Great Eastern Hotel, Calcutta. - Reached Calcutta last Friday and will stay for at least another week, before going to Darjeeling for a couple of nights then on to Madras; they may stay at Puri for two nights. Thinks they will leave Ceylon for Java by the boat on 7 February; discusses the best place to address further letters. His mother's letter has only just reached him; is glad Bessie and Julian are so well. He and Dickinson are both well, having a 'very interesting time' at Calcutta and meeting some 'quite interesting Bengalis'. It has been 'quite tiring', and he is glad to be getting into the country tonight to see the Tagores' school. The Bengalis are 'a much more civilized people than the other Northern Indians' or at least it is only here they have found 'some really intellectual society', at which the Tagores and their family are at the centre; 'various Chaudhuris and Dr Bose, an eminent scientist... are all relations or friends of the Tagores'. Has been 'disappointed in the paintings of the two Tagore painters [Abanindranath and Gaganendranath]' but they are very nice people; has made friends with 'a poetess, a widow' [Priyamvada Devi?]; some of her poems, which she translates, are 'quite good, though not so remarkable as her relative [Rabindranath] Tagore's'. Dr [Jagadish Chandra?] Bose has showed them his experiments proving 'that plants have heart-beats and a circulation of sap', and took them for a row on the Hoogly [river]. Visited Gaya on the way here and saw where Buddha 'attained enlightenment'; the temple had been 'spoiled, but some fine sculpture was left'. The 'attempted assassination' [on the Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge] is 'very unfortunate', but should not make any difference to the government's general polity; does not think there is 'any general discontent just now, certainly less than a few years ago'.
