Part 10 - Diruphuang valley halt; Skimmia seed and correspondence

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SUMMARY:
The diarist halts in the Diruphuang valley amid heavy rain, notes a sense of the monsoon ending, and reaches a nearby pass without difficulty. Skimmia seed brought by Pasang is abundant and promising. Letters and plans are mentioned, including Tobgye writing from Kalimpong, Betty in Calcutta, and Hicks intending to be in Bumthang earlier than expected.

CONTENT:
146 19768 P. alboviana x brunosa

gone astray somewhere, as Tobgye's letter was dated 4 Sept from Kalimpong, she had heard twice from Betty in Calcutta by then. I think the Arts & Crafts must have made a mess of things. We have now all the plants we want from here, but will see if another is to be found tomorrow in the Diruphuang valley. The Skimmia seed which Pasang brought in yesterday is good and there is lots of it. I do hope it will be a success. The scent is one of the best things about it, and it is very strong and persistent long after flowering. Hicks tells me he will be in Bumthang on 5th Oct. which is very much earlier than I had expected. But he had not had my letter from Bumthang when he wrote, so may change.

23rd September Halt. Fine till about 2.0 and then very heavy rain on and off. Although there is still lots of rain, there is a feeling of the end of the monsoon, but no sparkling days yet. More snow falls at night on the hill tops now. We went up Diruphuang valley today, and I was surprised how easily I managed up to the pass which I had never been able to reach before. How unfit I must have been when I first came up. Now, that height - about 15000 - 15500 - does not seem to worry me at all. We looked over the pass and saw