Part 89 - Dzong and Tse, 14–20 April: weather, hunting, and party movements

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SUMMARY:
Entries describe travel from Dzong with snow conditions and a stay at Latsa, reports that Ludlow and Elliot spent 24 days shooting waterfowl, and notes of increased rain in the Tsangpo valley pleasing the Tsala Dzongpon. After halts and cold weather, Ludlow and Elliot depart on the 18th with Lepchas, Ramzana, and Balbahadur, while Samdup and Kancha remain with the diarist. On the 20th at Tse, the river level and wind patterns are observed, and a brief botanical note records rhododendrons in flower.

CONTENT:
14th April. Dzong. Some snow at night. We stayed in a house at Latsa, as we feared heavy snow which did not materialize. The house was clean, like all the houses in the valley, very big. It had a big central stone fireplace in the room we were in, so we had a good wood fire all the time. Snow got deeper as we went up over the top; there must have been 1 1/2 feet. There was not so much on the S. & we were soon out of it. Left at 6.30 & got in at 1.30 pm. Ludlow & Elliot have been here for 24 days. All they've had to do has been shoot game. They've got 25 geese & as many mallard, with a few shoveller & 2 spotbill. There has been much more rain in the Tsangpo valley than usual, & the Tsala Dzongpon is very pleased, as crops there should be specially good. Last year was almost a drought.

15-16 April. Halt. Rain in night & nearly all day of 15th. Very cold for this altitude.

17-18-19 Ap. Ludlow & Elliot left on 18th & had a perfect day to go on, without a cloud in the sky, after a clear cold (min 24°) night. All the Lepchas went too, with Ramzana & Balbahadur. The 'trouble makers' - Samdup & Kancha are going with me. Ludlow should now have no more trouble: I doubt if he will even when Samdup returns. It is a pity about our servants. If only we could have got some other than Samdup & Kancha, the whole party would have been happy, that makes all the difference.

20th Ap. Tse. Back here again. The river is, to my surprise, rather smaller than in December. It must in fact be at its minimum now. Wind continues the same - upstream as far as the Gyamda junction, & downstream to the junction. B & I went up the Tse valley today, but only saw the same things as elsewhere. P. chungensis (not in flower) Rhod. vellereum 12393 in very fine flower & another Rhod 12388 fairly common. R. vellereum is in masses in the Gyamda valley, & all along the hillside on the N face.