use in future volumes.

There being no steamship communication between Southern India and South Africa, he embarked on board the sailing ship Suffolk," carrying 450 Tamil coolies from Madras and adjoining regions to Natal, South Africa. This, in consequence

66

of the crowded conditions of the ship and the intense heat, was a disagreeable passage. Arriving at Durban, the seaport city of Natal, Mr. Peebles lectured upon the Indian famine, and nearly $5,000 was raised at once and forwarded to the Governor of Madras. He also lectured in the Council Chamber upon Spiritualism, the Mayor of the city presiding; and as a sample of liberality it may be said that a vote of thanks to the speaker was proposed by the Mayor himself and carried unanimously. This speaks well for the liberalism in Natal Colony. While in Natal our traveler went back into the country among the Kafirs, Zulus, and other African tribes. He also saw some specimens of bushmen and other natives, and studied their manners, customs, laws, and peculiar characteristics.

A fine steamer, after a six days' passage, landed him in Cape Town, South Africa. Immediately after his arrival he commenced a course of lectures on Spiritualism in the Athenæum Hall, built for this purpose by the energetic and enthusiastic Dr. Berks T. Hutchinson. This faithful worker had prepared to some extent the ground by the distribution of papers, pamphlets, and books, which he had scattered broadcast in the city and Southern Africa. Mr. Peebles lectured four times per week during his several weeks' stay in Southern Africa, and the Athenæum Hall was crowded each Sunday evening. This course of lectures being the first upon Spiritualism given in Cape Colony, they elicited a great deal of controversy and newspaper correspondence. While in the land of diamond digging and ostrich farming he visited the scenery, studied the peculiarities of the natives, and acquainted himself so far as possible with the resources and productions of that great and rapidly-improving country. He likewise gave considerable attention to the ostrich farms, and was the first to suggest through the New York Herald the feasibility of this branch of industry in Southern California.

In addition to the large book of travels already referred to, Mr. Peebles had in manuscript the rich results of his second voyage, and proposed to complete the data for another

large volume by a third voyage around the world. But with the burning of his sanitarium in San Antonio, in 1894, these manuscripts together with his magnificent library went up in smoke. The third voyage, however, is still in prospect on the very eve of its fulfillment and its purpose is to gather data for a forthcoming volume which will probably be the crowning labor of this indefatigable worker's life.

Upon his return to Boston from his second voyage, the editor of the Banner of Light gave Mr. Peebles a magnificent reception at one of the leading hotels, on which occasion Mr. John Day rendered a beautiful original poem in honor of his return from his extensive travels.

"Man is all symmetry;

Full of proportions, one limb to another,
And to all the world besides,

Each part may call the farthest, brother,
For head with foot hath private amity,
And both with moons and tides."

XXXIX

PROFESSIONAL, OFFICIAL, AND LITERARY

"What artist would not grieve to see
His brother paint as well as he?"

"The spirit of the years to come,

Yearning to mix itself with life."

After the return of Mr. Peebles from his second voyage around the world, in 1878, he began to devote a large portion of his time to professional studies and medical practice. He had, while yet a young man, studied medicine under Dr. O. Martin, one of the most distinguished physicians and surgeons in the New England States. His early medical education was "regular" or alopathic. After attending the prescribed course of medical lectures, he graduated from the Philadelphia (Pa.) University of Medicine and Surgery, and registered at once in Philadelphia as a practicing physician. He also received a certificate of practice from the University Hospital of Philadelphia Polyclinic College for graduates only. He likewise holds several honorary diplomas, and is a member of State and national medical associations. So we shall henceforth make free use of the designation "Doctor" in connection with his

name.

It seems an unusual share of public honors have been showered upon Dr. Peebles, but he has richly earned them all. Besides his appointment by President Grant as U. S. Consul to Trebizond in 1869, his participation in the "Northwest Congressional Indian Peace Commission" in 1868, and his participation in the "International Peace Congress," of Europe, he was likewise made a fellow in the Academy of Science, New Orleans, La.; a fellow of the Anthropological Society of London; an honorary member and fellow of the Psychological

Association, London; a fellow of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, Naples, Italy; a fellow of the American Akademe, Jacksonville, Ill.; a member of the International Climatological Association; a member of the National Hygiene and Health Association; a member of the American Institute of Christian Philosophy; a member of the Victoria Institute and Philosophical Society, of Great Britain.

These honors and fellowships were conferred upon the Doctor without his asking, and hence are more highly appreciated. To this day he does not know in London who presented his name to that quite aristocratic Victoria Institute, for election, the members of which are said to constitute the most learned body of men in the world. His name was presented to the Psychological Institute by W. Stainton Moses, M. A., Oxon, without his knowledge, as the following personal letter will testify:

"UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON, Feb. 8, 1878.

"MY DEAR DR. PEEBLES:

Last evening at the council meeting of the Psychological Society of Great Britain, I did myself the pleasure of proposing your election as a corresponding member of the Society. That proposal was carried unanimously, and I have the further pleasure of announcing the fact to you. There was a general feeling that you could give us some valuable and interesting facts as to psychology in the East, and I ventured to say that, from what I knew of your cheerful readiness to oblige, you would comply. The difficulty was that there was no time to communicate with you, as it was necessary to announce a paper

at once.

"Under these circumstances I accepted the responsibility of advising that a paper on another subject should be given out, and a provisional announcement made that 'we had hoped to have a paper from Dr. Peebles either next meeting, February 21, or on a subsequent occasion, on the Psychology of the East,' in which case the announced paper will be withdrawn. "If you can give us a speech such as you gave at the Soirie,