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Addis's correspondence with Mills, whom he met in Hong Kong in 1884, covers the years 1885 to 1937. Until 1903 many of Addis's letters here are also in his letter books and apart from one brief note, there are no letters from Addis to Mills in the 1930s. The letters are legible and in good condition and are arranged in yearly bundles.From 1885 until 1929 Addis wrote long letters to Mills about all aspects of his life, sometimes in the form of a diary. It is here that he writes not only of his personal and domestic life but also of his work and of national and international affairs, mentioning his position in the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and other business matters as well as Eastern and European politics.Although Addis's letters to Mills were preserved in annual bundles, Mills' letters to Addis were divided into two separate groups. Most of the long letters for 1886-96 were bound into a book while the shorter notes for the same period remained loose. Unlike Addis's other correspondents Mills rarely mentions the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) but he writes at length of Chinese affairs and in early letters expresses hopes of revisiting China. His letters show his interest in world affairs, especially in North America (his wife was Canadian), South Africa, where he expected to serve, and Europe, where he was on active service; he also refers to his work with the Royal Engineers and interest in submarine mining as well as maps, theology, agriculture and his own and Addis'sfamilies. Mills was always anxious to meet Addis whenever possible and many letters concern meeting arrangements. He died in London in 1937.
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