Part 175 - Chendebi entries and party movements, 3–4 August

1 page

SUMMARY:
At Chendebi, the diarist notes mostly fine weather, ripe buckwheat being cut, and a white Crawfurdia observed. The party splits: kit sent to Ritang, Pintso to Dungshinggang for taxation inquiries about Nepali sheep, and Tenduk collecting iris seeds near Punzor; plans are made to travel via the Rinchen Chu and Tang Chu. On 4 August, a halt at Chendebi is recorded; Primula seeds are unripe, a plant clump is taken to send by air mail, and Tsongpen goes to collect P. bracteosa roots.

CONTENT:
3rd August. Chendebi. 14 miles. Fine all morning: some rain in the evening.

This is the wettest month in Bhutan, but so far we have been very lucky. At Domkhar there was always rain, but only at night except on two days, when it rained from 11.0 am on, very hard. Since then we have only had afternoon or evening rain. The only interesting thing seen today was a white Crawfurdia 3504 (Tripleurospermum volubile 3504).

Here the buckwheat is ripe and is being cut. Fields of it on the hillside are rather pretty, the colour of bracken in autumn, only rather redder. From here we split up: My kit, except 10 loads, goes off to Ritang tomorrow: Pintso goes off to Dungshinggang in the Mangde Chu valley.

Tenduk is now down at Punzor, collecting, I hope seeds of an iris (Iris 3535), and will return tomorrow. Then he, Tsongpen and I go up the Rinchen Chu and back to Ritang by the Tang Chu, where Pintso will meet us. Pintso goes to find out about the Nepali sheep, how many there are and so on for taxation purposes.

4th August. Halt. Chendebi. Went to have a look at Primula 3052 (P. flagellaris 3052), but the seeds are not yet ripe, and will not be for a month. So I took a lump to carry along with us and send home by air mail. Kit has gone off to Ritang and Pintso to Dungshinggang. Tsongpen has gone to collect roots of P. bracteosa. (Aster sheriffianus approx 4000 3532)