Part 67 - 6–7 June: Halt; pass reconnaissance, monsoon conditions, and local clothing notes

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SUMMARY:
The diarist halted due to weather, sent a man to reconnoitre a pass for snow conditions, searched unsuccessfully for blood pheasant young, and noted finding but not collecting P. yargonensis. They record local clothing said to come from near Tsetang on the Tsangpo and report heavy monsoon rain, with the scout later advising the pass is feasible but risky due to falling rocks; plans hinge on the Drogpas’ return from taking the Drok Locha to Shasjetang.

CONTENT:
6th June Halt. Very wet night, but fine most of the day. Sent a man up to the pass we want to cross, to see if there is too much snow. I say that 'we' want to cross, but I am probably the only one who wants it. The other way would be simpler & easier for the locals. I looked for blood pheasant young today with no success, though I saw many pairs. We found but did not collect P. yargonensis. Otherwise the day was blank. The locals mostly wear very gay chubas here, & I wanted to see them wearing them. But Ngudup tells me they all come from near Tsetang on the Tsangpo. That is the big bazaar we passed in '46 on the R bank, where the huge chorten is. The cloth is coloured & woven there it seems. But no Tibetan would ever wear clothes made of that pattern. Surely these used to be made in Bhutan? Of course the Drogpas here wear woollen clothes, not cotton which are general in Bhutan.

7th June Halt. A real monsoon day, rain almost all day, but never very heavy & no fine periods for long. One can almost see the snow drifts melting, & one can certainly hear the result of the rain & melting snow in the rocks falling down the hillside. The man we sent off yesterday morning got back by evening, & reported only about 30 yards of deep snow at the top. He, in fact, said we could go alright, as long as I did not mind boxes being bumped against rocks, & was prepared for a bad bit of 200 yds where rocks keep falling down. I don't like the last thing. It is always beastly, but I think we should try when the Drogpas come back from taking the Drok Locha down to Shasjetang. In the meantime, as there is so little up