Chumbi Valley 09-06-1904

My dear Delia

We have at last received our orders and I start with the first Column from here on Sunday the 12th inst. We are altogether a fairly large force, a Wing of the Royal Fusiliers, a Native Mountain Mountain Battery 2 sections of the British M Battery, 4 Companies of the 40th Pathans, 2 companies 32nd Pioneers, two section Northern Field Hospital, Ammunition Column ready.

I don't know when I will be able to write again but will take up some postcards so that I can scribble a line occasionally. I received your long letter yesterday, also one from the Olivers. Strange to say I have a cousin of Bertie's friend Tillard in the hospital with pleurisy - Captain Tillard of the Sta Corp - who used to be Station Staff Officer at Hainital but here is in charge of a Yak Corps. I think he will have to be invalided to India.

I am glad you were able to after Arthur and Ada so well. I see Amy had not arrived on her visit yet so my £2 will come in useful for her ticket from Plymouth. This morning I sold my pony which I have used so far - to the Mounted Infantry, and for the money bought a much looking animal which I think will do me even better on the advance.

The account I wrote for the RAMC Journal has had to go up to the Headquarters for sanction for publication and I don't know when I shall get it back again. I think I have everything ready for the Advance. I am to mess with the Battery again - but in case I am stranded I have a fair quantity of stores myself. I have kept your savoury lozenges and chocolate - and they also will come in useful. Your socks and handkerchiefs have been excellent - a great addition to my wardrobe. I am now very well supplied with clothes and cannot very well take a chill - though from a Sick Convoy that came in this afternoon, I heard that it is still very cold and windy above.

Pincher is very fit and coming along too. I think if I get him safely back from Lhassa - I must try and get him home as the only British dog who has been to Lhassa. I am delighted to hear that the youngsters are so well. I hope you manage to arrange your trip to Clifton Villa with Miss Wood - she certainly did us very well indeed. Well dear Delia, much love, don't worry about me, when you receive this I shall be the other side of Gyantsee about 30 miles from Lhassa. I hope - if there is not much fighting at G - I think the enemy will give up the Fort directly they hear such a large force is approaching.

Your Affectionate Brother

Cecil

Chumbi Valley, Sunday 8-05-1904

My dear Delia

We have been very excited to hear the news from Gyantsee during the last two days. First the night attack on the Mission whilst all the troops except 200 Pioneers were away reconnoitring, in which 200 Tibetans were again killed and our casualties - two men killed - and this morning we heard of the fight of Colonel Branden's Column - his was the column away from Gyantsee at the time of the night attack - with the death of poor Captain Bath, our first officer killed.

We have very little definite news here - only a note from the General to the Regiment, the 32nd Pioneers, 12/1ed 14 mules carrying this two months Parcel Post - so the poor garrison at G have no luxuries of any kind. I told you the Battery had gone from here to G last Sunday and now we are waiting for the Royal Fusiliers and the rest of the Battery and other Reinforcements to arrive before we advance - about June 12th so the General here says.

I am having a nice slack time of it here - I find the new Mess run by the 32nd Pioneers here very comfortable and very good feeding - we even indulge occasionally in a Whisky and glass of Port so I can't complain, can I. However on the advance, messing is precarious and everyone has to look after themselves so this morning I ordered up from the stores in Calcutta about R50/- worth of stores as Emergency Rations unless I find myself messing alone. One never knows - I thought my hospital would have kept with the Battery and yet there it was ordered off at a moment's notice and the Hospital left behind to bring up the rest of the European troops. This time I am to take up the whole of my Hospital which will be much nicer. Another Section of a British Field Hospital has been ordered up but we are to go on again and the other hospital takes our place here.

I heard from Bertie 3 days ago - but only a line saying he had no luck and including a letter from you - not the copy about Willie. I will send off by return a cheque for £5 for your birthday present. Many Many Happy returns of the day. I hope you will have a very Happy birthday and mind you get a nice present for yourself and you and Tim have a "bust up" somewhere - a Theatre or a Dinner at the "Carlton" or elsewhere. This is not for the household expenses - have noted what you have spent of dear Mothers money and won't forget it. Much love dear Delia I am very fit and well.

Your affectionate brother Cecil.

PS: I am sending three very poor photos taken by a novice; I will send good ones from Gyantsee later.

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.

Salu, 3 days march from Gyantsee 17-04-1904

My dear Delia,

I wrote to you and Beatrice two days after the fight of Guru and yesterday I also wrote a long letter to Bertie to be forwarded to you. Directly I had written it and sent it off, I received a letter from him saying he was going to Kashmir on the 11th so I am afraid this will delay my letter reaching you.

We are now ten days march from Chumbi and three days from Gyantsee. Yesterday our Mounted Infantry went to reconnoitre a village - were fired upon but no casualties incurred. We returned the Tibetan fire killing four and wounding five so we heard this morning. We expected some fighting today but the Tibetans have fled at our approach and are now said to be waiting for us 15 miles away. So we may expect some resistance the day after tomorrow.

The marching is very trying. Rising in the chilly morning at 6 am - marching 12-16 miles with transport which requires continual urging on - and then after arrival in camp having to pitch tents and make oneself comfortable. Again food is somewhat scarce and the lack of wood for fire does add to ones discomfort. However we take it all as a matter of course. No one grumbles.

I hope we don't get much more fighting as the Tibetans have absolutely no chance against us and we - the doctors - have all the trouble of looking after their wounded. In Bertie's letter I told him how both my patients, the press correspondent whose hand I amputated - and Major Dunlop - were progressing exceedingly well. I am thinking of "billing" the Daily Mail for £50 for looking after their Correspondent.

The country is now quite level between the hills and it seems as if we were marching along a huge water bed some 3-4 miles broad. We march in four columns and though I don't know our exact numbers we look a tremendous imposing force due to the number of followers, some 9,000, and innumerable mules and yaks as transportation. Though of fighting men I don't think we number more than 1,000 at the greatest estimates.

I am so sorry your nice parcel of luxuries - socks etc - has not reached me. I expect now I shall not get it until we return to Tuna - when I don't know. Several other parcels on the road I have also missed. Letters I have got quite safely - there is not sufficient transport to allow for parcel post. I hope you got my letters written yesterday to Bertie - 3 sheets - as it brings all news up to date -also the one describing the fight at Guru. However you will see all the news in the papers and I have kept up my diary.

Many thanks for all your mail letters which I have received safely - also the newspapers, the last about Barts Hospital and Mr Lowcey's death. I will not comment upon your letters as it only fills space and is not interesting to you. I received Daisy Bull's second letter - please tell her much love dear Delia.

Your affectionate brother

Cecil Mainprise.

Gyantsee, Monday 11-04-1904

My dear Delia,

Just a line as I hear a post comes in and goes out by Mounted Infantry early tomorrow morning. We only arrived here this evening at 5pm. Yesterday we had a very long day as the Tibetans opposed our advances from a high hill commanding a very narrow gorge through which we had to advance. It took some hours to dislodge them and I am sorry to say in the process they lost another 200 killed beside several hundred captured - our casualties were very slight. They were to have opposed us the day before on the 9th at a huge wall they had erected across a Valley but they fled during the night. We arrived here this evening (frozen) without opposition and we find that nearly everyone has fled from the town. There is a fort here held by a few men which we hope tomorrow morning they will hand this over to us without fighting. For the last 4 days we have been marching from 8am until about 6pm about so we are all rather tired. after our nine days march from Tuna and 15 days from Chumbi. There is a great chance I think of us going on to Lhassa as there is no one here of importance with whom the Mission can treat. It is warmer here a little but rather a desolate spot - not so nice as we had expected. Goodnight - too tired to write more - I am fit and well. Much love to all.

Your affectionate brother , Cecil.

Kalajumigi, 2 days march from Guari 6-04-1904

My dear Bertie

Another freezing afternoon and the wind and the dust blowing a regular gale. It is hard to keep ones tent standing. I last wrote to you from Tuna two days after the fight at Guari. On Monday last we left Tuna and are now five days march or 12 miles from Gyantsee. The first day we marched to Guari and had a look at the villages we had stormed, Though we had been burying Tibetans for three days there were still several lying about the place. We had already brought about 150 wounded in to Camp Tuna besides about 300 captives. Both of the villages were entirely deserted and there were any amount of loot in the way of rifles, swords ammunition pouches, every variety of garments, and bags and bags of gunpowder to be picked up. I have sent a few things down to Chumbi which I hope to pick up on my return - a good rifle, sword spear, ammunition, pouches and some smaller things.

We left Guari yesterday morning and had a 13-mile march to Chalu - a few stone huts in a barren plain - where we arrived at 3pm in a snowstorm. The march was along the side of a huge lake swarming with geese and ducks but we were not allowed to shoot on the line of march. After we got in a few geese were shot but the lake was frozen for some yards from the edge and was so huge that it was very difficult to retrieve the birds. We had a dreadful night as the wind kept up all night and this morning we found the ground covered with snow. I was up at 6am and breakfasted with the 7th Mounted Battery with whom I am messing at 6.30 am. The Hospital was packed up at 7.30 am and we marched at 8 am for this place - a short march, only 8 miles. There is another lake here swarming with birds. And there are only very few shotguns here. I have only a rifle - not much good.

There are about 1000 Tibetans, 16 miles from here - who say they are going to stand - but I doubt it - at all events this time we will not go up to them like we did at Guari. If they had only fired straight and low we should have lost very heavily indeed. Another regrettable incident!! I left the Daily Mail correspondent Candler doing very well after my amputation of his hand and treatment of his other serious wound. Major Wallace Dunlop - 23rd Pioneers - was also doing well. My Hospital was quite the centre of attention at Tuna after the fight as the other Hospitals only had the native wounded. Even the General and Colonel Younghusband had to come to me first before they could see the patients!!

It is absolutely impossible to keep clean here - at night one sleeps in ones clothes except for coat and boots and even then it is bitterly cold. My beard is now of ten days growth and - and Monkey Brand is not in it with me. My nose also has been sadly smitten by the wind and most of the skin is peeling off.

I haven't heard from you in some time. Letters are now brought up by Mounted Infantry from Tuna so send me a line. I received Julia's mail letters safely. I hope you have sent on those photos to her. When you send this on to her give her my love and say I am fit and sound - tell her I receive her papers safely. One writes under such discomfort even if one has time to write, which indeed one has not - if it is a long march - that I cannot do more than write to you and you send them on. It is an extraordinary sight - the miles and miles of hills and valleys - and not a vestige of anything growing. The lack of wood and often water except from a long distance does not add to ones discomfort as fires are out of the questions except for cooking purposes and then often composed of dung. My pony is carrying me well and I don't know how he does so well as his rations are often precarious. We have met only a few inhabitants in the various villages that we have passed through - most have fled - though if they remain they are absolutely safe as no one is allowed to be injured unless they fire on us.

When do you take your leave and for how long. How are Bunter and Kitty. Well so long old chap. Don't send any more cigarettes as the parcel post can't reach us here. I have several parcels now somewhere on the road including Delia's parcel containing some luxuries and your China socks.

Your affectionate brother,

C Wilmot Mainprise.

Tuna 2-04-1904

My dear Bertie,

We arrived here on Tuesday last and it is the dirtiest, windiest, dustiest, coldest place we have struck so far. I have started a beard and let everything slip. It is impossible to keep clean.

The day after we arrived we had all to strike tents early in the morning to make the enemy believe that we had gone back to Phari - all day up here without a tent is no joke. The next morning at 8.30 am we started out to attempt to drive the enemy from Guan where about 2,000 were strongly encamped. Guan is distant about 7 miles from here. When we got about four miles on the way, some envoys rode out and told us we could not proceed any further.

Our reply was again to advance and with our Infantry and Mounted Infantry to scale the heights and eventually surround their outpost camp about 1,000 men. Not a shot had been fired as we were not allowed to fire until they did. We now saw all the Tibetans surrounded by our men close to their Camp consisting of a few huts and tents and a long stone wall. The order was now given to the Pioneers to fix bayonets and disarm the Tibetans who were wearing every variety of garment and sword.

This was too much for the Tibetans - they got angry and began to throw stones and their General shot a Sepoy in the throat. This first shot was enough - in a moment everything was Confusion. We - the Hospitals had all come up - and were close to the General and the staff - Mission Staff -and everyone started firing - horses and mules began to bolt and run back a short way - and I heard someone shout out "lie down" - So I lay down and had a look around. The Tibetans were now retiring along their road, fired upon on all sides by our men. I saw the Battery being brought in to action also the Maxims - and so went and stood behind the Battery - where the General and some of the staff had also gone, and watched their shells bursting over the road -along which the Tibetans were walking. We afterwards found all of the dead hung round with charms which they imagined rendered them "bullet-proof" hence their walking and disregard of our fire. The whole road soon began to be filled with dead and dying and eventually the Tibetans disappeared around the hill from view and the order was then given to cease-fire.

I then began to think about our wounded - which I knew were practically very few. In the first confusion of the attack by the Tibetans a Major of the 23rd Pioneers was slashed in the hand by a sword and two fingers practically cut off - Mr Candler the Daily Mail correspondent had been nearly killed by a Tibetan with a sword (these belonged to me) and about 12 Sepoys had been wounded, These were looked after and sent back to Camp.

Now the looting began. I found my Tibetans Doolie bearers had run off and were looting the Tents, and houses and corpses - and it took me about an hour before I could collect my Hospital and proceed along the bloodstained road - strewn with 150 bodies - and endeavour to catch up the main body which had proceeded to Guari - distance two miles from this outpost. Passing the wounded I quite expected to be shot at or hacked with a sword but nothing happened. The whole road was strewn with weapons so I picked up a huge lance - like the Lancers carry - and made along with this. It created a tremendous sensation amongst the wounded who "salaamed" and put up their hands for mercy, quite expecting to be run through with the lance.

We - the hospital doctors and a few stragglers - eventually picked up the main body before Guari and found firing again going on. The Tibetans held two villages here and were firing at us nobly. However they were soon shelled out of these, about 300 being taken prisoner and the rest escaping over the hills. We had a few more casualties here and the Tibetans about 150. After a long delay two companies of Pioneers and some Mounted Infantry were left to garrison these Villages - Guru - and we began our march home again. The prisoners were told off under escort and two Doctors to look after their wounded and bring them in here if they could. The site going home was not edifying - but we eventually got home at about 7pm. No food since 8am!!!

Now I had to look after Major Dunlop and Mr Candler -no one of the Battery or Maxim Gun Detachment had been hurt - and by the time I had something to eat and got to bed I was dog-tired. Next morning about 8 doctors went out under escort to treat the Tibetan wounded but I had my time occupied with Major Dunlop and the Daily Mail correspondent. I got an MS man to give me a hand and I amputated the two wounded fingers of the Major's. Candler's injuries were much more serious. We had to amputate his left hand at the wrist - we patched up his right hand as well as we could and it may be saved. He had a bad gash over the temporal down to the bone - his left leg badly gashed and one of the bones nearly cut through - besides other severe injuries. All of these injuries took a long time and he was nearly 2 1/2 hours under Chloroform. I am glad to say that both my patients this morning are doing very well indeed. If my Daily Mail patient does well - it ought to be a good advertisement for me, eh!!

No more - I am nearly frozen - as a snowstorm is just starting. I am very fit and well. We move on to Gyantsee on Monday - two days march. I received Delia's mail today - give her my love and tell her to copy this letter before sending it round as otherwise it wont be readable. It was written in a great hurry as I am very busy.

Your affectionate brother

Cecil.