Part 117 - Charme Halt to Kyimpu: bridge near Driu, mail from Tsona, and seed collecting

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SUMMARY:
At Charme Halt the party went downstream past Driu to Dru, crossing a rickety bridge and meeting local Lopas, and later received long-delayed mail sent via the Charme Dzongpen from Tsona. The next day was spent reading mail in camp, and on 1st October they moved to Kyimpu and collected seeds.

CONTENT:
recovering slowly, but still pretty meagre.

29th Sept. Charme Halt. We all went downstream past Driu, over to Dru.
Below Driu, the path drops about 400' to the river, where there is a
most rickety bridge of two planks. Raprang is 1 m further down on
the left bank. Local Lopas there told us that one could get
to Lung that day, but would not have time to return in the
same day. We met a most singular Lopa at the bridge, the
jungliest of the jungly. When pleased with anything, he pawed
one, just as an animal would do. His face was really
very like an ape's, and his manners not far removed. In the
afternoon, to our surprise, a mail arrived. The Charme
Dzongpen, a great friend, had sent a man to Tsona, who
found all our mail waiting there for us, and very kindly
brought it back and sent it on at once to us. From it
we realize that our outgoing mails were all held up by
Tsona for some time, so no one at home had had
letters for nearly three months.

30th Charme Halt. A fine day. Spent the day in camp reading mail.

1st October. Kyimpu. 6 miles. 12,000'. Fine all morning, some
rain in the evening. Collected seeds of P. pulchelloides, the big