Part 137 - Diary: 24–28 September, Paka to Lilung via Tse and Sunbitenka

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SUMMARY:
Travel from Paka toward Lilung over several days in rainy weather, with washed-out bridges requiring boat crossings. The diarist meets Ludlow and Taylor at Tse, notes delays to the mail, and reports grim European news of war. Local interactions include the Tsongpen, Pinbo bearing news, a long dinner with a Paka man, and arrangements via a lady at Miling for money to be taken to Sanga Choling.

CONTENT:
24th September Paka. A beautiful sunny day. Found the bridge at Kongshing washed away, so had to come down by hamdo from here, where the ford is fairly easy. Tsongpen also arrived, but has not done very well on the whole, getting fewer seeds than I expected. We did not get the new P. dryadifolia: it was not nearly ripe. In the evening Pinbo arrived, with news from Ludlow from Tse, where they arrived today. Taylor very fit. European news very bad indeed, war seems certain according to Ludlow. I am going down early in the morning to spend a few hours there, and hear the latest. Ludlow is earlier than expected, but I suppose will move rather slower than he originally thought he would. There are about 40 lopas here, come over the Lokung leka. Leka seems to be the lopa word for la, but is generally used in hamdo and Paka for the Lokung and Kucha las. No news of the mail, so I'm afraid I will miss it now, and will not get my letters till Sanga Choling.
S.T.H. and T while at Tse for lunch.
25th. S. leaves after lunch.

25th Sept. Halt. Rode down to Tse, getting there at 6:30 am and leaving at 2:30 pm. Ludlow and Taylor both very fit: Taylor seems really alright this time, but he is still going carefully. It was nice seeing them for a last few words before we go off separately till India. No news of the mail, and have given up hope now till Sanga Choling at any rate. Had an awful dinner with the Paka man lasting hours. A good deal of rain, with bright intervals.

26th Sept. Nagu Bridge. We did not get off till 8:15 this morning. Rain at night, and some showers today. Cloudy. A long march, getting in at 5:00 pm. The bridge is not repaired and we have to go over in a kowa I believe.

27th September. Sunbitenka. Rain at night, and rain nearly all day - very heavy in the evening. It took us a good while to be loaded up this side of the Nyü River, after crossing in a kowa, and we were only off at 8:15, arriving in at 3:00 pm. I went to see the lady at Miling, but missed her. Kucha later saw her, as she was very sorry to have missed me, as she wanted money taken to Sanga Choling, and has asked me to order for her 2 "ordinary" and 2 "1st class" hats from her sister.

28th September - Lilung. Fine till the afternoon, when there was a very heavy thunderstorm, with snow or hail on the hills; cleared up later. A very short march: in at 10:00 am. Still no sign of the mail, and