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SUMMARY:
After heavy rain, the writer reached Damthang and rediscovered a striking blue Codonopsis near Hatö village, planning to mark plants for seed and corm collection. The next day they returned to Ha via Ha La, photographed Meconopsis habitat, and noted abundant Polygonum vacciniifolia. A remark notes that Tasho remains unmoved by commendable deeds in Bhutan.

CONTENT:
deserves the thanks of everyone in Bhutan for what he has done. It leaves Tasho unmoved. He hardly thinks of such things at all.

16th August Damthang. We left this morning after a night of very heavy rain, at 9.30 were in Damthang at 1.30. The only interesting thing which happened on the way was the finding again of the very lovely Codonopsis which I got in 1937 under 3568. This we failed to find near Paro where originally taken, & was very worried about it. But here - just below Hatö village - we found many plants, & should have no real difficulty in getting seed & corms fit in October. I will in any case have them marked with stakes. The flower is most beautiful, a bright vivid blue, & bigger than Codonopsis vinciflora. This is shown up well by a wine red ring 1/2" diam in the centre of the flower, & a rusty brown large globular stigma. Otherwise it is just like C vinciflora. If we get this introduced, it should be a great attraction at home. The corms or tubers are like potatoes, & can be as much as 2" long.

17th August. Return to Ha via Ha La. The day started well, after heavy rain at night, & B & I got up to the Ha La by 9.30 in drizzling rain. But when we reached the place where Mec. superba grows, between the two passes, the sun came out & we had one hour quite bright again. During this I took some habitat photos of the Mec., which of course is now in unripe fruit. It was very pretty up there, as flowers are still numerous. The most beautiful is certainly Polygonum vacciniifolia sprawling over rocks & forming huge clumps of bright rich pink.

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.

SUMMARY:
Notes describe worries about a Kutsap at Showa, poor birding and fatigue, and at Hall a hypsometer reading, Tsongpen’s trip to Gampo Ne, and pilgrims circling a boulder. Further notes list local crops and livestock with reliance on takin across the Po Tsangpo. On 27 Feb the party moved to Dzama with fine views of Namcha Barwa and the Gyala peaks, crossing the Adju La, with arrangements made by the Dingpon of Lome and a wild peach observed.

CONTENT:
to Kongbo out onto Showa, where he is afraid what will happen to him. The 'Kutsap' there apparently holds a wife of his as hostage. This doesn't make him feel any more friendly to the Tibetan official. We found no birds this afternoon, a disappointment after what we saw yesterday. Both of us feel very tired today.

25 Feb. Hall. Fine, but cloudy, with some sun. It rained hard last night, and was very misty this morning, but cleared considerably and looked as if it would clear altogether. Tsongpen went down to Gampo Ne today, but got little or nothing, just one rhodo which had been brought in yesterday. He took the hypsometer with him and got readings: - BP 203.0° F. Temp 48° F. (Ht = 4917') B and I looked for birds and saw very few indeed. There are interesting birds here, but there seem to be very few of them. No sign of any more quail. Nor have I found a skulker which I heard the first day - Horaites, I think. Tsongpen again saw a big green woodpecker with orange buff crest or mantle. There is a big flat, with a large boulder in the middle, round which pilgrims walk.

26th Feb. Hall. Rain again last night and clouded all day today, but just fine. We have got some wheat here, tsatse (millet) and onions. Indian corn is also grown and barley and buckwheat. There does not seem to be a great surplus of anything though. Crops are autumn sown, and are now 10" high. Peas are also autumn sown. A fair number of good cattle, with mithun blood, are kept, but I don't think are ever eaten. The locals depend on wild game, mostly takin, for meat. Takin seem plentiful on the other side of the Po Tsangpo on the left bank of the Tsangpo.

27th Feb. Dzama. Cleared up to a fine day. Views of the Namcha Barwa - Gyala peaks were quite magnificent again and lasted till we had passed the Adju La and got into the forest. All arrangements were well made by the Dingpon. I thought he was a Gyimpon, but he is Dingpon of Lome. A Dingpon has 4-6 gyimpons under him. The only interesting flower seen today was a peach, apparently wild, growing on the edge of a small clearing in the forest, with very fine