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Letter №23 p. 2

and respect for him and give him my most friendly regards. But I will not have the pleasure of "catching up" any more of his letters or answering them for the next three months. As nothing whatever of the Society's original programme is yet settled upon, nor do I hope of seeing it settled for some time to come I have to give up my projected voyage to Bhootan, and my Brother M. is to take my place. We are at the end of September and nothing could be done by October 1st that might warrant upon my insisting to go thither. My chiefs desire me particularly to be present at our New Year's Festivals, February next, and in order to be prepared for it I have to avail myself of the three intervening months. I will, therefore, bid you now good-bye my good friend, thanking you warmly


Notes: 

Our New Year's Festivals refers to the Tibetan New Year called Losar (Wylie: lo-gsar) which varies in its date but generally falls on February or even early March (the 1882 losar was on February 18). Losar is celebrated for 15 days, with the main celebrations on the first three days.