Part 191 - Halt at Rocha Chu: rain, Jongpen’s request to go to Trashigang; fungus and bird collecting

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SUMMARY:
Halted in rain; the Jongpen asked to go to Trashigang for dancing during a Bhutan festival called Tü, and with few flowers or ferns left they began collecting fungi. The next day, still halted at Rocha Chu in heavy rain, the party split up to hunt “binain dum” birds, with Puibo, Ludlow, and Danang taking different guns and achieving mixed results, including a shot that struck both the bird and the narrator.

CONTENT:
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23rd Sept. Halted. The weather broke again, and it
Rhod. lindleyi 976 rained all day. The Jongpen came up yesterday
to ask if he could go to Trashigang for the
dancing. This is some kind of 'Bara Din' in
Bhutan, called Tü. As there are no flowers
Fungi. left now, and we have most of the local ferns, we
Calocera viscosa 973 have started collecting fungus. But we cannot give
Amylaria himalaica 974? them the proper treatment. They just get dried in the bird
Craterellus cornucopioides 977 tent.
Stereum multizonatum 978

24th Sept. Halted. Rain most of the day, and heavily
Rocha Chu all afternoon. As this was our last day here, and
Birds we still wanted some "binain dum" birds
(puepygas) we split up. Puibo took the 12 bore,
Ludlow and I had the 410's and Danang took the 22
rifle. The result was hardly as good as we
expected. Puibo blew one to bits by being far
too close, Ludlow and I saw none, and Danang, who
saw four, missed them all, as he did not
understand the aim of the rifle. But I met him,
and gave him some instruction. After that he and
I heard one, and stalked it. During the stalk
he managed to place the bird between us. There
is no stopping Danang if he sees a 'binain dum',
and he fired, getting the bird and bits of me beyond.