Part 143 - 18th August: Route to Narim Thang via Singhi Dzong

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SUMMARY:
The diarist reset a damaged aneroid using the known height of Singhi Dzong, endured rain, and recounts leech bites involving both the writer and Ludlow. On 18th August they went 2 miles to Narim Thang (13,900 ft), the path passing the Dzong through fir forest before a steep climb to the plateau with rhododendron but no fir.

CONTENT:
towering cliffs close in on all sides. We are just at the
end of the fir trees. Yesterday I dropped and displaced
part of the aneroid, but managed to get it right today:
only the readings will now not be continual, as I had
to reset to the known height of Singhi Dzong. A most
annoying thing to have happened. As soon as we
reached camp the rain came on hard, and it went on
all evening. Today I had what I hope will be
my last leech bite. He got through my long boots
somehow. When Ludlow saw it he rather laughed, and said I
should wear breeches, not shorts, then they wouldn't get at
me, and went on to say how lucky he had been with leeches.
However I had the laugh on him, as when he took his
boots and socks off, there was a fine fat one in his sock, which
had had its fill. A leech injects something first, to make the
blood run or keep it from coagulating, and this seems to
affect Ludlow more than me. It was some hours before the
bite stopped bleeding.

18th August. NARIM THANG. 2 miles. 13900'. Path passes the Dzong,
and keeps at first steep up through fir forest, some distance from
the Narim Thang river, on the R. bank. After 1/2 mile not so
steep, it climbs very steeply over open hillside to the
plateau of Narim Thang at m 2. Here there is ample
rhododendron wood but no fir. The plain of Narim Thang