Part 47 - Camps north of Lhalung with difficult progress and insect troubles

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SUMMARY:
Entries for 1–2 May describe moving a short distance up the spur/ridge north of Lhalung through extremely dense forest, requiring continuous path-cutting and resulting in a foul camp with little water. Coolies were unreliable or refused to proceed, two men promised by Pintso did not arrive, and birds were scarce though tragopan and serow were heard; Ludlow and David suffered swollen hands from biting flies while Sherriff was away.

CONTENT:
seven or eight on my feet. But damdim (Simulium damnosum) flies are the worst nuisance here. They seem to be more poisonous than the Bantan ones. Both Ludlow & David have very swollen hands & wrists.
Sherriff away for 6 days.

1st May. Camp up spur to N. of Lhalung. 3 miles. Clouded but fine till 3.0 pm, then rain rest of evening. I'm afraid the local coolies are no better than the Moio ones. Two did not turn up. The others came early enough & were happy enough too. We asked all about the path. Yes, they knew it, or four or five did anyway, & we should get to the snow easily the second day. We should be in tragopan & monal country too. So off we went at 7.30. We reached camp - 3 miles and 2000 ft only at 1.0 pm. There is quite a good path as far as this, but beyond I could not find it, the jungle is very dense. So I had to consent to camp. When asked where the path was, then all just answered, 'We don't know, there isn't one'. I sent on five men, to cut a path for tomorrow, but fear they won't have done much, though they were out for four hours. Birds are remarkably scarce, since entering the dense forest, I have only seen phylloscopus & one sunbird. So things are not too bright. The two coolies who were to be sent on by Pintso, never turned up, even this evening, so loads are on the heavy side. The only flowers seen were two or three rhododendrons (R. nuttallii? lindleyi is common) which have already been collected. A bad day.

2nd May. Camp 2 m further up the Ridge N. of Lhalung. about 11000' Fine for a couple of hours, then rain most of the rest of the day. This is, I'm afraid, a wild goose chase. On the ridge there is nothing but dense forest, so dense that every step has to be cut the whole way. We took a good six hours for what is certainly not more than 2 miles. It is next to impossible to leave the ridge, as it is knife edge & very steep indeed both sides. However we came on, till the coolies refused to go any further. Then strangely enough we failed to find water on either side. After an hour's search a little was found, there we are in, without exception, the foulest camp I have ever been in. The day was brightened by the call of a tragopan, which we could not find, although we looked for a long time: and by the call of a serow, whose fresh marks we saw. He was only 50 yards away, but there was no hope of getting him. The coolies have never been up here, know nothing of the area & are completely ignorant of there ever having been a path. There has been though, & a Lopa has set snares for tragopan sometime this year. The Lpah once saw a small bird close to them - a Heteroxenicus - & two at once got out bow & arrows & tried to pot it, but missed. They go for anything apparently.