SUMMARY:
Notes plant specimens and habitats around Cha La, with route details toward Zimsathi and mention of the Takar La being snowbound. Records Lumsden treating a local woman and reports local news about the Rimpoche's daughter and proposed marriage ties with the Bhutan Maharani's family.

CONTENT:
Cha La May 14 - Saxifraga monantha sp. nov. 1584, Anemone brahmaputrae 1585, Pegophyton scapiflorum 1587, 1588, Primula advena 1589, Lloydia serotina 1591, Primula glabra 1592, Fritillaria cirrhosa 1595, Anemone trullifolia var. linearis 1594.

Cha La 15th 70
Rhododendron paludosum 1598
Off to the E, at about N 8, but to the Cha La the main valley is followed to Zimsathi. From here the road turns W to the Cha La. Another path follows straight on. This is only used from N to S occasionally. The Takar La is said to be pretty deep in snow still.

Primula atrodentata
We came across the usual Primula atrodentata in masses. Rhododendrons also especially on the W side, all the same, a form of 1555 (Rhododendron vellereum). There is a good deal of fir and juniper. Primula roylei is common here and Primula pygmaeorum also. Further up Primula glabra 1592 is common, and there are signs of a good many other things, saxifrage, allium etc.

Lumsden had a case of a woman yesterday who wanted treatment. She had had 7 children, all of them feet first. The pretty woman at Sangacholing is the Rimpoche's daughter. He told the Bhutan Maharani's mother was to marry her. He came here, but went on to Kham. But she wants to marry into Bhutan. It is a pity it cannot be arranged, to bring in new blood. The locals have the belief that Tobgye's second son is...

SUMMARY:
The party camps 1 mile west of Gyadzong after crossing to the left bank and reports friendly but guarded locals fearful of the Phokpon official. Notes describe exploitative tax practices leading to depopulation and poverty in nearby areas. Subsequent entries record a halt day for organization and cold, cloudy weather with snow on the 18th.

CONTENT:
16th Jan. Camp 1 m W of Gyadzong. Cleared up & was a very pretty day indeed. We crossed in a single trip to the L bank, which took 15 minutes. Rear opposite journey takes 20 min. Road very bad ready. We left the track before reaching Gyadzong & turned N to the links where we have a lovely camp. People are friendly but very guarded. They are afraid of officials, knowing only the 'Phokpon' here, who is an official changed every three years. The present one has been here for one year. For the last 3-4 years the Phokpon's treatment of locals in collecting taxes has been such that many families have left for Kongbo. He supplies tea, butter & salt & takes in place 6 bos for every 1 he gives. The result of all this has been that whereas there were 104 'kangs' in Tembe Dzong, there are now 34: in Be there were 9, now 2 1/2: in Gyadzong a similar diminution, from 11 to 4 1/2. A kang is a measure of what is available in barley & equals 40 bos. The people who are here appear to be very poor indeed, & also medically in bad condition.

17th Jan. Halt. Perfect day. Stayed in camp & got organized.

18th Jan. Cloudy & cold all day: snowed on the links down to about 8000 on the N

SUMMARY:
The party forded rivers along the Gale Chu, noting shelters used by men tending H.H.'s cattle en route to Bumthang, and encountered their first rhododendrons (R. rhabdotum), with Tsungpen climbing a tall tree to reach blooms. They met Bhutanese with H.H.'s cattle and made camp on the Jirgang Chu between Korphu and Nabzi, with little else of interest noted in the dense forest and no knowledge of the Black Mountain from locals.

CONTENT:
fordable, but probably impossible in summer. The river is
forded several times, and where two valleys join, both
of equal size. Here a convenient camp can be made.
Water good. All down the Gale Chu are temporary
shelters, which are used by the men looking after H.H.'s
cattle, which come down here for the winter. They are
now on their way back to Bumthang. — Today we
came across the first rhododendrons, which I am pretty
certain are all R. rhabdotum, though the red marking is
not so marked as in those I have seen before. The first
was fully 70 feet up a very tall tree, & Tsungpen did very
well indeed to get there. The flowers were almost over.
Here they are in full bloom, also high up trees, & the
shrubs are very leggy, two to four flowers, very little
scent. Nothing else of much interest, & the forest is too
thick to wander about in. Met some Bhutanese with H.H.'s
cattle, going to Bumthang, but they know nothing of the
Black Mountain.

28th April. Camp on the Jirgang Chu, between Korphu & Nabzi. 10 miles.
B.P. 205.3° Temp. 76° Time - 4.30 p.m. From last camp keep to

SUMMARY:
Notes on unsuccessful searches for bird eggs near Black mountain, observations of Primula involucrata, and receipt of fresh vegetables from HM at Bumthang with a return letter mentioning Bumthang forests and George. On 23rd June at camp on Dungshinggang south of Nabzi La, fine weather accompanied a long collecting day with Tenduk, yielding few flowers but adding a primula (No. 3301), likely P. umbratilis, which was difficult to photograph.

CONTENT:
Black mountain - if we are not too early. All the coolies went out for blood pheasant's eggs today, but no result, except one woodcock's nest with four eggs. In this boggy meadow P. involucrata is common. It has a slight pink tinge. This evening a man arrived from HM at Bumthang, bearing a load of fresh vegetables - lettuce etc - a most welcome gift. I am sending him back tomorrow with a letter in which I have just mentioned the question of Bumthang forests, but have not said anything of George coming.

23rd June. Camp on Dungshinggang S of Nabzi La. 8 miles. Ht. 14000 app.
A most lovely day with not a drop of rain yet (5.0 pm). Clouded over of course after 7.30, but bright sunny patches all day. Still we have a very small collection of flowers - only two - although Tenduk and I were out from 6.0 am till 3.30 pm. But I never mind how few when the list of primulas is added to. Today we got No 3301, which we had seen last time just coming up, now in full flower, but rather scarce. It is a pretty primula, colour of P. macrophylla exactly, and growing in many ways very like P. Cawdoriana. It is a brute to get a photo of, as it won't keep still in the slightest breeze. I presume it is P. umbratilis, but

SUMMARY:
The writer moved camp to a site below Mera to avoid wind and dust, noting bearings for the Cholin La, Sirkim La, and the course of the Mera Chu. On 11 March at Trongsa, the writer and Tenduk searched the hills for flowers, finding Primula whitei common but most other plants not in flower, and noted impressive forests including Abies and Juniperus.

CONTENT:
up there, I moved down to a camp about 4 miles below
Mera, there the wind is not so bad, & there is no
dust. But I fear I won't get much even here. The only
sign of plants were Meconopsis (Meconopsis paniculata 1171,
Meconopsis nepalensis 1172) which of course is not
in flower. This was seen in several places. Blue Primula
(Primula whitei) or a little Gentian. As far as I can see, the Mera valley
here runs pretty well E & W, giving a bearing from Mera to
the Cholin La of about 280. The Sirkim La is one mile
off the road at a bearing of 170°. Mera Chu comes from
about 140° M heading 1 m above Mera, & again to the South
about 1 mile W of the Cholin La.

11th March. Halt. Trongsa, Tenduk & I spent from 6:30 till 2 pm
looking all over the hills for flowers. But we failed to find
any flowers at all, barring Primula 1166 (Primula whitei 1166), which is everywhere
where the moss is damp. I even saw it coming into flower
through the snow in places. The locals say it comes into
seed in the Bhutanese 9th month, but that seems too late
for this flower. Another Meconopsis (Meconopsis nepalensis 1172) was seen, not in
flower. The trees here are magnificent. Besides larch, rhododendron
& birch there are whole hillsides of Abies (spectabilis webbiana?) 1174
(Abies spectabilis 1174) & Juniperus recurva 1175.

SUMMARY:
Travel continues through dense forest to a camp at mile 11. On 30 March the party goes 9 miles to Byiti Sam over Mön La, descending into pine forests along the Mangde Chu and collecting Bauhinia and Erythrina flowers; Bhutanese porters are fewer than expected. On 31 March they proceed 8 miles to Shamagong Dzong (~6500'), crossing the Mangde Chu on a bamboo 'Pin' raft after confusion about the bridge and making a cautious detour.

CONTENT:
...steeply down to another valley small river at m 7. From there
ascent is never steep, but is constant, up the river bank, in a
narrow gorge which gets narrower as one goes up. The forest is
dense all the way. Camp in a small clearing at m 11.

30 March Byiti Sam 9 miles. There was a little rain yesterday
evening, but none today, though clouded and close. Bhutanese
should have met us at camp, but only 27 came, one had to
send on for another 22. So kit will not all be in till very
late. The road today was much easier. First up a
steady ascent for 1 mile to the Mön La, then very steeply
down for 3 miles, less steep for a further 2 miles. Here the
valley suddenly opens out and the left bank is a fine forest of
Pinus longifolia. Path continues easily down slight descent
with pine on the left all the way. Beyond the Mangde Chu
also are pines. The only remarkable things today were the
magnificent Bauhinias and Erythrinas, which are very
common about 2-3000'. Took a lot of flowers but not
very interesting.

31st March Shamagong Dzong 8 miles. about 6500'. 5 hours going slow.
We were shooed away from the bridge, without knowing where it
was and went up the right bank to a queer contraption called a
'Pin', consisting of about 20 long bamboos tied together with a
small square platform of 8' on top amidstships. On to this boat
only one of us was allowed at a time, while two men, one
forward and one astern pushed the thing across the Mangde Chu by
two tight male bamboo ropes stretched tight from bank to bank.
A detour was made because it was feared that we might not

SUMMARY:
The diary records travel from Bumthang Tang over Bada La, passing Gyema Shong where the headman is asked to collect crab apple and Prunus seeds, with notes on weather, pine forests, and flowering Primula. The party is now under the care of Punso Wangdi, and the next day they move to Pokpe on the west side of Rudo La with an easy ascent and observations of conditions.

CONTENT:
It will again be nice to be away from here, with all the presents & people hanging about. Lhumbe should be the only place now where we may have some ceremony. After that we leave Dzungs till August 15th, back here again.

13th April. Bumthang Tang. 10 miles. Approx 10000'. Little rain last night, but it had begun to clear by 5.0 this morning. We were off at 5.45, in at 11.0. The path goes up over a spur to the Bada La about 3 miles from Bumthang, then down & up over two smaller spurs, the last just close to this place. As we came down from the last spur, we passed the village of Gyema Shong, where there were many crab apples, some Prunus & also currants. I have asked the headman to collect seed of the first two, locally called 'LIGCHUMA' or 'PRAHALI' (crab) & LIKSINGMA (Prunus). By 9.0 the sky was clear & we had the prettiest day we've yet had, mostly sun, but with big cumulus clouds in the sky. The path is uninteresting, because it goes through pine forest (P. excelsa) all the way, & there is little else to be seen, except in small side valleys. Prim. denticulata still everywhere, — occasionally P. gracilipes. We are under Punso Wangdi's care now, & he has sent men ahead with food & all sorts of things for us. I wish we could get away from it all, kind though it be. In Bumthang I again saw several pairs of magpies, & have also seen them here & on the way here.

14th April. Pokpe. Rudo La W. side. 5 miles. BP. 191.8 Temp 58°. 1.30 pm. Ht approx 11494'. A very easy day, even the ascent being an easy one. The day too was good, although there was a little rain last night. Up here there is almost nothing. The forest

SUMMARY:
Halted in Bumthang, the diarist visited H.H., discussed plans regarding Paro and Chamurchi, local administrative matters including Tashi Drunyer, received reports from Lhasa about Kapsinpa Shape’s imprisonment, and noted heavy rain damage near Chenderi and the Ha–Chamurchi road area; Betty was expected in London, and Dorji was treated with penicillin and M&B 760. On 5th September they marched in rain to Shabjetang and observed a new Codonopsis common near the Dhur river, collecting tubers and another pressing.

CONTENT:
3rd & 4th Sept. Halt Bumthang. I went to H.H. each day, had 3 hours alone the first day and a short visit, when Choden was present, the second day. H.H. was very easy to talk to and had much more to say. He is worried about Paro and the poor servants who are there running the place—or failing to. He will go there himself in a month or two's time. Then on to Chamurchi for a month or more. I tried to get him to say he would go on to Kalimpong, but I don't think he will. He talks now of doing many things for the locals, and probably will. I just hope they will be practical and not overdone. I asked him not to spoil Tashi Drunyer by letting him do nothing and have a dozen servants or so, but to give him a definite job of work. I wonder if he will. Tashi will be left in Bumthang though, with his brother, when H.H. goes to Paro. Two of Purbo Wangdi's servants returned from Lhasa yesterday. They described Kapsinpa Shape as being very securely imprisoned, with iron manacles on wrists and legs and a cangue round his neck, and shut up in a closely walled-in room, from which there is no normal exit. More reports of road damage come in from near Chenderi and more extensive from the Ha-Chamurchi road area. The rain must certainly have been very, very heavy these last 15 days or so. Betty should have reached London on the 3rd, all being well. I continued to give Dorji penicillin injections, 100,000 units at a time till I had given 10 injections. Then I gave him a course of M&B 760. He is very much better and should manage to reach Ludlow all right.

5th September Shabjetang. Rain almost all day. Left at 6:30 and in at 10:00. Nothing of interest, except that the new Codonopsis (Convolvulaceae 19674) is common from the mouth of the Dhur river, for quite a long way up this valley. We took 14 tubers and another pressing. There is a...

SUMMARY:
After halts with photo work and rain, the party marched into Bumthang, where H.H. visited for hours and asked that T.K. return home with them. Betty arrived with Hicks via the Badr La; they met H.H. at the palace grounds, exchanged gifts, and arranged travel to Ha, the Me La, and Chanderi, with plans for seed work and a move to Brarich.

CONTENT:
24th Halt. Mostly developed photos. A good deal of rain.

25th July. Bumthang. A short march of about 4-5 miles into camp at the "football ground" of 1933, where now there are large and comfortable quarters made for P.O.s, but never yet used by them. H.H. called in the afternoon and stayed some hours and was in good form. He told me he definitely wanted T.K. to go home with us. This will all be very difficult for us, but it must be done. I have heard that we are likely to get Brarich, so we will have to move into an unfurnished new house on arrival. There will be very hard work there.

26th-30th Halt. Good weather each day, with bright sunshine most of the day, and very heavy rain at night. Betty arrived on 26th with Hicks, and we met her on the Badr La. She has great pain always, but the arm is getting on slowly, and she can manage now to do everything herself. We arranged to go together to Ha only, from where I will return here for seed. On our way in from the Badr La, H.H. met us in a tent in the palace grounds. Next day we all called on him and had lunch and tea and gave our presents. Then he came here on 28th with the children and Choden for lunch and tea. He is coming again today for lunch and to say goodbye to Betty and Ludlow. H.H. has been very kind indeed as usual and did not turn a hair at all the requests we made: Hicks back to the Me La; Ludlow to Chanderi and wants a special riding yak; B and I to Ha and then I come back here and to Waitang. For presents we gave steel bows and 12 steel arrows; saffron, pens, jumpers, and many other things, and to the Ashis velvet from Liberty's and four blue jumpers and gloves.

SUMMARY:
Notes describe permission for six weeks and lively festivities in Bumthang at H.H.'s residence, including archery, races, and a bull fight, with named dignitaries present. Photo and route notes mention a tame bear, Ludlow as Lepcha Chaprassi, and the 18 July journey from Bumdangtang past Byaka Dzong and Bada La to Thang Naru via Gemishong and the Tang Chu; one item was sent to Srinagar on 02/11/1933.

CONTENT:
421

He made no bones about it, & gave us permission for six weeks where we liked. We could have had more had we asked for it.

19.B.
All taken in Bumthang or at H.H.'s residence. A tame bear. Bull fight: bulls are cross between mithun & local cow.
No 19 sent Bumthang 20/7
Sent Srinagar 2.11.33

17th July. Bumthang.
The last few days have all been busy ones, though we have had no work in the way of collecting. There have been archery contests, dinners, lunches, & yesterday a grand show at H.H.'s place up the valley. First football, then lunch, then races, mounted musical chairs, wrestling, & finish up with a bull fight. The bulls are magnificent beasts, crosses by Mithun wild bulls & local cows. They would fetch a high price at home, I'm sure. At all these shows H.H. & the Maharani are present, besides the two brothers Naku & Dorji, & the sister Ashe Wangmo & half sister Ashe Paldan. Their names are: H.H. Sir Jigme Wangchuk K.C.I.E., H.H. Tasho Gurme Dorji, Tasho Lhundup Dorji (Naku), Ashe Paldan & Ashe Wangmo.

20. B.
    Ludlow as Lepcha Chaprassi. Group on leaving Bumthang. Maharani, Ashe Wangmo, Ashe Paldan, Dorji;

18th July. (Bumdangtang) THANG NARU. 9400'. 15 miles.
Route lies past Byaka Dzong, crossing main river over good bridge at m.1. Thence steep ascent to Bada La m 3 1/2. Descent easier on W side to m 6. From here route crosses a series of ridges till m 12, beyond the eastern ridge, the village of GEMISHONG is passed. Route descends narrow muddy path to the TANG CHU which is crossed by a bridge at