Part 96 - Haat diary entry, 7 July: weather, plant collecting, and wildlife

1 page

SUMMARY:
The diarist and Pasang pressed 16 flowers, while worrying that Yumden had not yet returned in thick mist. On 7 July at Haat, after heavy night rain the weather cleared with hail; they explored a nala with lakes, found masses of P. waddellii and P. jonarduni among Diapensia himalaicum, and the diarist stalked a herd of burrhel.

CONTENT:
I don't feel as if today had been a good one, and Pasang and I have 16 flowers in the press. Yumden at 5.0 pm. is not yet back! He sometimes does this, but I am a little worried as he went off by himself, and the mist was very thick for most of the day.

7th July. Haat. Rather a good day in some ways. There was terrific rain last night, but it was fine when we left at 6.0 this morning, and even the extreme tip of Kangkar Punsum was clear. It remained almost fine until we were a mile from camp at 3.0 pm. when I was glad to hear thunder, though only two claps. Since that did what it usually does, and cleared the atmosphere at once, after an hour we had bright sun. Now at 5.30 we're having a heavy hail shower, which I also think should be a good sign for tomorrow. The dry Tibetan plateau air is fighting the monsoon, and I hope for one fine day. We went up a nala opposite camp, and were somewhat disappointed near the first lake, but there are 3 lakes, and the place looked very good. Of chief interest were P. waddellii in masses on N & W slopes, and at last P. jonarduni, looking very pretty growing among Diapensia himalaicum, which here seems to be very late. I saw a herd of burrhel which I stalked quite nicely, and got to within about 50