To Miss Josephine MacLeod
GOPAL LAL VILLA, BENARAS CANTONMENT
7th Feb. 1902.
MY DEAR JOE —
We have safely reached Benaras, and Mr. Okakura [Kakuzo] has already done Benaras. He goes to see Sarnath (the old Buddhistic place) today and starts on his tour tomorrow.
He has asked Niranjan [Swami Niranjanananda] to accompany him and he has consented.
Kanay [Nirbhayananda] has supplied him with everything he asked for — and he asks me also to send you the accounts. This, on the other page.
I hope Nivedita and Mrs. [Ole] Bull have safely arrived. I am rather better than at Buddha Gaya. This house is nice — well furnished and has a good many rooms and parlours. There is a big garden all round and beautiful roses — and gigantic trees. It is rather cooler here than at Gaya. There was no hitch to our friends being admitted into the chief temple and [allowed to] touch the Sign of Shiva and to worship. The Buddhists, it seems, are always admitted.
With all love and welcome to Mrs. Bull and Nivedita — if they have arrived — and all to you,
VIVEKANANDA
[Enclosed in the above letter was the following accounts list.]
4TH FEBRUARY 1902. Rs 100
Rs. As. P.1
Train hire from Gaya to Benares 20 4 0
Cab hire 5 0 0
Tel message 2 0 0
Refreshment Room (Morning) 1 8 0
Cooly hire Gaya 0 10 0
Tobacco etc. 0 5 0
Refreshment Room (Evening) 2 0 3
Cooly hire (at Benares) 1 1 0
Cab hire at Benares 1 10 0
——————————————————
Total 34 6 3
5TH FEBRUARY
Paid to Medicine for Mr. K. Okakura 1 8 0
” [Ditto] Oatmeal & corn — flour 1 4 0
” Tobacco etc. 0 6 3
” Bread etc. 0 2 0
Paid to Barber 0 3 0
” Fish 0 7 6
—————————————————
Total 3 14 9
—————————————————
6TH FEBRUARY 1902
Pickles 1 0 0
Sweetmeats 0 9 0
Carriage hire 1 8 0
Priests of Vishvanath etc. 10 4 0
————————————————
Total 13 5 0
————————————————
Things purchased for store at
Gopal Lal Villa before Swamiji’s arrival 17 11 9
————————————————
Total 69 5 9
Paid to Expenses from Calcutta to Buddh—
Gaya 30 10 3
————————————————
Rs. 100 0 0
(“P.” stands for pie-s, twelve of them making one Anna (As.) and sixteen annas making one rupee (Rs.).)
- ^“P.” stands for pie-s, twelve of them making one Anna (As.) and sixteen annas making one rupee (Rs.).