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SUMMARY:
The party repeatedly paddled the river from Menoka, met Basu Pradhan with a car, continued to Kumarikhata for refreshments, and settled matters with the local postmaster while noting his meagre pay compared with Tambulpur. They reached Kumarikhata at 10:30, left at 12:30, arrived at Rangiya station at 1:00 pm, and note an onward route through several towns.

CONTENT:
Menoka. I found the river a very different affair to what it was on our way up. But we had to paddle across it about 25 times or so. Just below Menoka we met Basu Pradhan with a car, and the lorry also turned up then. We went on to Kumarikhata, where Pradhan produced whisky, oranges, tea, biscuits and cake, and we settled with the postmaster.

The poor postmaster is given pay of only Rs 6/- per month. Who would work for 9 shillings a month at home? For a man who can read and write and keep accounts, and is honest enough to handle hundreds of rupees and a fair number of parcels, Rs 6/- seems a shameful rate of pay. We promised to write in about it. The next P.O. on the road, Tambulpur, gets Rs 14/- per month, and has no work at all to do.

We reached Kumarikhata at 10:30 and left at 12:30 reaching Rangiya station at 1:00 pm. That is, we only took seven hours, whereas going up it took us 5½ days and 9 hours. Beer was the first thing asked for here, and very good it was too.

Ludlow - p 170-178
to Parbatipur, Siliguri, Gangtok, Kalimpong, Siliguri, Calcutta, Lahore, Srinagar.

SUMMARY:
The diarist travels from Changphu to Chumkarah and on to Pinshogong and Hach, crossing the Bhutan–Tibet boundary near Jangphu, aided by mules from the Trashigang Dzongpon. They collect more Albizzia sherriffii seeds, note fruit sent by the Dzongpon, observe otters, visit a new Dzong, and receive a warm welcome from Dzongpon Dopola while mail arrangements via Basu Pradhan remain unresolved. Weather is noted as improving after rain, with hot conditions in the valley.

CONTENT:
To Changphu
16th November, JAMGPHU. Rain yesterday evening and last night. Fine and bright today. Changed transport twice, but everything ready for us. It is a long climb up from the bridge to Jangphu, the last 2 miles being more or less level. Three mules were sent to meet us, but only for the level stretch, so we all had a good sweat. Hills much drier here, being barer and more cultivated. The boundary of Bhutan with Tibet is crossed 300 yards W of Jangphu — a small very insignificant little valley. Oranges I'm glad to say are ripe, or near enough so to be eaten, and are very good after a climb like today's.

To Chumkarah
17th November, Chumkarah. Clouded and a little rain at night: fine all day. We are getting almost too civilized now. People turn out to meet us, tea is produced by the roadside, and camping grounds are prepared. I would rather just be allowed to wander along. However it is nice to have the Trashigang Dzongpon's mules here to help us on our way. I have hardly ridden at all since we left Kalimpong in Feb. — only on 3 or 4 days for a short while. But here it is hot, and a mule will be very nice to have. Changed transport once again today.

I could not find the original tree of Albizzia Sherriffii, although I recognized the place, but took more seeds again today, so surely should have it by now. The Dzongpon sent some pears, bananas and oranges, which are just what the doctor ordered for this hot valley. I hear that there is still no mail in Trashigang, so again our arrangements have gone wrong, though why I cannot think. I wrote to PM Kumarikata Basu Pradhan in August, and Tobgye has forwarded our letters to the latter.

To Trashigong Dzong
18th November, Pinshogong. Fine and very hot. On the way, I spotted three otters having a great time in the river, always keeping together, and hunting for a few minutes, then joining up on to the hot sandy beach and rolling and playing about. Owing to a cliff I could not get very close, but took a tele-cine picture of them. Went and saw the new Dzong, which is a fine building and seems well designed. Then came on here about 3.0 pm, for a very warm welcome from the Dzongpon Dopola. Rained pretty hard at night.

19th November, Hach. Fine all day. Stayed in camp, and talked to the Dzongpon. He says the same