KINGDON-WARD, Frank.

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"Yunnan and the Tai Peoples". First appearance in print of the last great western plant-hunter's account of his travels in Burma and south-western China in spring 1937. Descriptions of monasteries, markets, dwellings and local customs sit alongside his observations of the effects of modernisation on this still remote region. Also included in this issue is a piece by the explorer and botanist Ronald Kaulback, who accompanied the author on his 1932 expedition to south-eastern Tibet.Beginning with his crossing into Yunnan on 1 April 1937, Frank Kingdon-Ward (1885-1958) describes the many troubles that he encountered, including navigating roads notorious for banditry and appeasing obstructive officials. At times, his observations are typical of the western gaze: "[the Tai] struck me as being a very poor lot. That they are lazy and unenterprising is obvious" (p. 627). After encountering difficulties with onward travel permits, he decides to return to Burma, reaching Rangoon on 19 May. Experience gained on this expedition and his many other journeys through Asia led to an official appointment during the Second World War to find routes to link up Allied troops and supplies with Chinese forces.While this piece focuses on his route and experiences, Kingdon-Ward's passion for botany is never far away: "soon after crossing the frontier we became aware of one unmissable sign that we were really in China - namely, the presence of the wild tea plant. I say wild tea because Camellia Thea, a

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