My plans have been somewhat altered, <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />& I would hope for the better, as there is a <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />p<subst xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <del rendition="#ow"><gap reason="covered" unit="chars" quantity="2" /></del> <add place="across">o</add> </subst>ssibility of my visiting <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0011427 http://www.geonames.org/1280737">Lhassa</placeName> instead of <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" /><choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <abbr>N. W.</abbr> <expan>North West</expan> </choice> <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0009370 https://www.geonames.org/1279685">Thibet</placeName>, whither an Embassy has <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />already gone 4 months ago & which I could <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />not have joined before the middle or end <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />of next year, if then. That Embassy is composed <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />of 3 persons<subst xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <del rendition="#ow">,</del> <add place="across">.</add> </subst> <subst xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <del rendition="#ow">t</del> <add place="across">T</add> </subst>he Naturalist is an intimate friend <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />& old shoolfellow of my own, D<hi xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" rendition="#sup">r</hi> <persName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0003944 http://d-nb.info/gnd/117351946">Thomson</persName>, son <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />of the <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0020503 https://www.geonames.org/2648579">Glasgow</placeName> <persName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0003943 http://d-nb.info/gnd/117351970">Professor of Chemistry</persName>: he has an <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />excellent set of instruments & I have forwarded<pb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" n="2v" />to him a copy of your instructions, <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />of which he will fully avail himself. <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />The<choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <sic>i</sic> <corr type="deleted" /> </choice><del xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" rendition="#s">r</del> object of their mission is, to settle <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />the boundary line between the territories <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />of <persName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0020838 https://d-nb.info/gnd/1261357256">Gholab Sing</persName> & <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0009265">Chinese Tartary</placeName>, & I last <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />heard from <persName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0003944 http://d-nb.info/gnd/117351946">Thomson</persName> from the banks of <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />the <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0018184 https://www.geonames.org/1115006">Sutledge</placeName>, on his way to <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0020499 https://www.geonames.org/1281218">Gartope</placeName>, where <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />the party are to meet 3 Chinese Commiss<g xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="#typoHyphen" /><lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" break="no" />ioners. This cooperation of the Chinese with <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />our party, augurs well for the progress of <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />the expedition. They pass this winter at <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" /><placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0011406 https://www.geonames.org/1264976">Leh</placeName> & proceed in spring to the <choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <abbr>N. W.</abbr> <expan>North West</expan> </choice>, passing <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />to the Southward of <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0010713 https://www.geonames.org/1281307">Yarkand</placeName> & so on to <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" /><placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0000377 https://www.geonames.org/1280849">Kashgar</placeName>. It is proposed to send another <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />mission to <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0011427 http://www.geonames.org/1280737">Lhassa</placeName> from <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0016218 https://www.geonames.org/1275004">Calcutta</placeName>, in the hope <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />of opening a communication with the Thibet <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />t<subst xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <del rendition="#ow"><gap reason="covered" unit="chars" quantity="1" /></del> <add place="across">r</add> </subst>ibes & should this be carried out I hope <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />to be allowed to accompany them. Our <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />route will thus be that followed by <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" /><persName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0004092 http://d-nb.info/gnd/129956252">Turner</persName> & will <del xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" rendition="#s">I hope</del> throw much light on <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />the <choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <abbr>N.</abbr> <expan>North</expan> </choice> <subst xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <del rendition="#s">ch</del> <add place="intralinear">portion</add> </subst> of the <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0006863 https://www.geonames.org/1252558">Himalayah</placeName> chain. <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />Should I be disappointed in this my <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />present intention is to start in <date xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" notBefore="1848-03-01" notAfter="1848-03-31" calendar="#gregorian">March</date> <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />for <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0017337 https://www.geonames.org/1273467">Darjeeling</placeName>, in the <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0010238 https://www.geonames.org/1256312">Sikkim</placeName> province, a <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />little explored country, rich in plants, from <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />whence I shall if possible push on to <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />the Snowy range of <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0005234 https://www.geonames.org/1252634">Bootan</placeName>, but the Chinese<pb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" n="3r" />authorities are so jealous, that my hopes <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />are not high in that quarter. I shall <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />however be able to obtain a complete <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />set of observations at <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0017337 https://www.geonames.org/1273467">Darjeeling</placeName> (<measure xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" quantity="7600" unit="foot">7.600 <choice> <abbr>ft</abbr> <expan>feet</expan> </choice></measure>). <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />In <date xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" notBefore="1848-11-01" notAfter="1848-11-30" calendar="#gregorian">November</date> I return to <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0016218 https://www.geonames.org/1275004">Calcutta</placeName> & <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />thence go slowly up t<supplied xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" cert="high">o</supplied> the <choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <abbr>N. W</abbr> <expan>North West</expan> </choice> provinces <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />arriving at the End of the cool season at <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />the mountains, which I shall penetrate <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />when <choice xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"> <sic>accessable</sic> <corr>accessible</corr> </choice>. <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0001596 https://www.geonames.org/1282988">Nepaul</placeName> is I believe <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />quite closed to Europeans, but from <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0018110 https://www.geonames.org/1278974">Almorah</placeName> <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />I may proceed by the <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0019116 https://www.geonames.org/1261269">Niti</placeName> pass to the <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />lake <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0018705 https://www.geonames.org/1280615">Masanomawa</placeName>. Previous to this I <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />shall have crossed the <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0020870 https://www.geonames.org/1253158">Vindhya range</placeName> <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />on the <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0019106 https://www.geonames.org/1261774">Nerbudda</placeName>, so that to vary my <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />route on returning the 2<hi xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" rendition="#sup"><hi rendition="#u">nd</hi></hi> year I may <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />be induced to take the <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0020583">Malwa</placeName> provinces <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />& <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0020605 https://www.geonames.org/1279396"><choice> <abbr>Mt.</abbr> <expan>Mount</expan> </choice> Aboe</placeName>, on the borders of <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0010255">Scinde</placeName>, & so <lb xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" />down to <placeName xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" ref="https://edition-humboldt.de/H0005304 https://www.geonames.org/1275339">Bombay</placeName>.