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Impassioned letter to Celia, acknowledging her prior attachment, makes out this is his reason to flee to Burma-Tibet. ‘Now must flee for a perilous safety into the Alps of Burma-Tibet where whatever claws of tigers or bears…’
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.’
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.
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.’
States he disliked Mandalay & its Club - too hot & its many Pagodas, roofs covered with red corrugated iron on the hill dominating the city. Mandalay, a holy place where in awe, he held the mortal remains of Gautama Buddha in his own hands. Writes warmly of his friendship with E. Gye and describes the Oaks being like Ascot but sad as he is living alone. Hopes to go North in 2 days, concerned if mules will be available, states he will be alone without Derrick [Milner] and his money. Long rambling gossipy section regarding different women? friendships and more, of Amelia with E. Gye. Speaks of a fiction book he is writing, he wants E. Gye to make comment. Speaks negatively of Russian literature and Virginia Woolf's first book. Mentions letter written after a good bottle of Hock. ‘Going North, away over the Back of Beyond, out across the last lone edge of Nowhere.’
Has sent seeds of Nomocharis pardanthina to Ernest which the cat [the red panda?] has defecated on, which they are both are certain will affect its germination & describes at length its beauty. Reports Jumps [Euan H.M. Cox] has left and the Beautiful Boy [Milner] has slain his sister and is not coming to join him. Rented a bungalow in Maymyo to have a place of his own. Proposes to visit pagodas, but unrest with a new Burma movement may affect this. Intends to visit the Buddha's relics the Arakan Pagoda. Had some firework celebrations & received books from Bain. Describes the beauties of Nomocharis pardanthina, as ‘quite singular, being those of a little pink Lily that has had an affair with a naughty spotted Odontoglossum, & produced a child that bears several shamefaced flat pendant flowers of softest pink, which have an eye of deep chocolate, surrounded by a ring of yellow in three crested fringes, while three of the segments are very broadly oval, fringed & spotted with deep purple.’
States he has lost Ernest's last letter and is in low spirits, refers again to his age, 40 years & lack of being anchored by marriage. Discusses merits of English literature - unsettled by the Times' review of his book, ‘The English Rock Garden’. Describes his relationship with Jumps [Euan H.M. Cox], 25 years, as not intimate just cordially pleasant. When Jumps has left, he is going to rest in Mandalay until February. Speaks of a possible conflagration between the Chinese & aborigines which would close the frontier to further expeditions. ‘In low spirits these days, what with windings up & endings with a crushing sense of my own worthlessness & inadequacy. His book, The Rock Garden, 6 years old, wears its vast erudition (2nd hand) with an affectation of jocosity or preciousness that nowadays would make me feel quite sick. Of Jumps [Euan M. Cox], especially when 40 & 25 have not quite a common ground of breeding, training & traditions.’
Fond banter between R. Farrer and E. Gye and saying he will seek his company when he returns from the dripping Aquarium, Burma in 1921. Likes the colours of the landscape but not much else here. Using mules to transport and has had a successful season of collecting. Has been injured by the scrub and bamboo and these injuries have taken a long time to heal. Describes how a red panda, a tiny bear with a banded ginger & orange bottle-brush tail has joined their camp and has become tame. He is going down to Myitkyina in a fortnight, by cargo boat slowly to Bhamo, Mandalay and Rangoon where he and Jumps [Euan H.M. Cox] will spend Christmas. Will say farewell to Jumps then and welcome the Beautiful Boy [Milner]. Sends his and Jump's love to Ernest and other friends. Signed the Master. ‘I've cut or scratched myself (as one is forever doing in the scrub & the bamboos) my sumptuous flesh, instead of promptly healing as its habit is, has developed large & perpetually pussiferous sores till now, I'm a perfect Lazarus, with my lovely legs like a professional beggar's.’ (this letter, 3 pages long in foolscap polypockets)
Writes fondly of the past and E. Gye's pet expressions. Of his life, he recounts how a Dep. Comm. from the Indian Government, a Kingdon Ward (a rural botanist), Jumps [Euan H.M. Cox] and he, all played Auction as it rained incessantly outdoors for weeks. Unsettled by the company and pleased to be living just with Jumps again. Jumps still writing his novel which R. Farrer offers many literary comments with candour. Notes kites are being seen flying over India, an immemorial sign that the Monsoon is nearing its end. Plans to go to Chimili to collect seeds of his treasures. He states he has written up about this in the Gardener's Chronicle, read by thousands, he says. Sending Nomocharis pardanthina seeds for E. Gye to grow, hopes that it will open. Initial expedition plans to Putau authorities refused but he has readjusted these and his plans are now accepted to visit the wildernesses of Akhyang. Planning a further one for 1922-3. Writes of the Watsons living at Ingleborough, happy he is planning more travel. Waiting for the main rush of seeds of the Rhododendrons to come. Hopes to go down to Rangoon with Jumps for Christmas, Jumps is then required to return home. Enquires why E. Gye and some chums going to Jamaica. May go to live alone in Mandalay for a while. ‘Nomocharis pardanthina will open the amazed and amusing loveliness of her eyes upon a London fog.’