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Expressing distress at not receiving any letters from Celia. In Thibet, bought some huge copper vats - heirlooms, 12 silk panels, jade for her. Spent winter in Lanchow: describes as charming Chinese capital surrounded by orchards, pagodas and immemorial tombs, so old & tranquil in dazzling blue golden air. ‘I live in fat peace ensconced in a big many-yarded palace while all Europe is a devil's cauldron of blood and fire.’

Very proud of her comments on his book, needs constant reassurance of its value. Off on 31st January to Glasgow to sail to Myitkyina, Upper Burma. Invites her to join him in Ceylon next winter. ‘Beloved Celia, I tried with all my blood and tears, to say only the truth.’

Delighted with receiving letter from Celia and hearing her homely gossip. Goes touring and camping in the mountains. On return, describes trying to paint a primula in his tent-door, holding an umbrella with a dense fog of midges and smoke around. Saw great snowy trumpet-lilies on steep brackened hillsides when tramping the long leagues back. Describes the cook getting drunk, falling over a cliff, injuring himself & a pleasant Scotch youth with the staggers, called Jumps [Euan H.M. Cox] taking over- making astonishing concoctions with the jam of little wild white strawberries. ‘And yet it was delightful, the solemn enormous loneliness of the heights, & the silence & the invariable alpine feeling of clean peace & remoteness.’

Celia's letters awaiting him on return from camping where he saw golden anemones beside a babbling beck & hearing black mother bears roaring after their babies among the bamboos. Writes of Celia's daughters marrying, suggests Cynthia one of them, might become his wife, Mrs Me. Suggests Celia will be free to visit him in Peking or Rangoon in late 1920, 1921 to view various sites and shopping together, aware these are lovely fantasies. Enquires about the Beautiful Young Man? [Milner?] Describes how the coolie-porters danced and sang folksongs by the campfire, a genuine art of wild hill people.

Replies to Celia's letter expressing concern about her being taken to pieces on Freudian lines will change her. Writes how he is about to go somewhere remote for eight months, alone, unlikely to get post often and sees it as heroic. Writes of firming up plans to meet Celia & Cynthia in Rangoon. Comments about Marjorie's marriage. At end of letter, writes of his money troubles, his allowance of £1000 having halved in value due to rise in Rupee - notes cost of mules up country will be £300. Needs more shareholders for seeds and asks her to find any wealthy acquaintances who might be interested in a share in seeds of new trees, shrubs & flowers.

Writes of his uncertainty of their friendship, returning to life in London, parties, insufficient money to live in London (plans to come up to London to judge at the RHS, a few days a fortnight) Speaks of being happy and viewing this year as period of wonderful growth & realisation and refreshment. Enquires about Celia's re-constructions with Freud's representative, hopes he still remains present. ‘My happiness remains waterproof.’

Box 1: 1880-1902; includes Farrer's birth announcement and certificates and four folders of correspondence, mainly to his mother from Ingleborough, Newnham Rectory, Balliol College, Scarborough and Europe.

Box 6: 1920-1984; Farrer's death and post-death, including poem written by Farrer one week before his death 'found in the pencil copy of the Empty House' [Farrer's last unpublished novel]; telegram sent to Farrer after his death; correspondence relating to Farrer's death - correspondents include E.A. Bowles, Hugh Faulkener; F. Vivian Clerk, Bidder, Sir Francis Younghusband, Sepoy Jange Bhaju, E.H.M. Cox, J.T.O. Barnard, S.M. Frank, A.W. Porter, W.T. Stearn and Charles Graham and telegrams reporting death and letters about location and upkeep of the grave; photographs relating to Farrer's grave; undated correspondence - letter from William Purdom to Farrer; Rev. Henry Jardine Bidder to Farrer, and 4 undated letters from Farrer to his parents [mention of autocars in London]; postcard showing Edith Sitwell from Edith to Farrer's mother, March 1922, and photograph of Edith as a child [Sitwells are related to the Farrers] and collection of book reviews collected by Farrer, 1901-1920.