Tibet--Harvey-Kelly, Harvey St. George Hume

i) Tibet Diary, recording his service as a Lieutenant attached to the 32nd Sikh Pioneers, with regular detailed entries and 14 sketches (including costumes and sketch maps), describing his advance through the Chumbi Valley and into Tibet, detailing skirmishes as they penetrated further into Tibetan territory, their meeting with the Tongsla Penlop, a friendly Bhutanese ruler (5 June, "...He seems an amiable old bird &, writing of birds, he has an imitation peacock head on his hat, which also has a border of skulls embroidered..."), the fighting around the key fort of Gyantse (27 June, "...The larger force had a very good show attacked the monastery and village on the hill-top & side about 3 miles west, blew up the place, killed about 400 & many llamas [sic] and had very few casualties..."), two weeks stationed in Gyantse (29 June, "... I am sharing Gurdon's room - The chief temple of the place - Its an extraordinary room all four sides one mass of shelves full of presumably Tibetan bibles and in the middle of one side a more than life size Buddha covered with brass not gold worse luck..."), a period characterised by intermittent fighting and extensive looting (8 July, "...Ransacked the old Buddha in my room today - got a cold chisel & hammer and investigated his inside as Davis said he was full of turquoise. He was certainly full of rubbish and we found 2 or 3 odds & ends - little brass Buddhas, caskets & 2 coins, one with a bit of gold on it..."), departing the fort on 14 July and reporting on 1 August that the company is "Within sight of fort of Lhasa" with hostilities by then concluded, the following six weeks spent encamped outside the city during negotiations leading to the Treaty of Lhasa with occasional incidents (19 August, "...Yesterday morning a Lama hovering round the Camp suddenly drew a sword & went for Cooke Young & Kelly...") as well as games of bridge and visits to the gymkhana, leaving Lhasa on 23 September and returning to Sikkim, c.75 pages; with, written from the reverse, an account of the taking of the village of Naini (4 pages) and an account of a dawn attack during the campaign (6 pages), further sketches including of Tibetan costume and Lhasa (9 pages), and captions for Indian photographs (only two photographs now present) including of Boer prisoners of war (15 pages), plus blanks, in pencil and purple crayon in a small 4to lined exercise book (205 x 165mm), 2 June to 23 October 1904, original blue cloth, worn, upper cover crudely repaired with tape, first page of text somewhat faded but still legible

ii) Photographs: Tibetan album and 3 other albums of photographs of Harvey-Kelly's military service and family photographs



iii) Report "On L[ines] of C[ommunication] in N.W. Persia", corrected typescript, 11 pages, [?1921]; series of c.24 illustrated autograph letters signed ("Daddy") by Harvey-Kelly to his sons describing in humorous terms his work in the Indian Army and as a magistrate, Persia and India, 1920s; eight farewell addresses, Masonic certificates, and similar documents, chiefly Indian, 1916-35 (one printed on silk); "Myauk", The Indian Army ABC. Calcutta: Thacker, Spink, & Co., n.d., oblong 8vo, original wrappers; set of miniature medals

Harvey St George Hume Harvey-Kelly (1880-1946); thence by family descent

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"...Some of the Gyantse garrison had marched out & occupied the high ridge on left. Pathans & 23rd made a frontal attack on the village, and our 2 Co[mpan]ys 32nd advanced along right - The enemy suddenly opened fire from the corner house on right when we were about 150 yards off. I didn't like it at all but we got under cover and maxims & 2 guns played on the house. After about half an hour we charged across the open under a fairly heavy fire and in short rushes got up to the house but could not get in one man shot on my left as we charged poor devil he turned round to me & said I'm hit I'm hit & fell forward. He died in an hour..."

AN EXCEPTIONAL AND UNPUBLISHED RECORD OF A REMOTE AND CONTROVERSIAL COLONIAL ADVENTURE. Harvey St George Hume Harvey-Kelly, known as Billy, was born in India in 1880 to a military family. He joined the Indian Army in 1900, and the British invasion of Tibet was his first active service. He was later to serve in Persia and in the Burmese Military Police, and remained in India until 1936. He died in England ten years later.

Harvey-Kelly's Tibet and other medals will be offered for sale at Morton and Eden in 'Orders, Medals and Decorations', London, 1-2 December 2016.