Diary C, December 5, 1933-July 6, 1934

DIARY C Beginning December 15 ^[[[5]]], 1933, and ending July 6, 1934. Relating to the collecting of natural history specimens for the Smithsonian Institution by - David C. Graham The last box filled was No. 260. The last mammal was No. 1263. December 15, 1933. The new netter Dai has been working regularly, with meager success on account of the cold weather. The netter Yao has returned from Kuanshien with nearly a box of insects after they have been culled out or picked over. We have used the night lantern and recently nothing at all has been caught such as night moths. A curious thing is that several species of butterflies are still to be found. It seems as though the butterflies are more hardy than the moths. I have forwarded the large shipment of skins to Chungking in care of a friend, Rev. A. P. Quentin. I told him to send them to Dr. Tompkins at Suifu, who would send them on by steamer. I had a fine passport from the Szechuan Government in Dr. Tompkin's hands. Mr. Quentin sent them by a Chinese cargo boat to Chungking, which is very much less safe, although it is very much cheaper. I hope for good luck in their reaching Chungking safely; I have telegraphed to Dr. Tompkins to send the all-important passport on to Gordon Jones at Chungking, who can ship them on to Shanghai by means of a foreign steamship company. January 2, 1934. A few weeks ago the Wa Si aborigine collector Li Song Hin was seriously ill and would have died if I had not sent him to the hospital. Two days ago Ho Son Chuen came in with news that Yang Hong Tsang had been burnt to death by a forest fire while hunting the tarkin on a very high mountain. We are trying to recover his body and give him a decent burial. This will be very hard on his family, for he was their main means of support. This is the hardest luck I have met in all my years collecting. He was much more like a son to me than a hired man. He has been one of my most dependable workers for many years. My new year was not a very happy one.

-2- January 8, 33. Yang Hong Tsang may have been murdered. I have written to the officials to investigate and sent back Ho Son Chuen to finish up everything and bury Yang Ho Tsang. January 12, 1934. More troubles. I got an air mail letter from Rev. Gordon Jones and Chungking, of the Canadian Business Agency, saying that in spite of our passports the customs people have held up the 24 boxes of animal skins and bones. The names of the skins, the numbers, and the weights of skins and bones were required. I'm replying by air mail. January 13, 1934. Today I sent Yao as a spy to find out what is being done about the death of Yang Hong Tsang. January 22 1933. 1. Mammal 1264 female mt. goat dark brown 2. Ditto 1265 3. 1266 female gray-black mt. goat white tail Ditto 1267 male black monkey Ditto 1268 male black monkey purchased. No. 1269 wild rat. I have been reckoning acounts with Ho Son Chuen, the skinner. His measurements are not very dependable. There are a couple of nice-looking mountain goats, one a new kind to my collecting. There is a pheasant that is also new to my collecting. 1274 is a weasel. 1270-1306 wild rats, moles and squirrels (2). I am working a little each day to get the recent collection ready to ship. January 29, 1934. Filled box No. 261 Rat skeletons. Box 262 4 pheasants 2 wa wa gi male 1 " " female 1 Shan' za^2 tsi^3 Box 263 small box of rat bones value @3.00 [[underline]]Box 264-5, Insects.[[/underline]] Box 266, 34 ratskins. January 29, 1934. Two days ago the hunter Li Song Hin came in with six regular tarkin. One straight-horned tarkin, 3 antelope (cliff asses), 2 white Pandas, 2 gray mountain goats, female, 1 cliff goat, 1 lynx, 3 weasels, 2 squirrels, 1 yellow cat.

-3- We valued them at: 6 tarkin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$300.00 1 small tarkin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40.00 3 antelope - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 120.00 2 white pandas - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 100.00 4 black deer - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 80.00 2 Pan Yang - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50.00 1 cliff goat - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15.00 1 lynx - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20.00 1 yellow cat - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8.00 weasels, etc.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3.00 Total - - - - - - - - - - - - -$725.00 While the amount totals a larger sum, I got the hunter to agree on $725.00 Mexican. January 30, 1934. Filled boxes 267, 10 birds. Filled box 268, 5 birds, 4 skeletons. Filled box 269, 10 birds. Filled box 270, 1 small black monkey, 1 lb. 1 brown mountain goat, 4 catties. Filled box 271 1 black deer 3 catties 1 white tailed mountain goat 1-1/2 catties Box 272 Snake value - - $3.00 Box 273, Insects " [[ditto for: value]] - - 3.00 Box 274 Snake value - - - 3.00 Mammal 1307 Box 275, Insects Box 276, 6 mammal skins value 10.00 Box 277 contains mammal 1307 and 1267, weight 4 catties. Box 278 a mountain duck pheasant, a red pheasant vanugi ^[[?]] a brown pheasant Mammal 13072 a lynx 1-1/2 catties. Mammal 1308 yellow cat 1 catty. Mammal 1309 weasel [[male symbol]] Mammal 1310 weasel [[male symbol]] Mammal 1311 weasel [[female symbol]] Mammal 1312 squirrel Mammal 1313 squirrel All but 1307 in Box 276. Today mailed 7 boxes of specimens and packed more. Spent some time labelling specimens.

-4- February 1, 1934. Filled box 279. Insects value 3.00 mammal 1314. Mailed today seven boxes of specimens and packed four more for shipping. February 2, 1933. Mailed four larger boxes of specimens. Filled box 280 skulls of mammals.. In box 281 mammal 1333 is the female hanyang or large-horned goat. Box 282 a black mt. goat skin No. 1331 $12.00 Box 283 is skin 1328. A white-black mountain goat $10.00. February 5, 1934. Mailed two more large boxes of specimens. The carpenter is making boxes in which the large skins may be packed. February 6, 1934. Box 284 animal 1330. Box 285 animal 1329. Today we dried one of the White Panda skins which had not been thoroughly dried. We filled the above boxes for shipping. I killed two [[underlined]]tame[[/underlined]]^[[tiny]] woodpeckers and had them skinned. February 7, 1934. Today I weighed the skins and put most of them in large boxes for shipment. Filled Box 285, animal skulls 6.00 286, same 4.00. Box 287, skull, $4.00 288, animal skin 12.00. The skins mentioned above are being prepared for shipment. I am required to give their names and weights by the customs officials. No. 1317, White Panda 13 catties 17 lbs. No. 1324, talsin 23 lbs. No. 1323, " [[ditto for: talsin]] 15 " [[ditto for: lbs.]] No. 1318, " [[ditto for: talsin]] 42 " [[ditto for: lbs.]] No. 1322, " [[ditto for: talsin]] 38 " [[ditto for: lbs.]] No. 1314, " [[ditto for: talsin]] 42 " [[ditto for: lbs.]] No. 1320, " [[ditto for: talsin]] 22 " [[ditto for: lbs.]] No. 1315, Antelope cliff ass 14 lbs. No. 1316, " " " [[ditto for: Antelope cliff ass]] 13 lbs. No. 1321, " " " [[ditto for: Antelope cliff ass]] 14 lbs. No. 1319, Talsin 16 Lbs. No. 1325, White Panda 19 lbs. No. 1326, Wild Boar 15 lbs. No. 1327, White Panda 21 lbs. Wght 25 cats.

-5- Box 289, value 282 Box 290, value $30.00 Box 291, value 25.00 Box 292, value 40.00 Box 293, value 35.00 Box 294, value 40.00 Box 298, value 20.00 Box 296, value 20.00 Box 297, value 20.00 Box 298, value 20.00 Box 299, value 20.00 Box 300, value 25.00 Box 301, - 6.00 Box 302, - 25.00 Box 303, value 20, bones and skulls Box 304, two animal skulls, weight 10 lbs, value $6.00 Box 305, animal skulls and fish, value 6.00 Box 306, two animal skulls, 33 lbs, value $10.00 307 two animal skulls, value $10.00, weight 20 lbs. February 14, 1934. Today the customs official came and inspected the 19 boxes I am to ship to Shanghai for the Smithsonian Institution. Because the Smithsonian Institution is sending type specimens to the West China Union University, no export duty is being charged, and a passport is being issued. Mr. Starrett, an American citizen, is taking them all to Shanghai as a personal favor. February 23, 1934. I have recently worked up the Smithsonian accounts and found that the money on hand is very low. I therefore wrote to Dr. Wetmore urging that more money be sent me at once. There are some fine mammal skins on the way here, and I may have to refuse them or advance the money out of my own pocket. Because of the shortness of money I am having to let my two mammal collectors work for Smith of the Field Museum this spring, hoping that next fall I can hire them again. March 30, 1934. Recently I have bought some good mammal skins at a reduced price. I am telling the hunters that I can not buy any large animal skins for awhile. Ho is constantly getting birds and skinning them. The two netters are getting a few insects. April 3, 1934. The skinner Ho is buying rare birds in the city and skinning them. There are two netters, Yao and Zen.

-6- Hereafter I will refuse all large animals until finances get better. April 7th, 1934. I have sold a tarkin^[[?]] skin, a white Panda skin and a leopard skin. I have purchased for the Smithsonian: 2 white Pandas 1 with a complete skelet 1 White Panda bdy^[[?]] 4 small animals I paid for white Panda and skeleton 40.00 White panda - - - - - - - - - - - - 30.00 Baby Panda - - - - - - - - - - - - 12.00 3 small mammals - - - - - - - - - - 10.00 Mammal No. Price 1328, white Panda & skeleton - - - 40.00 1329, white Panda, skull - - - - - 30.00 1330, flying squirrel) 1331 - 2. small ani- ) - - - - - - - 10.00 mals with skulls) 1333 - wild cat 1334, Red deer [[female symbol]] - - - - - - - - - 40.00 1335, Baby White Panda - - - - - - 12.00 1336, antelope - - - - - - - - - - 20.00 from Mufin with entire skeleton 1337, Mountain sheep with whole skeleton from Mufin - - - - - - - 7.00 1338, deer from near Wen Chuan with skull - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23.00 I have sold one good panda skin and one good female talsin skin and a leopard skin so as to save expenses. Mammal 1339 is a golden-haired monkey from Wen Chuan Shien. Box 308, Insects from Hanchow near Chengtu Szechuen, China in 308. Box 309, animal skins and insects value 9.00 Box 310 small white Panda skin $10.00 Box 311, Deer skin $30 (Paid $40.00 No. 1334 14 catties. Box 312, White Panda Box 313, White panda No. 17 catties No. 1328. Box 314, Female talsin^[[?]] from Wen Chuan Shien 23.00

-7- 315 Skin of a wolf 5.00 and a golden-haired monkey 12.00. April 21, 1934. Animal No. 1340 - White Panda. Box No. 316, mammal 1338 value, 17 catties. Box 317, White Panda $6.00, 11 catties, Mammal 1340 Box 318, No. 1340 ^[[C]]catties mountain goat 7.00 Box 319, Bones of White panda $12.00 17 catties. Box 320, Bones of mountain goat skull of white panda $6.00 9 catties Box 321, Bones of antelope 10.00 18 catties. Box 322, mammal 1336 10 catties 323, Skull bones, value 5.00 $10.00 10 catties. Mammal 1341 is a fox, purchased at Chengtu, April 18, 34 April 21, 1934. Today I weighed the above skins and labelled boxes. I want to make plans to ship these out as soon as possible. I received a letter from Kiating about a very rare animal skin. I could get it for about $40.00 gold. I covet it for the Smithsonian but I'm afraid to buy it until I hear that a check has been sent. 324 animal skin. April 26, 1934. Recently the netter Yao returned from Kuanshien where he has been working in the hills. He was handicapped by rainy weather but brought back three boxes. I have not had time to sift them out thoroughly. Box 325 is insects from Chengtu. Boxes 326 - 8 are insects from Kuanshien altitude 2,500 to 3,500 feet. April 30, 34. The skinner Ho has gone on vacation. I will start night moth catching at once.

-8- May 26, 1934. I have laid off the netter Yao for a month. I have written several very urgent letters to the Smithsonian Institution requesting information as to what money could be available for next year, and also asking that the remainder of the $1000.00 promised for the year 1933-34 be forwarded to me. I have received no response whatever. I dare not, therefore, make definite plans for next summer's work. I have a shipment of skins I'd like to get sent off, but I am afraid to send them without further information and assurance that money from the Smithsonian Institution will be forthcoming. June 4, 1934. I am laying off collectors because I have no information that money has been sent me at Shanghai. I have laid off the collector Yao a month. Ren is collecting at Kuanshien. He brought back 4 boxes of insects and is going again tomorrow. One thing I have not mentioned in these notes. My wife was in the hospital six weeks during March and April. She was so near death that she was not expected to live. In May she had a major operation from which she is now in the hospital recovering. June 11, 34. We have received news that the money has been provided for further work, and has been received at Shanghai. Ho [[underlined]]Son[[/underlined]]^[[Sou]] Chuan has returned from his vacation. San is beginning to practice up for the summer work. I have received a government passport for the shipment of animal skins, and will send it off at the first opportunity. I will mail some bird skins and some insects. Box 329 is 25 birdskins, value 6.00 Box 330 - 8 bird skeletons 4 bottles insects value 3.00 Box 331, Birdskins value $3.00 Box 332 - 5 Insects value 3.00 each June 14, 34. Mailed Five [[underlined]]boxes of specimens.[[/underlined]] June 15, 1934. Filled box 336, a mammal, small fox value $3.00 June 22, 34. Filled Boxes 337 - 9 Insects from Kuanshien.

-9- Yesterday I opened all the boxes of skins and bones and with shelltox killed all the insects, and put more arsenic on the skins. We tried to stop up all the cracks. June 27, 1934. Yesterday the mammal collector arrived with: 2 wild oxen 1 Baby wild ass 4 white pandas 2 Racoons or badgers 1 Leopard 1 Mt. goat 1 pheasant 1 baby bear 1 Bab. badger I bought the entire lot for $117.00. The insects are terrible and it will be exceedingly hard to save these. One white panda has a whole skeleton. One wild ass also has. The rest have heads and feet. I have called carpenters and am making boxes for them. Mammal 1342 = a badger, male. An infant mammal 1343 is an infant leopard fr.^[[?]] a lynx, infant of No. Mammal 1350 is a baby black bear. No. 1344 wild ox with skeleton, male box 384. Box 381 - 1345 wild ox without skeleton. 1346 Lynx, mother 1347 White Panda with skeleton, Box 379. 1348 White Panda Box 383 1349 White Panda Box 382 1350 Baby black bear 1351 Baby cliff ass 1356 Mountain goat. 1357-8 Grown up Badgers. Box 340, Three mammal skins $5.00 Baby bear, lynx, and badger Box 341 baby cliff ass value $6.00 Box 342 two badgers $6.00 Box 343 = Mountain goat $6.00

-10- Box 344, Leopard skin mother of the baby lynx, value $7.00 Box 345 Insects from Chengtu $2.00 June 30, 1934. Hard work Packing for the trip. July 3rd, 1934. We started for Mt. Omei, reaching Kiating July 4, and Mt. Omei July 6th. Mr. Pen of the University and Yao the netter are with me. Mr. San and Mr. Pen are to join me at Kiating July 18, and we will go down to Suifu, to collect on the Szechuan Yunnan Border.