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SUMMARY:
The diarist records persistent wet and snowy weather, local accounts of seasonal precipitation, and difficulties drying seeds, which are laid out on blotting paper. On a halt at Lanjong, they pack numerous seed lots, note additional collections by Taylor, confirm transport with the gyampon, and mention snow on nearby hills and the expected arrival of the Kyimdong Dzongpen, suggesting the Pa La route remains passable.

CONTENT:
76

Weather NB
One man who has been, says we do not go to Tso Kar, although a possible path does lead that way. It seems too much to hope for fine weather, as I have seldom seen the weather so set wet looking. It snowed all day where we were, but wet snow, which did not lie much during the day. I have always thought the monsoon ended quite suddenly up here on 18th Oct. But that cannot be so in this longitude. This is the 24th of the 8th month, locals say quite definitely that during the 8th & 9th months they expect a lot of rain here, & snow up the mountains. In the 10th month, they say, it does not snow much, but they have their really heavy falls in the 11th & 12th, when everything is shut up. They retire to their huts then, remain in them for four months, seldom even going out to visit their next door neighbors 50-100 yds away. All the animals too are shut up in the huts, & fed on the dried grass the locals are now busy storing. It is a great problem how to dry our seeds this weather. I have most laid out on blotting paper, which is changed & dried as often as possible, & the seeds moved about on it. If out of the capsule they dry then pretty quickly, but rhododendrons take a very long time.

19th October. Halt. Lanjong. Fine & bright till 2.0pm: then heavy cold showers & snow chiefly up the Mipitun Pa La way. Stayed in camp. Lovely & warm all morning, & the sun allowed me to get nearly all my seeds packed up. Altogether I have this year 316 seed lots, which must mean about 360 or 370 packets, while Taylor must have an extra 150-200, so we are doing well. I hope for another 50 or so on the way home. I have asked the gyampon over & over again about tomorrow's transport, & he assures me still that all is ready, & we should take but three days. This evening it is again overcast, & a good deal of rain about, but much colder, so we hope for fine weather again. We have not collected in the valley due N. of Lanjong village, but there was nothing to be expected there, except some more P. rotundifolia seed. And it seems more important for me to get out of this valley as soon as possible. Snow this morning was well down into the abies forest, & appeared very thick high up the hills. The Kyimdong Dzongpen is expected shortly, so presumably the Pa La route is kept open, or being a good path, is passable in deep snow.

Seeds NB

SUMMARY:
Diary notes describe failed hopes of reaching Tsari due to snow on the Tsari La, bulb collection of Lilium wardii near Lilung, and negotiations with local officials for transport. The writer arranges men and yaks to cross near Singo Samba, dispatches Tsongpon with coolies, reorganizes supplies, and collects Primula and Cyananthus seed while preparing to move toward the Lo La and Langong.

CONTENT:
there does not now seem any hope of getting in, but I wonder if even Ludlow will see it before he has gone too far. The gyampon here tells me that it will be impossible to get round Tsari Sama — too much snow on the Tsari La.

29th September. Camp 2 miles above bridge on Molo road. A beautiful day till 3:00 pm. Then thunder and very heavy rain. I could find no one who knew of a lily near Lilung, but eventually an old man said he did, and came on this morning to show us. We needed no showing, as there are plenty, when once seen. I took about 50 bulbs and have ordered another 50 to be collected for Taylor. So that it should be introduced all right. No. 6541. Little else seen on the way up.
Lilium wardii 6541.
Abies strigillosa 6539.
Lactuca macrorhiza 6540.

30th September. Molo. Fine all day. Beautiful evening. Back to Molo for the fourth time, and I hope the last. Kusho optimistically took everything for granted when he was told transport would be supplied. But it will not be as easy as all that. I had a long argument with the gyampon this afternoon, and he has supplied three men for Tsongpon to go tomorrow. He should reach the Lo La on return on the 8th. Molo cannot supply men for me, but we have arranged for 6 men and 4 yaks, the latter to swim the river at Singo Samba, while we cross by the bridge. It all seems a little doubtful yet, especially as Kusho avoided telling them I was going to Tsari Sama. If they don't know that before starting, they will never agree to go when we get to Trashigong. Gentiana veitchiorum very common all over the open meadows and hills here. Got a little Primula seed, and some Aquilegia and Primula jaffrayana.
Tsangpo La Lo La

1st October. Molo. A perfect day. Hard frost last night. Tsongpon got off with three coolies in good time this morning. The coolies were remarkably early and quite cheerful about going. I spent the whole day in rearranging all my kit, flower stores and so on, and am now ready to go on to the Lo La and Langong, victualled for 15 days.

2nd October. Molo. Another perfect day. Went down the river bank and got a good deal of Primula seed. Salvia hians has thrown all its seed. One Cyananthus seed also collected, but nothing else. I do hope this weather will hold for a few weeks now. It would make all the difference.
Cyananthus sherriffii 6545