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.

Chumbi Valley Monday 2-05-1904

My dear Delia

We have arrived back here once more and I can scarcely tell you how grand it is to be stationary and in a warmer clime. The continual "pitching tents" and "starting" days, every day for days together is no joke - especially under the conditions we have been experiencing. I think I wrote to you from Tuna on Sunday last and I hope you will receive it by the mail leaving last Saturday. A couple of days ago I packed up a box of loot I procured on the advance to Gyantsee. Some I picked up myself and some I bought from the native troops who had fewer qualms of despoiling the dead than I had. The larger objects - such as guns and sword - I will have to bring home myself, I think - as even the carriage of the small box cost 10/ 6d. I have labelled everything so that you may see what they are. The earrings I bought for RS 15/- but I expect the pearl is worth this - excluding the turquoise stone. You might send something to No19 as a memento from me. I am glad you were so pleased with the photos. I will send a few more this week. I've received all your letters safely but of course very late, as we had practically no post on the way to Gyantsee. There is no definite plans as to how long we remain here before our next advance the government has not sanctioned our advance to Lhassa yet. We have heard that we shall remain about a month however. You must tell my correspondents - like Miss Bull and May Stevenson, etc - that it has been impossible to answer their letters yet but I hope to very shortly. The Curios I have sent are mostly of little value as the Tibetans are so poor that they don't own anything worth more than a few rupees - however as they came from Tibet this itself renders them unique. Will you enquire from Holt whether they have received any dividends from my shares lately - as except for one paper for £5 sent to me for my signature, I have heard nothing from them - and I am wondering if you must produce my shares on my behalf - in other words apply for the bonus or interest personally - before the different companies send the half yearly bonuses. Also is my Insurance Premium paid. How much balance have I in their hands. If you are anywhere near Whitehall I wish you would look in and interview them. Much love dear Delia, I hope the Youngsters are flourishing. I am very fit and well though I regret to say that I had to send down my servant to India as the advance to Gyantsee absolutely broke him up.

Your affectionate brother Cecile.

PS: The £5 14/- 6d was from the French Exploration Co.

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.

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.