Item 7 - Letter from George to Ruth Mallory, 2 April 1924

Letter from George Mallory to Ruth from Yatung

Full Transcript

My dearest Ruth,

It seems I ought to get off a letter to you tomorrow morning in order to be certain of catching the mail. I don’t know that I have a very great deal to tell you. The great thing is that I have had your second letter & those from Clare & Berry. Dearest one I think it wonderful of you to settle down & be cheerful & enterprising and sociable. It must be difficult I know to start in with Cambridge life by yourself. You evidently managed to let Frances see something of life & she must have enjoyed herself; she kindly wrote me a note by this mail too. I am glad also to hear that Mr Blunt has not deserted as I rather feared he had done. It was good of him really to stay away when he felt that he couldn’t do much in the garden. I am sorry you have had such a cold March. I expect you will be very glad to enjoy some spring weather away from Cambridge.

All goes well with me. The march from Sedongchen to Gnathong [Gnatong] was glorious, Kanchenjunga & his neighbour appearing magnificently; I haven’t seen any distant mountain view before from this part & we counted ourselves very lucky. Gnathong [Gnatong] (12,500 ft) was not so cold this time, though the veranda was bunged up with snow, & from their [there] we made two easy stages here, stopping the night in a little rest house an hour down this side of Jelap La. Norton & I walked up to the pass (14,500 ft) together & were pleased to think that we felt fitter than last year. I certainly am feeling very fit now. I sleep long & well & can walk as fast as anyone.

We have had a few good signs of Spring – on the Sikkim side a most lovely little primula flourishing from 9,000 to 11,000 ft, with the habit of our English primrose only somewhat smaller & neater, and of a delicious crimson colour; and Rhododendron Falconeri, a big bright red fellow was flowering freely a bit lower. On this side we have another primula, denticulata, paler in colour & of the polyanthus type, very freely scattered over the meadows; & we have our old friend Daphne, I know not what species. The conifers too in this valley are all showing green.

It has been a wonderfully pleasant journey so far, with bright sun & pleasant conditions altogether. And it has been a very jolly company. We found the first contingent here no less happy than ourselves. The General (entrenous) has not been quite well & has stayed here today while Norton takes on the first party. The slack day here has been very pleasant. I have had a long ramble with Irvine.

I shall wish you Good Night & send this off brief as it is. Remember me to all my friends – but I forget you won’t be seeing them at present. I wonder where this letter will find you. It should reach you near about the 1st of May. Perhaps you have forgotten the significance of that date - will you think of me very specially on May 1 & may it be as good a day as it was in 1914.
Please thank Clare & Berry very much for their letters which I much enjoyed; & I liked the cards with flower pictures. It will be sometime yet before John can write me letters!

Now farewell dearest love. I waive you many kisses & see you smiling & happy & resolved so to be even during the month of May.

Ever your loving George.

I address this to Westbrook as I should like it to find you there & if you are with them will you please give my love to father Hugh & Marjorie; & in case you meet them remember me to Allen & Scott & the Fletchers. I shall be writing to Evelyn I hope. I am sorry for what you say about Alan, but a very young man’s view is generally exaggerated. I wish myself that A. would look tidier; I don’t know that it matters about his working provided he uses his mind somehow as he clearly does. My love to him when you see him.