Chumbi October 20th 1904

My dear Delia,

Well at last we have got back safely to Chumbi. We were fortunately the first column so did not meet with the snow blizzard between Phari and Tuna which the second column experienced however we received the snow in camp here. The night we arrived it began to rain and at 11pm when all were asleep turned in to snow. We slept unconsciously until the weight of the snow brought down our tents and there was everyone of us suffocated by the weight of the snow on our chests and then there was the dreadful ordeal of having to crawl out in to the blizzard and try to erect our tents again - as the poles were mostly broken this was an impossibility and several men had to walk about all night.

Of course everything in the tent became wet and it was impossible to dry anything as it continued to pour all next day and the camp was running in slush and water - one got soaked every time one left the tent and could not even reach the Battery for one's meals. However with a tin of biscuits and soup made out of a Soup Tablet I managed to survive the day. All of us agreed that it was the worst day that all of us had ever spent. This was how Chumbi greeted us. It finished off an Enteric case who had been lingering here for the last four months, a Fusilier whom I left behind when we advanced. Poor fellow we buried him yesterday

We march again the day after tomorrow on our last march to Silingor where we arrive on the 30th. I tried to write to you yesterday 'Sailing December 15th' as this would also mean that I have arrived here safely but the snow has brought down the telegraph wires and we are cut off from India. The march from Gyantsee was fairly comfortable except for the early mornings when we occasionally had 25 degrees frost. I am much looking forward to my leave until I am back - if I get it. There is much to do after arriving at Calcutta, demobilising the hospital, handing in my equipment and squaring up the business but after a few days I should be able to get off. I am wondering what my kit stored for the last year at Kings my agent in Calcutta will look like - I hope they have not all been eaten up by white ants.

I received another English mail yesterday, letters from Lady Hapwood. Bertie, I am sorry to hear that you have received so few letters from me while at Lhassa - it is quite possible they have been stolen for the stamps because I wrote dozens of letters while I was there. It is bad news to hear that things on the Stock Exchange are as bad as ever. B tells me that he has already sent you £20 - as his share of the rent for the next year - and I will send you my £20 directly I have arrived in India and have time to look about and unpack. You might like to tell Grandma that her cheque for £10 will arrive the end of the month. A week before I left Lhassa I sent you £2 for a certain purpose. I hope this letter has not been stolen - It was a cheque an 19th September. Your letter received yesterday spoke of your good time at Waybridge on Holt where you were staying. You mustn't worry too much about the illnesses of the youngsters - babies are often ailing but pick up again rapidly.

Well no more I am very fit. Much love to all

Your affectionate brother

Cecil Wilmot Mainprise.

Phari Fort 26-03-1904

My dear Delia,

Just a line, We left Chumbi on the 24th and though the night before we left we had a snowstorm since them we have had splendid weather. The three-day march has been accomplished very quickly though in the early mornings it was bitterly cold and the ice in the paths made the riding sometimes very dangerous. However "Ping-tang" the pony carried me along very well and I have not been overtaken by any mountain sickness which generally seizes first coming in to Phari as we are 3,000 foot higher than Chumbi Valley.

We arrived yesterday about 1pm and I had a good lunch with the Battery who arrived before the hospital. In the afternoon all Officers commanding Units had to go and see the General - to learn what they had to do and what Transport would be allotted them. He has given my hospital three more mules so I shall travel more comfortably now. This morning at 9.30 am the General held a review of the whole advancing party - and put us through certain movements in case of attack at night. We of course the hospital are in the Centre and our place is between the Battery and the Guns under Lieutenant Luke RA - we are just behind the General and the Staff and in front of the Native Field Hospital so that if we are attacked and the General falls he will be popped in to our hospital before he can say "knife".

The order "form Square" was given and I gave the order to unload our Medicine Panniers from the mules - and we got everything ready to treat Wounded. On the "advance being given we all loaded up and went on again. I told the OC Battery to send me a man to cut up - but unfortunately he forgot all about it. We receive our final orders this afternoon and we start for Tuna tomorrow morning. We shall wait at Tuna for a few days and then start straight for Gyantsee and it is after Tuna we expect fighting as the Tibetans have assembled at Guru 16 miles from Tuna. Goodbye no time to write more as I have a lot of work to do, hoping you are all well.

Your affectionate brother C Wilmot Mainprise.

Editors Note: Photograph The Tibet Album. "Phari Dzong" 05 Dec. 2006. The British Museum. Accessed 26 Mar. 2009 . For more information about photographic usage or to order prints, please visit the The British Museum.

Tibet 20-3-1904

My dear Delia,

In my letter to Bertie which he will forward by the same mail as this - I talk of our advance tomorrow to Gyantsee but unfortunately this advance has again been postponed. Rumour has it that some Chinese "Amban" is shortly arriving at Tuna to treat with the Mission there. But this probably all "rot" and if he does arrive nothing will come of it except delay to our advance.

I am so sorry you received no letters from us last mail but I think the fault lies with B as I seem to be always writing letters. Your sweater has arrived and am delighted with it, "it is just the very thing I wanted". Do you remember our Christmas presents? Talking apart I am so glad to have it and very many thanks - dear Delia - for sending it.

You talk also of socks, handkerchiefs - be arriving and these also will be much appreciated - as these are luxuries indeed up here. You say March 20th as the probable date of arrival so I can begin to look out for them now. Don't worry about my letters - send them to anyone you please - only you had better send someone along to read them to the various people!!! I wrote to the Cousins a few weeks ago - so I expect you will hear of this from them. Bertie is sending along by this mail several amateur photos given to me - I hope you will like them. They are all I have got so please keep them carefully - Send them down to No 19. Please tell dear Daisy Bull I received her letter safely but she mustn't expect a letter from me until next mail.

This is for her.

With much love to all

Your affectionate brother

Cecil

Editor's note: Photograph of man and woman travelling on horseback in the Chumbi Valley is believed to have been taken by Sir Charles Bell between 1904-1922. For more historic photos of Tibet visit the The Tibet Album.

Chumbi Tibet. 19-02-1904

My dear Bertie

Thanks for the letter received yesterday and also for the cigarettes that arrived this morning. I am delighted to have them as the ones I got from the stores - "an Egyptian blend" I do not care for very much. Yours are beauties - I remember from a Tin you sent me over before. Yours are Capstans.

We are very quiet here, the General and Staff have returned from Tuna where they thought there might be some fighting but nothing happened. For the last three days we have had snow but not enough to worry one - though we have had to beat it off our tents to prevent them coming down. My house has become very leaky as it not asdfasd and rainproof. Still it is not very cold and when it is snowing the wind ceases to blow, which is a great blessing.

I am including a cutting from one of the papers, which you might read and afterwards send on to Delia. The Calcutta papers, "The Englishmen" and "The Statesmen" both of whose correspondents are here both give very good accounts of expedition and if you see anything interesting in the "Pioneer" you might cut them out and send them to Delia. I see plenty of papers but as they don't belong to me I cannot mutilate them.

Every night I make up a Bridge party and everyone is delighted to come and play a few rubbers as my house is very warm and comfortable and time passes rapidly until bedtime. We had just finished last night when one of my sergeants rushed in to say that a Tibetan Dooly* bearer was lying outside with his throat cut. I found the man lying in the snow unconscious and bleeding from several cuts in his neck . However when I had taken him in to the surgery and examined him I found that the wounds were not very deep and I think he will recover.

Our troubles here are well shown in this case it was that it was so late (11.30pm) that I had no warm water and I had to use frozen water - and carbolic acid was also frozen and when I had only washed the wound for a few minutes my own hands were so frozen I could feel nothing. However I took the man in to my hut and kept him before the fire all night. The next morning handed him over to the NF Hospital. He had been attacked by one of my own Tibetans (they were all drunk, being their New Year's Day - Feb 18) but at the Court of Enquiry yesterday at which I was a witness, practically no evidence could be extracted from other Tibetans as to how it happened.

I was very pleased to hear about the ponies. I expect you want a stronger bit for Kitty and her head kept lower. She used to be so handy that Hoare at Fatahynah offered me R500/- for her to play in the Polo Tournament at Hainital where there is a very small ground and afterwards to sell her to me again for R400/- - my original price. Of course I would not take it as he rode R1000/- - R1200/- ponies himself - being a heavyweight - and what was R100/- to me with the chance of Kitty being damaged. On his side it would have been a tremendous bargain, as he knew Kitty had often played there and knew the ground.

I received my mail letters from Delia this morning - she is greatly worried over her Servants - the nurse has gone sick and the housemaid wants a holiday!!! Poor Delia. The servant question here is no mean difficulty. Most of the servants after coming a few marches - ran away - and I don't blame them - it is hardly worth dying of pneumonia or losing most of your Toes or Fingers from frostbite for the sake of any extra R5/- 10/ per mensam. My Servant does me well except on a few occasions when to cheer himself up he drinks a bottle of native liquor and is incapable for 24 hours. Still I don't worry him as his joys are very few and far between up here.

My boss is still away and I am running the show. The Madras Sappers have not improved yet but I don't think the General likes to send them down as they have certainly done good work. Sheppard arrived here from Guntak yesterday to see the General and today the General goes with him to Guntak on Inspection Duty. We are all here very interested in the Russo Japanese war but our news is somewhat late. How well the Japs are doing the Russians will have no time to give to us!! Well so long - much love, send this on to Delia.

Your Affectionate Brother

Cecil

PS: I have had some photos taken of the Hospital Camp and also a group of the personnel. I have sent the films down to Calcutta to be developed. They are very good and when they arrive I will send them along.

Editor’ Note: Doolie* is a kind of litter suspended from men's shoulders, for carrying persons or things; a palanquin.

Chumbi Valley, 11-01-1903

My Dear Delia,

Here we are at the headquarters of the Mission after some of the coldest and harshest marches it is possible to conceive. I hope Bertie has sent on to you my letter written at Kupapp just before we were about to cross the pass. Except for the bitterness of the wind and rarification of air, which causes some people an intense headache - with nausea and sickness - there was nothing remarkable about the Pass. No snow had fallen and everything was very easy. I was able to ride up but on the other side there is practically no road and one had to scramble down for about 6 miles as best as one could.

That evening I found only about half of my warm socks left in my boots. Two marches after leaving the Pass we arrived here and found orders to remain here until the Headquarters Staff returned from a flying Column Expedition in a few days time when we shall pick up our Battery. It is all nonsense saying the Valley here is warm and sunny and well cultivated. It is very bleak and barren, a nasty cold dusty wind blows all day and it freezes all day long. Even in the sun during the day it is freezing and consequently one is always wrapped up. At night I only take off my coat and boots and sleep in my clothes and a warm cap and gloves. It is the only way to keep fairly warm.

We passed through some Tibetan villages after the Pass but all the houses look incomplete - no doors or windows - and as if they were being pulled down. Except for their Chinese characters there was nothing remarkable about them. I understand that we are all shortly to leave this Camp and go on to a Camp in the Valley about miles from here. Here the General proposes to winter - what he intends to do when the snow comes I can't imagine as Tents won't stand snow but collapse unless one goes out every hour and removes snow off the flaps.

One doesn't care to smoke or drink here but everyone eats heartily one's rations from the Commissariat, - Meat Tea Bread Sugar Potatoes, Rice - brought up some stores but they are rapidly disappearing.

I don't think there is much prospect of fighting although yesterday we heard At Phari Tong - one of the 8th Gurkha officers had been struck on the head with a stone and his rifle and ammunition seized.

I am very fit indeed but shall thoroughly enjoy Civilisation again as all of us say. My dog Pincher has suffered in the cold and I think now will be all right. He sleeps with me and doesn't go out expect when the sun is up.

I received your mail letter safely in and you had already heard of my setting off. And Daisy was with you and also wrote to me 8th-12-03. I have been so sorry to hear of Tim's eyes and really think he ought to see an oculist as they have been bad for so long now. Has he tried Yellow Oxide of Mercury Ointment - "Golden Ointment" this is a splendid remedy for most eyes after washing with Boracic lotion. Very many thanks for the photo of yourself and the Children. I think it is capital of you all and the Children look "very pretty" and sweet.

My hands are so "cracked" and "sprayed" I cant write any more - please thank Laura - May Stevenson, Mrs Stevenson, Ralph - No 19 for their Christmas letters - when I can, I will answer them but there is only about two hours in the day when one can write and then I have my office work.

Much love Dear Delia

Yours affectionately Brother Cecil

Runypo, Monday 30-12-04

My dear Bertie,

A happy New Year to you and very many of them. Yesterday a word came from Headquarters saying that the British Field Hospital was urgently required in the Chumbi, and as mules were arriving here tomorrow we are to start the day after tomorrow - New Years Day - so this will be the last letter from Runypo.

I sent off your revolver some days ago now so I hope you have received it all right. I forgot to tell you I am keeping the leather wallet for cartridges as I forgot to bring mine. I hope you have not been on at the Post Office for losing it.

I had on the whole a very fair Christmas day. There were four of us making merry at the Dake Bungalow and afterwards we ended up at the Sergeants' Mess where we sang songs around the Campfire. I had a splendid Day on the 25th and 26th -letters, cards, almanacs and books from Delia, Tim, Grandma, Daisy, Amy Lilly, Laura, Mrs Casey, Mrs Stephenson, Lady Hapwood, and letters from pals out here. I don't think I have ever done so well. Did you hear from Mrs Young of Fatakyark? I expect so. I received your letters - one on Christmas day and one that had wandered up to the Chumbi two days ago.

I am glad to hear that you have gone away for Christmas and I hope that you have had a good time. I have only seen Captain Sheppard of the 3rd Company of Sappers & Miners as they had all gone on to Guntak before I arrived here. I will look out for Haswell and the other fellows that you mention.

We shall be days getting to the Chumbi Valley, four days to Gnatong and on from there. I see they have twenty degrees of frost - though I am exceptionally fit and taking 12-15 mile walks every day to get fit and relieve your so-called corporation. It is not at all cold here yet. Much warmer than this time at home. Thanks for your offer to send me papers but up to now I have managed to see a paper nearly every day.

Yours

Cecil

Lipo Tuesday 16-12-1903

My Dear Delia,

I hope you received my last letter from here safely. We have been here for the last ten days and only yesterday received a telegram from headquarters in the Chumbi Valley ordering me to join the battery at Chumbi equipped with clothing. I at once wired back to say that we were fully equipped but could get no Transport as yet as all the mules had already been taken up to the Front however the transport officer here seems to think that he will soon be able to get transport and send us on. I should think that we will spend Christmas day at Chumbi with any luck.

Since writing to you last nothing of importance has occurred and every day has been much like another. I have been getting fit by going on marches everyday with the 8th Ghurkha. The officers are all very nice fellows and with whom I mess. The advance in to the Chumbi Valley from Gnatong which started on the 11th has apparently as yet been unopposed so I do not know why at last they have hurriedly sent for the Field Hospital. The Native Field Hospital here also has orders to move on to Gnatong.

I have not heard from Bertie for weeks though I have written several times to him. Letters addressed to the Field Hospital must reach me in time. I have received all your mail letters. I hope you will have had a happy Christmas by the time this reaches you. You got something for Sheilagh and for the Godchild out of the £1 I sent you last mail. How is the Stock Exchange now, is business any better there? I do hope it is and that you are not so anxious as you were. It must be very disappointing to be willing and keen for work and yet find none to do. Please remember me to Tim and wish him all the best of good luck in the New Year. I expect this show will be rather a long one and that I shall be lucky if I get home next year even - the last Sikkim show lasted 16 months. Much love dear Delia and the Brightest of New Years.

You Affectionate Brother

Cecil Mainprise.