1935 May
From HPV to Annette
Calcutta
May 1st 1935
My dear Annette.
Allow me to congratulate you on your marks: sad to think that if I went in for your exams I shouldn’t get 1/10th of them. – Continue the pull ups and such. I should like to hear that you had achieved the art of diving with confidence and with a braced back: looking above the hands.
It is the hot weather. One sweats. I had one night on which I didn’t get to sleep till 3.30 or so: and felt by no means energetic afterwards. That was not altogether heat perhaps, though I was sweating. I had worked rather too hard: and that is a rash thing when one has low fever on one. It continues daily: and I have given up hope of its passing away before I go up to Darjeeling. That will be next Tuesday. But I’m not looking forward to it because there are such masses of work to be got through: partly about that abominable Bill of mine which has become a mere incubus and partly about the Debt Bill on which I am labouring. My Bill continues to be attacked in the papers: and the people who do the attacking say that they have been supporting it. It is typical Bengali-ishness. They all start by saying what a fine thing it will be and then go baldheaded for every detail which will make is workable. From which I deduce that even if it goes through no one will have the courage to work it. However in a mechanical sort of way I still continue to prod on the different departments about matters which are of no importance except as material for schemes under the Bill.
They had rehearsals of the illuminations at the Victoria memorial the other night. I have never seen anything more hideous. Red white and blue lights: all wrong shades. It will please the Indian public.
Much love
Dad.
From LJT to Annette
14/1 Rowland Road
Calcutta
May 2nd 1935.
My darling Annette,
Congratulations on a very good report. You work part is always good, but I rather think that this is the best “character” you have been given so far. Miss Capstick has put her finger, or perhaps her pen, on an important truth when she emphasises that importance of being able to deal with people, apart from the fact of having brains. One sees rather a lot of people come out here into the I.C?S. (Sorry about that question mark) who have piles of brains, but no ability to deal with their fellow men, and who develop into that dry type, all bound up in red tape, which makes government service laughed at by many people. G.B.Gourlay is an example of the other sort. He is not especially clever, though he has good practical brains, but he knows how to deal with people. That is how he got such phenominal promotion in the war, and that is how he pulled a small business through the awful trade slump a few years ago, when most small concerns simply faded out. The head of the Calcutta police was talking about him the other day, and said that he was the finest leader of a rugger team he had ever played with or seen in all the long years that he played football, and that somehow he had the knack of making everyone play 25 per cent above their usual form. Its all part of the same thing, I think, but how one learns the trick of it I don’t know. I rather fancy that the first thing is not to be self centered, and the next thing is to have imagination, and be able to put yourself into other people’s places, and try to understand how they feel. Crowds more ideas come running into my head, but if I put them all down it will only confuse council.
Two of my young Guide officers have just been in to see me and get some advice, and have taken up about half an hour of my precious time, but I hope it has been a half hour well spent.
This will be an important term for you, I hope it will go well. Like me you are a lucky creature to have such a robust phisique. Its such an enormous boon when one has a lot of work to do. Best Love Mum
From HPV to Annette
Calcutta
May 7th 1935
My dear Annette
Thus ends my Jubilee. Packing for today’s flit. Not that there was much to my celebration of the event. I gave Cathedral a miss, did not attend the Parade (that accounts for the two mornings) and renounced the Saturday Club Red White and Blue Dance. But I did go to the distribution of Medals, in order to receive one. I should have preferred to give it a miss too, because having no war medals I prefer that attention should not be drawn to my naked chest: but there was no choice: and so off I went in my thick uniform rather dazed and very bad tempered.
Packing is an art in which I do not excel: but mind you it is more difficult for two than for one. Your mother suddenly asks me to decide something on which for my part I should never have thought a decision needed, something which to me seems a matter of complete indifference but which to her is obviously important – and then my mind stops working and the packing stops too. Of all things havering is the least soothing: as one expert in it, I warn you. Anyhow I did my own packing this morning and wasted hours over it. To pack for a journey is bad enough: but to pack for a change of climate and for a possible change of weather is the devil.
As these two holidays were for the King personally and to disregard them would indicate disloyalty I had the office completely closed. I should have worked myself if the disorder due to packing had not been so extreme.
We have seen little of Brother Harry. Ran into them yesterday. Now that they live at some distance meetings are not so easy: especially when I’m slack. Every day still a little fever but it doesn’t make me feel so weak – unless indeed I have ceased to try so much.
Much love
Daddie
From LJT to Annette
The Residency
Gangtok
Sikkim
May 14th 1935
My darling Annette
The English mail has come in here, with a letter from Auntie, but nothing from any of you children – so I am hoping they have gone to Dad and will come on to me here. It was a pity about Richard’s smash in Hedingham and I am sorry that Auntie found such a party of tramps, when she went to rescue you.
Could you forward this letter to Mme. Gott? I thought I had their address in my address book, but find it is not – and I have left her visiting card with several others in Calcutta. Posting it from England you will have to put on English stamps – and can bill them up to me. I am asking her to reply to Auntie, as it will take such a long time to get letters to and fro from here.
I am enjoying this life in Gangtok enormously but don’t find half as much leisure as I expected, what with riding and tennis, and a walk before breakfast (to break my feet in to wearing heavy boots) – and people staying in the house, the days seem very full and all the things I meant to study, such as botany and the Nepali language, have scarcely been touched. Having begun my “family letter” with Sikkim, I have entirely neglected to tell you anything about the previous week in Calcutta – and the fact that the Botanical Department are sending a little Indian plant collector out with me. He’s a humble little fellow who speaks no English but is a wonderful botanist. It will be most interesting having him – and I hope to learn a lot from him.
I had a tiresome two or three days packing up in Calcutta – as Bhim Das was still away, so I had to do all sorts of things myself that normally he would have done. Dad’s political uniform I found a great nuisance because there are so many different bits and pieces and its an awful job sorting out what is worn with what.
Mr Mathews took me to see “Royal Cavalcade” the Sunday before I left Calcutta and I enjoyed it very much. I wonder whether you have seen it. I should imagine it is a bit difficult to follow if you if you are young and have not lived through all that time – It just corresponds with my grown-up life.
Good luck in your work this term –
Best love, my darling
from
Mum
Family letter from LJT
The Residency
Gangtok
Sikhim.
(undated but must be mid May 1935)
My Dears,
Perched on this lovely hill top, with the snows gleaming over the opposite ridge as I look out of the window, its difficult to believe that Calcutta and the heat, and the bustle of the traffic, still exist. Herbert and I left Calcutta on Tuesday evening, while the Jubilee celebrations were still in full swing. There were immense crowds everywhere on the Maidan and all the roads leading to it. The police had greatly feared some anarchist demonstration, but both in Calcutta and Darjeeling the festivities went off without a hitch.
Herbert and I parted at Siliguri. I did not altogether like leaving him, for he looked tired and a bit depressed, but then he hates travelling and nearly always feels sick in the car going up the mountains. Once the journey was over I hope the cool air is doing him good. The driver of the car which the Williamsons sent to meet me, managed to get all my baggage, including my stores and two tents into the car. We got away from Siliguri at 7 o’clock. It is about half an hour’s drive to the foot of the Hills, mostly through tall sal Jungle, which was looking lovely in its new spring green. In a sense adventure started almost at once for a tiger walked across the road about thirty yards ahead of us. He looked a big fellow too. I had never driven up this bit of road into the Teesta valley before. I have always come down into the valley from Darjeeling, joining in at Teesta Bridge, which is 32 miles from Siliguri. Its a lovely road, though much the same as it is higher up. The river always rushing and turbulant, flowing between the steep mountain-sides, which are covered with magnificent sub-tropical jungle. The road winds its way along as best it can, sometimes near the river, and sometimes high above it. Its corners all the time, more or less, and never very wide, so one cannot drive at any great pace along it. I was pleased with a notice which said “Beware of Stones falling from above”. It was kind of the local authorities to mention it, but I did not see quite how one could abide by the warning.
I must have described the road up the Teesta Valley so often now, that I wont go into it in detail. (If any one should want to know about it, it is in my Tibet Diary.) It was looking specially lovely on Tuesday morning for the trees are still getting their new leaves, and not only were there an infinite number of tender shades of green, but all sorts of pale yellow, bronze and red making the hill sides look far more interesting than when the level dark green of high summer has settled over them. I saw some lovely birds too, - - an emerald-backed dove, several brilliant coloured woodpeckers, a blue whistling thrush, and lots of the darling little plumbous red-starts. We had to stop twice on the last part of journey to drain the boiling water out of the radiator and fill up with cold, but in spite of that we were in Gangtok by 11.45, which is very good timing. Mrs Williamson says people dont usually get here till 12.30 or One o’clock. The garden was full of activity when I arrived. The Williamsons, a couple of guests who had taken advantage of the Jubilee holidays to get away from Calcutta for a few days, Raja Tobjay Dorji the prime minister of Bhutan, Mr Williamson’s personal assistant, who is a charming Sikkimese gentleman, and the Sikkim State Engineer, were busy superintending the pitching of tents and the arranging of chairs and tables for the Jubilee Garden party in the afternoon. Everything in Sikkim is made picturesque by the brocade dresses of the gentlefolk, and the amusing uniform worn by the chapprassis. They are clothed in a sort of striped kilt which reaches to the knee, a sack shaped short jacket of bright scarlet cloth trimmed with Chinese-looking patterns in black velvet appliqué, and the whole crowned by a hat of finely woven straw, shaped like an inverted flower-pot, with two or three peacocks feathers in the front of it. We lunched early as the Calcutta people had to get off, and then Mrs Williamson and I and Raja Tobjay Dorji set two to cut up the enormous supply of cakes which the Williamson’s cook had made for the party. We only just got done in time to run and dress, for the guests were invited for three o’clock, but Mrs Williamson says they invariably come early. It was an amusing throng who gathered to-gether. H.H. the Maharaja, a few of the specially elevated local nobility and gentry, and the few British officers had a special tent, while the rest were accomodated in big tents on the main lawn. The party started with the presentation of Jubilee medals by Mr Williamson. He retired for a few moments and put on his political uniform and cocked hat. The two state arm-chairs were placed on a red carpet for Mr Williamson and His Highness, and the recipiants of the medals were called up, while the crowd applauded. The Maharaja always seems to were deep yellow brocade of some sort on state occasions, and on this occasion he were a short sleevless jacket of plum-coloured brocade over it, and his comical hat, which looks just like an ordinary Homburg with the dent in the top pushed out, copiously trimmed with lacy embroideries in gold silver and bright pink. Tea was the next item on the programme, and then we all played games such as twos and threes, musical chairs, passing on the parcel, and even musical bumps. The games were organised by Raja Dorji, who is a marvel at it. In fact Mrs W. Says she could not possible give a garden party without Dorji to help her. H.H. was one of the most enthusiastic players of the games and very good at them. He and the wife of an English padre from Kalimpong were the last two in for musical chairs, and the little man beamed with pleasure when he got the second prize. One of the most energetic players was a Burmese lady, who has married some local Sikkim man. It was very amusing to see some of the fat old Kazis (Land-holding nobles) chasing one another. In fact the whole thing was a merry affair. At 5.30 we had to troop down to the sports ground where Mrs W was to give away the prizes for the sports and football tournament, and after that we stayed on to Watch fireworks, which were excellent, but had to be abandoned half way through oweing to rain. We were all a bit tired by the time we had finished dinner, and glad to go off early to bed. My day had started at 4.45 a.m. so I deserved my sleep!
The following morning Mrs W. Showed me round the house and gardens which are both lovely. The house is English-looking, stone with red roofs, big bow windows look across to the snows. Roses and wisteria clamber all about the verandah pillars. Inside there is a lot of wood panalling, and everywhere the most entrancing treasures from Chinese Turkestan and Tibet. The garden is all up and down hill, with three steep flights of stone steps leading down to a water-garden with masses of arum lilies growing in the edges of the ponds. The steep front of the mountain-side is terraced into grassy steps with flower beds and rose-trees and other parts of the garden are sloping lawns, with groups of pine trees and of tree ferns, which seem a strange mixture.
We had to attend another party in the afternoon given by one of the Kazis who had been made a Rai Bahadur. I have been pleased to have this opportunity of meeting all the Sikkim nobility and gentry, for its interesting in itself, and its handy to know the local people when one is out touring. We stayed about an hour, and then slipped home for a quiet hour before coming out again to see the end of the fireworks, which luckily finished just before the evening rain came on. Its an odd feature of the Sikkim climate that it is often fine in the morning and then rains in the afternoon or evening. Home to dinner and out again to a cinema show, a real event for Sikkim. They were only baby-cine sized films. H.H. had lent his own projector, and the local Jubilee committee had hired films from Calcutta and had three or four evening’s entertainment in aid of the Jubilee funds. We were met at the door by H.H.’s private secretary, who said the H.H. had got our tickets, and we were conducted to a wonderful platform at the back of the Hall built up on bedsteads! There were a row of arm-chairs for us and Mrs W and I sat on either side of the Maharajah. He is a funny quiet little man, who always seems frightened of everybody, and I have never seen him enjoy himself so much as he did watching a Charlie Chaplin film called “The Rink”. He was in weak giggles the whole time.
On Friday we thought we should be settling down to a quiet life. The State Engineer came up to see me about the Himalayan Club huts, and we had quite a long discussion about them. After that I went out riding for about an hour with Mr Williamson, and just after we got back a party of people who had been out trekking, turned up, and we sat drinking beer and hearing their adventures for some time. In fact there were quite a rush of visitors in Gangtok that day, for another couple from Calcutta turned up at tea-time en route for North Sikkim. They were going up the way I am going, but not nearly so far. Later in the evening yet another couple from Darjeeling turned up, who are staying here for a few days, so almost the whole day seemed to be taken up with talking to people.
Mr W. Showed us the film of the tour they did last year to Shigatse in Tibet and back via Bhutan. I had seen it before in Calcutta, but enjoyed seeing it again. Its full of fascinating things.
We are settling now into a sort of routine of riding and tennis. This morning I went for an hours’ walk in my trekking boots, as I want to get into walking trim. Immediately after breakfast I went with the Baldwins to call on H.H. and then to see the monastery, and when I got back to the house about 11.45 I found that Mr W. Had put off his ride so that I might go with him, and we started off at once. I took a short rest after lunch before changing for tennis, and must say I was not really sorry when it began to rain after one sett, for I felt I had had about enough exercise. Oh I forgot to mention that I have woken up at a quarter to five the last two morning to see the sunrise on the Snows, and then gone back to bed again till 6.30
This a prosy letter and I’ll stop. Plans for my tour go well, and though I am loving being here I shall be thrilled to be off.
Best love to all.
LJT
From HPV to Annette
Darjeeling
May 14th 1935
My dear Annette
This change to the hills has not given me more to write about. Indeed the life that I lead is probably even more monotonous than that in Calcutta. I am at the Club. The others staying here are mostly not known to me. We sit at breakfast like mummies, and talk polite bunkum at other meals. Energy is lacking: up here I no longer run any fever, but I have a temperature well below normal and that means feeling wormish. It was not a bad journey up. Cool in the train to Siliguri: there must have been a storm somewhere near. Since then it has stoked up in Calcutta: 110 and 112 and that sort of thing: almost a record. We are well out of it. My committee has started; about my Bill. Very sticky yesterday: less so today. But progress is slow. I wonder if we’ll get it through. One tricky point is well over: three even more so remain. And even then it may be that the alterations made will be fatal: they make alterations – some notable improvements, for there are acute brains among them: but some for the mere sake of making them, and these sometimes have unexpected results. Nothing in a law is quite as simple as it looks.
Anyhow it is tiring work, and I come away each evening dead beat. Even though I were not seedy, it would be tiring.
Rain this evening: which on Sandakphu peak across the valley is snow. The hills showed yesterday morning: superb through light mist: - and this evening very cold – like over heavy cloud. Worth seeing. Some of the Everest climbers are here: not exciting people. Dull in fact. Darjeeling is not at first sight much changed by the earthquake. Some houses have vanished completely but this does not show.
I met Miss Pearse two days ago. Looking very well and apparently happy.
Your letters have gone to your mother at Gangtok. Three days to reach her and three more to reach me. So I cannot respond to anything in them
Much love
Daddie
P.S. This was wrong. The letters came to me: arrived last night. Highways must be uninhabitable now with mouthorgan added to wireless.
From LJT to Annette
The Residency
Gangtok
Sikkim
May 20th 1935
My darling Annette
I do hope you did not get chicken-pox – I suppose I shall hear by the letters that have come this mail and will probably reach me on Wednesday, after going to Dad in Darjeeling.
The weather has been so lovely to-day that it has been difficult to stay indoors and write letters. I managed the family letter rather indifferently this afternoon and then was partly tempted and partly thought it would be polite to go for a walk with Mrs. Williamson and the dogs after tea – We came back to find that the two Bengali botanists had arrived. They are quite youngsters and nice lads. We had to show them the little house where they are to stay for the couple of days that they are here – I have been checking over their baggage to see if it will go on to 2 mules, and finding out what they want to buy in the way of rations etc. for Mrs Williamson and I start at 7 o’clock to-morrow for Kalimpong and we shant be back till dinner-time and then I expect we shall be pretty tired and glad to have dinner and go to bed.
I wonder whether any of you would like this sort of mountain trekking which appeals to me so much – I’d love to have the opportunity of taking you for a walking tour in Switzerland or some mountainous country. I wonder whether the chance will ever come!
Your mind is pretty well concentrated on working for your exam, I suppose – Do you know the dates on which it takes place and when the results are out. I think I must ask Auntie to send me a D.L.T. (delayed letter telegram) when the results come out.
I wish I could play the mouth organ (This is suggested by your account of Gavin’s performances on that instrument). It would be awfully useful for teaching my Guides new tunes – which I find very difficult, as I cant sing –
Its time to change for dinner – and I have not written to Auntie! I must do so when I come to bed!
Best love, my dear – and don’t be disappointed if no letters come from me for the next week or two. I cant take a type-writer with me so my “journal” in the form of letters will have to be sent round to you all in turn.
Mum
From HPV to Annette
Darjeeling
May 21st 1935
My dear Annette.
The English mail was a day later than normal in reaching Calcutta and so I do not suppose that it will reach me until Thursday after being forwarded. I write therefore without the stimulus which your letter might have given.
To write at all is no easy matter. “Buccaneers without oaths – bricks without straw” as Stevenson said: letters without matter, in other words. In one phrase I say all: I went by myself to the movies yesterday. In that read a whole world of weariness and boredom: nothing less would have driven me to such an act. Not that the film was other than good: it is one which you have seen “One night of Love”: and I thought it excellent. – What has done me down is my Committee. It has done me proud really: I believe that I have got out of it everything that I wanted – “believe” because one is never sure with laws – but it has been a labour. I have agreed and pleaded without pause almost – and everyone else has argued simultaneously: which made it the more difficult. And I come away from each sitting completely done in. But my two years’ propaganda had not been fruitless. I believe that they believe in the scheme – everybody except the Government in fact.
The Everest party are here: all very young. The most part of it arrived yesterday. Uncouth is not word for many of them. Long hair and dirty shirts.
I met “Lovie” today. She inquired at length as to your doings and attainments. You must make an effort to live up to what I replied.
Rainy weather. Mist outside and gloom within. I believe that I shall become cheerful when this Committee finishes.
Much love
Daddie
From LJT to Annette
Singhik Dak Bunglow
Sikkim
May 24th 1935
My darling Annette
I’m not going to attempt to tell you very much about thetrip – as that will go into my “Journal” (which, by the way, I have not yet started writing - ) but I just want to send you a line to let you know I’m still alive and to thank you for your letter – which arrived just before I left – and which I sent on to Dad. You seem to have managed to do quite a lot of amusing things in spite of the quarantine.
We are being much irked by dozens and dozens of moths and other flying creatures, which have come in to disport themselves round the lamp – and incidentally fall down our necks – flutter in our faces and crawl across the writing paper –
We have made a successful start and neither of the girls or I are unduly exhausted from travelling without ponies, though we have been quite glad to sit down when we have got in of an afternoon – It will be interesting to see how we stand the high altitudes without something to ride upon. –
One reason I have not begun to write up the journal yet, is that the Bengali botanist – Hari (?) brings in a big basket of flowers each day and having sorted them out, requests me to come and write them up in the collecting note book. He can speak no English, but nothing in the way of a Latin or Greek flower name defeats him. We are trying to get the vernacular names too and some of the Bhutias and Sikkimese who are accompanying us thing it fine fun to give us the names and come and sit round each evening – To-night we did not do so many and worked much quicker, because I made him sort his specimens and put them between the drying papers before I came –
Its lovely being out on a trek again – and at present I am looking forward enormously to getting up amongst the high mountains and being out in tents – Possibly, when we get there I shant enjoy it quite so much!
We have been travelling through forest scenery and magnificent wooded mountain sides rising up from the Teesta river – these two days. Another march and a half should bring us into the Alpine regions of primulas and rhododendrons.
How quite astonishingly remote this must all seem to you!
Best love, my darling
from
Mum
From HPV to Annette
The Club,
Darjeeling
May 28th 1935
My dear Annette.
I gather that you are now a prefect and allowed to laugh. Choose your objects well and kindly. – I was really congratulating you. Amazing how quickly one grows senior. Quicker than the people round one, somehow. I do not understand about the German book – read and not understood: was the dictionary forbidden or was it useless? Idiom is a tricky thing. It is curious though how if one goes on reading one comes to know what phrases mean in a language by mere repetition in different contexts. – I have been reading the original gramophone book again and discovering how few of the conversations once known by heart almost I can recite even approximately. Beyond doubt the only way to learn a language is to talk it.
Two walks this week. Birch Hill on Saturday which takes about an hour, I suppose: and over Jalapatan(?) and back by the Auckland road on Sunday: an hour and 45 minutes. This, mark you, indicates a great improvement – for a fortnight ago I did not venture on walking even up to the Mayundas(?) to call – halfway up the Hill, and contented myself with going round the Mall. Ada Villa now is full of exiled Nepalis.
Work has been mere plugging away. I have to write a covering note about my redraft of the Bill about rural indebtedness: it grows and grows and gets no forrarder. 16 pages of type and the introductory disquisition not finished. It’s a nuisance not being able to believe that it will do any good. It is the old problem of Novae tabulae which the Gracchi tackled: and the remedies are no more likely to work now than then.
Much love
Daddie