Part 18 - Ha-chu: seed collecting, weather, and departure from Tsampa

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SUMMARY:
The diarist reports severe infestation of P. umbratilis seed capsules by caterpillars, difficulty finding other seeds, snow melted up to about 15,500 ft, and the drogpas leaving the high pastures. On 2nd October at Ha-chu, after clear frosty weather, they observed a large herd of burhel, finished work in the Tsampa area (Bumthang Chu watershed), planned to cross to the Dhur Chu to meet Pasang and Yundon, and reflected on concluding Himalayan trips first planned with Ludlow in 1929 at Kashgar.

CONTENT:
From among the seeds of P. umbratilis which I collected today, I extracted 67 caterpillars, which shows the difficulty with seed. Practically every capsule I take now has worms or caterpillars. I can't find any seed of a big Swertia. All capsules have 3-4 red worms in them. None of the aconites were ready yet, and I have had to take roots of some. Snow is not now lying here. It has all melted up to 15500' or so. The drogpas have all gone down from these high grazing grounds, I am surprised to see. They come in the 5th month (July) and leave in the 7th or 8th (Sept). It is a very short season. I sympathize with them going down now, but I think they should come up much earlier, when the grass is good.

2nd October. Ha-chu. This is the best day we have had. There was rain and some snow last night, but it cleared up to a beautiful morning and there was hard frost. Up till midday today there was lovely bright sun, and then huge clouds collected, but it has not snowed, and I should think we will now have several similar days. I got a little more of the same seed today, but nothing special. We walked onto a huge herd of 58 burhel on our way back. And now we have finished with the area called Tsampa, which includes the watershed of the Bumthang Chu, but not the Dhur Chu. Tomorrow we cross to the head of the Dhur Chu, and there meet Pasang and Yundon. It is difficult now to think that we have practically finished our work this year, and that there are now but 5 more days left. In a month I will be in Sikkim. And this is the last of our Himalayan trips, which Ludlow and I started planning in 1929, sitting in front of the fire in the drawing room of the Consulate General in Kashgar.