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•Capt. L.D. Fraser. ‘Military Report of Yun-Nan: Part III, Route Book’, Calcutta,1901. (Belonged to George Forrest so was stored with Forrest collection, but is now housed in the Rare Book Room)

Incomplete letter from George Forrest, Mission Apostolique, Tsekou, to Clementina Traill dated 28 April 1905.
The letter is incomplete, comprising 16 complete pages and fragments of pages 17 and 19. Forrest describes his journey from Talifu [Dali] to Tsekou [Cigu], going north by Chien Chuan; overnight camp in temple and first row with Chinese; loss of mule in gully and refusal of muleteers to go on; rescue by party of Lissoos who helped Forrest continue ascent through deep snow. Arrival at Wei Hsi; meeting with Pere Bourdonnec of the Mission Apostolique in Tibet and startling news of revolt amongst the lamas in the north; Tsekou mission in danger and consul Litton on his way with troops to defend it; murder of missionaries and Christian natives at Atunze and Batang; Forrest advised to remain at Wei Hsi but continued to Tsekou which he found practically in a state of siege. ‘All this is a bit of a nuisance as I cannot go far away from the place and therefore cannot do much collecting. Fortunately there isn’t much to be done at present – at least in the seed line, and, although during my journey from Tali I collected specimens of over 100 species, yet these were only flowering in the lower parts of the valleys. Here very few flowers are in bloom now, the mountains being still heavily coated with snow.’
Plants referenced: Pine (passim)

Typed transcript of Forrest’s letters and notes.

• Pages 1-28 describe Forrest's journey from Bhamo to Teng Yueh and corresponds closely with a handwritten letter to his fiancée Clementina Traill [GB 235 FRG/1/1/2].

Pages 29-94 contain ‘extractions’ from letters written to Mrs Forrest [either his mother, or Clementina, as she would likely have been Mrs Forrest at the time the letters were transcribed], Edinburgh, from Yunnan and Tibet [1904]-1905. These deal more with descriptions of the country and people rather than botanical matters. The copy letters, which have been typed out of order, are detailed as follows:

• Pages 29-42. G. Forrest to Mrs Forrest from China Inland Mission, Talifu, 24 March 1905. Describes the valley from Hsia Kuan to Shang Kuan, and gives detailed description of Tali [Dali], its chiefs, main buildings and commerce.

• Pages 43-53. G. Forrest to Mrs Forrest from China Inland Mission, Talifu, 28 March 1905. Gives further detailed information about Tali. Description of marble quarrying, trades, city buildings, female foot binding, clothing, food, education and customs.

• Pages 54-63. G. Forrest to Mrs Forrest, November 1904. Describes journey from Tali to Chong Ku on the Chung Tien plateau. ‘I left Tali on the 14th with the intention of going to Lichiang, and from there up to the top of the great Yangtse bend to work the base of the glacier there.’ Includes manuscript sketch of a kitchen or family room of a Tibetan house in which he spent two nights. Detailed description of the house and its use by the Tibetans in winter.

• Pages 64-67. G. Forrest to Mrs Forrest, November/December 1904. Describes journey from Chung Tien back to Tali, with itinerary.

• Pages 68-87. G. Forrest to Mrs Forrest, October 1904. Describes a 53-day journey from Tali north into Tibet, covering around 900 miles. Itinerary: Tali, Sha Kai, Shang Ying-pu, Tai Ho Tsun, Sung Kwei, Hoching, Chi Ho, Lichiang, Pei Sha, La Shi Pa, Mu Pi Wan, Na Le, Hsia So Yi, Ke Lo Wan, Mao Niu Chang, Hsia Chung Tien, Yong Ku, Chung Tien, Tang Tien, Chiao Tou, Pung Tzu-la, Kari Pass, Shi zo, Hsia zo, Shih Pa, Yeh Chih, Ba Ti, Tse Kou, Ba Ti, and again Yeh Chih, Ta Chiao, Hsiao Wei Hsi, Ka Ka, Wei Hsia, Lu Tien, Chu Tien, Tzu Ko, Shih Ku, Chia Ho, Chien Chuan-sho, Jiu Kai, Teng Chuan-sho and back to Tali.

• Pages 88-94. g. Forrest to Mrs Forrest, from Mission Apostolique, Tsekou, Tibet, 28 April 1905. Describes journey from Talifu going north by Chien Chuan and ending at Tsekou. Gives news of a revolt among the lamas in the north, ‘Tsekou is practically in a state of siege.’

Plants referenced:
Bamboo (pp.1,5); Mango (p.1); Orchid (p.6); Rice (pp. 3,16, 20); Teak (p.1)
Cotton (p.41)
Apricot (p.52); Bean (p.52); Cabbage (p.52); Carrot (p.52); Fig (p.52); Filbert (p.52); Gladitschia (p.53); Grape (p.53); Lemon (p.52); Mandarin orange (p.52); Pea (p.52); Peach (p.52); Pear (p.52); Persimmon (p.52); Pomegranate (p.52); Potato (p.52); Rice (p.52); Sapindus (p.53); Turnip (p.52); Walnut (pp.44, 52)
Allium (p.56); Azalea (pp.55, 56, 60); Gentian (pp.55, 56, 60); Lychnis (p.56); Lily (p.58); Paeonia (p.56); Pine (pp.54, 55, 56); Primula (p.60); Rhododendron (pp.55, 56, 60); Saxifrage (pp.56, 57, 60); Senecio (p.57)
Pine (p.66)
Azalea (pp. 77, 82, 85); Carduus (p.77); Clematis (p.80); Fritillaria (p.76); Gentian (pp.76, 77, 85, 87); Lily (p.85); Pine (pp.76, 77); Polygonum (p.77); Primula (pp.76, 82, 85, 86); Rhododendron (pp.77,82, 85); Rice (p.70); Saxifrage (pp.76, 77)
Pine (pp.90, 91)

one map used in Forrest's article describing the geography and people of the Upper Salween during his visit there with Consul George Litton in late 1905. The article was published by the Royal Geographical Society in 1908 with this accompanying map, and again by the National Geographical Society in 1910.

Inscribed 'J. Purdom, from C.H. Hough, Xmas 1912. This appears to be from Purdom's first expedition to China between 1909 and 1912 and covers Peking, Amdo and River Tow in Tibet, Jehol, Peling Range, Kansu, Choni, and pictures of people and places, including one of Purdom himself.

A small collection of photographs, some dated 1912, many taken in Peking. They include Purdom with the Commercial Attache to the British Legation, Sir Alexander Hosie, and include images of W. Christie with Mission children. There are many undated photographs of Purdom on expedition in Kokonor, Shansi and Honan.

A compilation of photographs of Tibetan and Kansu people and scenery from both of Purdom's Chinese expeditions, 1909 - 1915. Many of these photographs appear in other albums.

Inscription to 'My dear Bill, from RF', 07/02/1917. Photographs by Farrer. Starts in Peking in 1914 and progresses to Mei S'an, Gwang Hui Ssu, Mien Chi Hsien, Hwa S'an, Lin Tung, Satanee, Siku, 'Thundercrown', Jo-ni, then in 1915, Lanchow, Sining, Wei-Yuan, 'Wolvesden Pass', Tien Tang Ssu, Chebson Ssu, 'Creda Rossa' and 'Clear Lake'. Many shots of villages and mountain scenery, including the locations where various plants were found. There are also photographs from Farrer's lone journey south from Lanchow, before he was reunited with Purdom to travel down the Ja-ling-Jang, through the Yangtze Gorges to Ichang.

Box 3: 1914-1916; includes letter from William Purdom outlining plans for 1914 China Expedition; correspondence from 1914-15 China expedition; some letters to and from Isaac Bayley Balfour, 1915; correspondence to parents from Japan, [1916?]; various maps of Kansu, China; Farrer's writings about Kansu - published reprints and manuscripts, 1916-18; Farrer's writings about Kansu - not known if published; newspaper cuttings including articles written about the 'White Wolf' of Kansu, c.1914, some written by Farrer; invoices from Kansu expedition; list of slides relating to Kansu expedition compiled in 1985; transcriptions of two photograph albums relating to Kansu expedition [RJF/2/2/3-4]; miscellaneous ephemera.

Farrer Correspondence (82 letters in 2 folders) relating to Farrer and Purdom's expedition to Kansu [Gansu] province in north China between 1914 and 1915.
folder 1, letters 1-40 includes correspondence to and from Reginald Farrer, Isaac Bayley Balfour, David Prain, Arthur W. Hill, W.R. Dykes (regarding Farrer's irises from China) and George Redman of Farrer's Craven nursery.
folder 2, letters 41-82 includes correspondence to and from Reginald Farrer, Isaac Bayley Balfour, George Redman, and Edward Arnold, publisher, regarding problems with an appendix to one of Farrer's books.