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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.

Invitation to a Bhuddist meeting in response to her request, empathy to her suffering, of her hands.

Living in the Fort, having spent a month of really wonderful camp-life in a high alpine valley. Had good weather there and had collected 45 Rhododendrons and will return in October to collect their seeds. Bought a horse, Ma in Chinese, which has got fat and will only carry him, the Master. States how Jumps [Euan H.M. Cox] is highly companionable, shall miss him when he leaves, but looks forward to the Scottish Derrick joining him in the winter. Jumps writing a novel. Recounts scenes of the coolies from the alpine village doing their folk-dances & songs by the camp-fire - views them as the real thing, real art. The Cook has another drunken bout, and R. Farrer administered justice on the verandah, docking some of his wages, the rupees were thrown away and he, R. Farrer almost collapsed in tears. Speaks of letters from home in the aftermath of the War being sad and glad he had decided wisely to get away. Hopes E. Gye will get away, suggests Peking 1921 to attain care-free-ness. Requests him to supervise Mr Bain to send out useful books, seeks two sets of Winchester Edition of the Divine One, for himself and Jumps.
Camp was in a high-alpine valley, in a beautiful open glade, filled with golden Anemones, beside a babbling beck, with gaunt hungry-looking granite peaks aspiring overhead all round. Derrick [Milner] he describes as 10 feet high, and you want a flight of steps to see his large rosy face! From the batches of letters, he gets a uniform impression of utter failure, of fatigue so acute that it can't fine rest, of disappointment, old age, & general failure.

Describes about to leave his camp to winter in Mandalay. Accepts Cynthia might marry another not him. Enthuses about the merits of women but no understanding at all of men. ‘Men, they are a perpetual puzzle, contradiction & delight.’

Describes being somewhere very remote, like Eden. It takes 9 days to reach an outpost where letters can arrive. Hopes this Arcadian state will continue and glad he is alone, writes negatively about Jumps's [Euan H.M. Cox's] presence when he was in camp with him previously. Doing some painting of flowers and landscape, using the Chinese and Japanese convention as there are trailing rolls of white cloud around. A minute fly a nuisance. He notes there is the possible vendetta locally but he will await events and he has raised the Union Jack, which he thinks people find vastly reassuring. ‘I am gone down to the bedrock existence unadorned, & there, never thinking of the lovely fluffs & frills of life, achieve a bare and barbarous glory of contentment.’

Description of his time in mountains of Thibet, present of umbrella and food for Chief Mandarin's birthday, go to Badman's land, disguised as coolies at night to collect seed, hide in woods by day and creep back into China. ‘A grey day & a grey heart can only be lightened with the roseate vision of Celia.’

Convalescing, Celia had sent him pheasants, no substitute for her presence. His book, Void of War - she regards well, as do others - he likes the praise.

Writes of long descent from Moku-ji, stung by bees- wearying and enjoying relaxing reading his new books and letters he has received. Concerned about Ingleborough and asking if the seeds he sent are growing? The book, Empty House, he has been writing, he intends to send to Ernest Gye, instructing where to get two copies of the manuscript typed, one to be taken to A.S. Watt, agent and other to be read by E. Gye and Jumps [Euan H.M. Cox] then sent out to Peking where R. Farrer will amend it further - proposes a timescale for this process. The book is about his last 3 years of travelling. Pleased Jumps is going to start a literary career in London and will have his company.

Not heard from Celia. Describes being in no man's land, a wild sparse wilderness and the overmastering romance of China & Tibet. Going to spend the winter in the golden palaces of Mandalay - invites her to join him there. ‘Stand as it were in exile, looking out over the infinite smiling distances of Szechuan. The freedom is divine.’

Responds to Ernest's sense of being slighted, not receiving as many letters as others, saying that his gaps in letter writing due to being in camp and nothing of interest happening. He gives advice regarding Amelia, a possible liason of Ernest's, to forget her. Looks forward to having parties with Ernest, maybe at Ingleborough with him and Jumps [Euan H.M. Cox] unpacking items he's brought from Peking. Although wonders if Ernest may be in Britain as talking of going to Persia. Tells Ernest he has written to Jumps regarding weeds & weather which he is sure he will get to read. Suggests that this country is rather boring and does not generate a creative impulse. Spent one last fortnight in the Alps, seed collecting and now resting for a month in Nyitadi. Rambles about Greek and other characters and of his own writings. Again remonstrates that he has been a regular correspondent to E. Gye as regular as to his Mommer.