SUMMARY:
The party delayed departure to meet HH, discussing a Treaty, M.K., and reports from Tobgye that the Sikkim Maharani had stirred Nepalis of Sikkim to oppose the Maharaja; they later dined and played games with HH and two Maharanis. They set off around 10:00 on a short, steep march behind Kunga Rapden, noting cultivation, forest edge and grassland, and several rhododendrons including R. arboreum, R. grande, and epiphytes such as R. edgeworthii and R. rhabdotum.

CONTENT:
9th April. Zangrapang. 5 miles. BP. 195.9° T. 61° 5.0pm. Ht. app. 9150'

This was a very short march, but we felt we could not leave HH until a time more suitable to royalty than our usual 6.0 am. So I said we would go when he was ready, that was 9.30. We had had a long & pleasant session with HH & on 8th. He came up again at 3.0pm & we had dinner at 7.0 & he left at 8.0. I talked to him again about the Treaty, & more about M.K. & the danger of getting mixed up with the intriguing of the Sikkim Maharani. He was aware of the danger there, more so because he had just heard from Tobgye that the Sikkim Maharani had induced the Nepalis of Sikkim & some others to go to the Palace to say they did not want the Maharaja, but wanted Indian Raj. This naturally made HH think very much. We later on had games with the two Maharanis & HH, & the greatest success was animal snaps, which so amused HH that we had to stop for fear he would do himself some harm through over laughing.

Today HH came up again to say goodbye, at 9.30, & we were off at 10.0. He was the same pleasant friendly & thoughtful man as always, & had thought out everything for us & our comfort on the road. The road was pretty steep, straight up behind Kunga Rapden, to the east. There is now a good deal of cultivation for about 2000' up, then the path goes along the edge of the forest, to a large area of grass. Round about here there were a number of rhodos. Rhod. arboreum is common, as is R. grande (18660) & some epiphytes like R. Edgeworthii, & rhabdotum,

SUMMARY:
At around 14,000 ft the party camps on Yuto La, noting changing weather, a nearby water-turned prayer wheel tended by an elderly woman, and botanical work including primulas and seed collections. A man delivers biscuits and mangoes, the latter sent by Tobgye to HH by express runners. The following day is a halt with rain.

CONTENT:
82

from Calcutta, not a thing remained when he got back home.
It really is a rotten system this present giving one, but it
seems very well established. Outside the window is a huge
water-turned prayer wheel. Beside it sits a woman acquiring as
much merit as possible. She sits by the door of the wheel house; in
one hand she is turning a prayer wheel, while she turns her beads over
in the other. She must feel that she is very old indeed.

Up to 14,000 ft.
20th July. Yuto La. 9 miles. BP. Temp. Time Ht. More or
less fine till the evening. Camp actually on the pass, hope to see
to N-S during the next two days. One primula is still in
flower here, No 3465 (P. smithiana 3465 - see 12th June), which we took before in the Longto Chu,
3250 (P. sikkimensis 3250). I got a fair amount of seed from some taken pretty low
down, where the lowest of often 6 whorls were ripe (Geranium 3466). The next
few days are more and more going to be a trial (Clematis 3467). On the pass a
man was waiting patiently for me, with a basket of biscuits
& another of mangoes! The latter are sent by Tobgye to HH by
express runners (Presents). It is a very kind thought, but an awful waste
of money, especially on me, as I don't particularly care for them.

Yuto La Camp.
21st July. Halt. Thunder again last evening. Fine for an hour or
two this morning, then rain most of the day. We went up the

SUMMARY:
Rain in Yatung limited collecting to a few rhododendrons and a viburnum, and ponies were arranged for travel to Gangtok amid staffing issues due to Williamson’s wedding. The next day the journey from Yatung to Tsomgo crossed the Natu La in mist and soft snow, with a small avalanche observed and a pony falling.

CONTENT:
of much the same style as the Kashmir houses, but ever so much more pukka-built. The Tibetans we meet are all very cheerful, & invariably greet one by taking off their hats & salaaming.

17th May YATUNG. Rained most of the day, & after two & a half hours on the hill behind the bungalow we only got one bird. Took R. cinnabarinum (L&S. 748), R. cephalanthum (L&S. 9), a few rhododendrons & a viburnum V. cordifolium (L&S. 10). Arranged for ponies (three) for Gangtok. I take Ahmad Sheikh with me, & therefore Ludlow is left without a cook. He wired Williamson for permission to use the chowkidar while I was away & got the helpful answer that he had no objection provided the B.T.A agreed. The B.T.A is in Gyantse. In fact W's wedding is a perfect curse.

Sherriff returns to Gangtok for Williamson's wedding.

18th May. TSOMGO. 22 miles. 11 hours. It was a lovely clear morning in Yatung, so I left at 6.15 & decided to cross the Natu La while the going was good. Ahmad Sheikh & I each rode a mule, while our bedding was on a third one. Up to Chushithang it was lovely & the view perfect. As we reached the pass the clouds came down, & actually on the top we were in thick mist. The track was easy so far, though there is still nearly as much snow as when we crossed before. On this side there appeared to be the same amount of snow, & it was very wet & soft. A short way this side of the pass, a small avalanche passed about 10 yds in front of me, & when I stopped to watch it, I heard that the last pony had fallen. It had been caught in an even

SUMMARY:
Notes describe passing Yamdrok Tso at Talung with views from Cho Dzong, an easy ascent and descent over the Ta La pass to the plain and Nangartse, and fording the Karo Chu, with fine weather and filming tame ravens. From camp at Nangartse they mention the monastery of Dorji Phamo, report failed telephone contact with Williamson in Lhasa and that they will not meet at Gyantse; the item was sent from Gyantse to Calcutta on 24/09/1933.

CONTENT:
95

B. 30.
Transport passing close to Yamdrok Tso at Talung:
Yamdrok Tso from Cho Dzong:
Ditto: Donkeys & yaks on march over Ta La. Ditto:

the Ta La at m 5. Ascent & descent are both easy, the pass being a climb of about 750 ft. On the north side the plain is again reached at m 6, & the path is thence across the flat plain to Nangartse at m 10. The Karo Chu river is forded shortly after reaching the plain.

At last we had a very nearly perfect day. It was dull at first, then brightened up & the cloud effects were wonderful. We only saw a patch of the Yamdrok Tso, but it was worth seeing. Except for that & the clouds, there is nothing very beautiful, but one could look at the blue sky & clouds for hours. I took some Cinema films of ravens which were very tame in our last camp.

B. 31.
Camp at Nangartse:
raven.

We can see in the distance from here, the monastery where the famous Dorji Phamo (thunderbolt mother of pigs) lives. She is the only woman who can have a meeting with the Dalai Lama, her fame lying in the fact that she can change herself into a pig. Being the only woman who can do so, she is rightly famous. We cannot get hold of Williamson on the phone. He is some way from the office in Lhasa & can't go there just now, but we hear that he will remain in Lhasa till the end of the month, so we will not meet at Gyantse. I should like to have met him there to hear the

B 26 27 28 29 30 Sent from Gyantse 24.9.33 to Calcutta.

SUMMARY:
Notes describe difficulties using yaks for transport, observations of the green Tibetan plateau with abundant sheep and yaks, and that Bailey had found the area interesting for flowers though the party seems too late. On 16th September they marched 12 miles to GOBSHI (14,000'), after snow and cold, reaching what is described as their last camp before the route with dak bungalows to Kalimpong.

CONTENT:
Transport is rather difficult from here: there seem to be no animals but yaks. Yaks are excellent beasts, but they move in herds, and so are continually crashing one's boxes. With two of Ludlow's full of birds, and two of mine full of plates, that is a serious business. The people here are as dirty as I have seen anywhere, but also as cheerful as one could wish. There are again thousands of sheep in this valley and also thousands of yaks a little higher up. I never imagined the Tibetan plateau would be so green. There is quite a fair amount of grass on these hills. The higher the grass, the more nutriment it seems to have, and that, I suppose is the reason why the sheep in Tibet do so well. Bailey reported this place as being quite interesting for flowers, but we must be too late.

16th September. GOBSHI. 12 miles. 14,000'. It snowed most of last night and was beastly cold and wet this morning. We did not get off till 7:30 and transport was all yaks. They got in at 3:30 pm. It cleared up soon after we left, and except for one very heavy shower, was a good day. Everyone seems pretty glad to be at our last camp. Beyond Gyantse there are dak bungalows the whole way to Kalimpong, so our camping is at an end tonight. There is much more cultivation down here,

SUMMARY:
The diarist reflects on rainfall patterns across SE Tibet and suggests a rain-gauge transect from Sikkim to the Tsangpo Gorge. On 30 June heavy rain hampers collecting, with Meconopsis bella absent and only M. simplicifolia common; seed of P. atrodentata is ripe, and plans are made to try Marlung, Waitang, and Trompa-lun. On 1 July, despite very wet conditions, the diarist and one Bhutanese assistant go via the Chachhu La to a large high-altitude lake.

CONTENT:
the south side here, are lower than similar ones on the north side in SE Tibet. I can't see the reason, unless it be that rain does not reach the main range in any amount until about the first week in June, whereas it certainly does before that further east. A line of rain gauges at similar heights from Sikkim to the Tsangpo Gorge, on the actual rain axis would be most interesting.

30th June. Halt. Rain most of the day, especially morning. A thoroughly bad day for the last of the month. I went out round over the cliffs opposite camp & came back without getting a flower. It seemed ideal for Mec. bella for instance, but there was no sign. In fact the only common Mec. in this whole area is simplicifolia. I hope we will find Marlung better than here or Waitang. At any rate I plan to get over to the Trompa-lun somehow, & feel confident that will be better. But one cannot find out anything about these places without actually going. Locals will tell you anything without knowing, or nothing if they do know. Seed of P. atrodentata is now ripe. It is always the first to ripen.

1st July. Halt. A very wet day indeed, but I went out with just one Bhutanese to carry the press, & went up the Chachhu La route to a very big lake about 15000'. We had a good day on the whole, & had I only been living up there, I believe we would have done really well. Saw masses of

SUMMARY:
The author describes the low Tum La pass and nearby areas, noting limited finds there but abundant primulas and a notable prostrate yellow-flowered rhododendron. After wet weather they returned toward Nagu, collected aquatic and tree specimens, noted Magnolia globosa and Lilium giganteum in the Nagu Chu valley, and then proceeded toward Paka to visit the Tsanang La and Kuchala passes, observing that Tsanang La is steep and little used but botanically promising.

CONTENT:
ridge. The Tum La is exceptionally low, being only 12,000 ft, almost certainly the lowest pass over the Himalayas after the Zoji La in Kashmir. It gives the appearance of being even lower even than the Zoji La, owing to conifers & Rhododendrons growing on the hills beside the pass. Descent on the south side is abrupt. I did not find very much near the Tum La. P. Elizabethae was almost over at this, its eastern limit as far as is known. Nom-Soulei, Omph. minus, P. barbata & P. calliantha were common. Here the common form of P. Dickieana var. Pantlingii was still in profusion, and on the wet rocky hillside was that most intriguing new prostrate primrose yellow flowered Rhododendron, with red spots (6600).

After three very uncomfortable days of driving rain & mist we returned towards Nagu, & on the way took specimens of a water lily (66?) Menyanthes trifoliata 66-- and Magnolia globosa. The Nagu Chu was the only valley north of the Himalayas in which we found Magnolia globosa, & it also was in which we saw masses of Lilium giganteum. I stayed the night at Nagu with the headman who proudly showed me his kitchen the walls of which were lined with wooden teapots, peculiar to Kongbo, called Tisti. He sent a servant with me to show me the trees from which these teapots were made. These proved to be Acer caesium (5740?).

I had intended to visit another pass just east of this, called the Shoka La, reputed to be even lower than the Tum La, but had no time, & pushed on to Paka. Three streams form the Paka Chu Chu, at the head of each is a pass. I could only manage two, and chose the central and eastern one, the Tsanang La & the Kuchala. The western is the most used & many Lopas were expected any day by this pass. The Tsanang La is probably the highest, but is no longer used. The reason was easy to see. The final ascent from the North was too steep for men with loads. Only a few hunters ever visit this pass now. From a botanical point of view the area near this pass, would well repay a more thorough investigation.

SUMMARY:
Notes from Tulung La pass describe harsh weather, sparse flowers on unstable shale, and a notable Meconopsis (bella, 708), with a sighting and attempted stalk of six bharal. At Longur there are acres of primulas, and on 23 July the party travels to Mago (Dyuri) in showery conditions, recording temperature, elevation, and abundant primulas along the route.

CONTENT:
37

Tulung La 22nd July pass.
Anemone rupicola 704
Primula sikkimensis 705
Primula bellidifolia 707
Meconopsis bella 708
With rain, mist, and wind, it was chilly up there. On the North side we saw 6 burhel, which I stalked. But we had only a 12-bore with lethal bullets, and I missed at 70 yards four times. Flowers we thought would be profuse, but the hillside is almost continually on the move, shale gradually falling down to the river bed, and everything gets covered with it. The most interesting flower was a new Meconopsis (708) [Meconopsis bella (708)], a pretty little thing, which we thought at a distance to be Paraquilegia.

NB: Here at Longur there are again acres of primulas, white and yellow—a wonderful sight.

184 23rd July. To MAGO (DYURI) 9 3/4 miles. B.P. 191.7° Temp. 53° = Corr. ht. 11350'. Again rather a disappointing day. After a clear night, it rained till noon then cleared up till 2.0 pm.
Primula tibetica (Sikkim?)
We walked through masses of primulas for several miles today. One would think that there should be plenty of flowers in that case. So there

SUMMARY:
The diarist describes finding Paraquilegia like the Kashmir flower, coping with inquisitive locals while praising Ahmad Sheikh’s patience, and taking flower photographs with notes on shutter speeds; a coolie is noted for not stealing a cash box. On 17th July at Tsong, the Dzongpens requested portraits and four colour photographs were taken and copies sent.

CONTENT:
Paraquilegia anemonoides 678

Here we found Paraquilegia. It is just like the Kashmir flower but bigger - a perfect beauty. The inquisitiveness of the local is almost unbearable, and Ahmad Sheikh etc. get full marks for keeping their tempers. No sooner is anything put down in the cookhouse, than someone tries to take it up, handle it thoroughly and discuss it with others. I don't think anything would ever be stolen. If he had wanted to, one of the coolies from Tawang to Shao could have stolen the box with Rs 1800 cash in it. He was out all night by himself, not arriving till 6:00 next morning, and he knew what was in the box. Took some photos of flowers this morning. The flowers were all old ones, collected two days ago, so were in poor condition. I find that 1/10 and 1/15 sec is not enough here in the midday sun - nearer 1/20 would be correct. The Dzongpens have asked to be taken now in all their fine colours, and I am glad to do so, as I want a colour photo of them.

17th July. Halt at Tsong. A perfect day. After a cold night, there was ground mist, which cleared away by 7:00 am. The rest of the day was clear. The Dzongpens came at 10:00 and I took four excellent colour photos of them, one each of which I have sent them. They were frightfully pleased to

Diapensia himalaica 679
Prim tibetica 680
Paraquilegia anemonoides

SUMMARY:
At Tsona the party photographed locals and shared biscuits and ginger. Ludlow collected 30 Colias butterflies while the writer obtained a horned lark and noted abundant Paraquilegia; they also exchanged rupees to tankas and arranged cheap transport. Gifts including gloves, a papier-mâché bowl, Kashmir tweed, Bhutanese cloth, and saffron were gratefully received.

CONTENT:
30

have their photos taken, and would cheerfully have sat
Cine No 2 for hours for them. We gave them some of our
finished at luxuries - chocolate biscuits, ginger etc. They
Tsona - seemed thoroughly happy. Then Ludlow went out
with a butterfly net and walking stick gun for three
hours. He shot nothing as the gun seems pretty
useless over 10 yards. But he caught 30 colias
butterflies, which will certainly be very good.
Cinema I went out at 1.30 and returned at four. Got a
No 3 c. good horned lark and one flower. There are very
All at few flowers here, but Paraquilegia is finer than
Tsona I've seen anywhere. On the rocks north of camp
Flower box are dozens of clumps, some nearly 2 ft across.
On servant At Tawang we were unable to get our rupees
changed to tankas. But here we have changed
Rs 200 @ 10 tankas. The rate given is not
Contax No 3 too good. But transport here is very cheap.
finished at Pimbo arranged to hire at 2/3 tanka per load.
Tsona Yesterday we gave our presents: 1 pr gloves,
a silver lined papier-mâché bowl, a length of
Kashmir tweed, a piece of Bhutanese cloth and
some saffron. The saffron caused great
excitement, as it is very good and quite unobtainable
here. They were quite thrilled with everything.