Showing 20 results

SUMMARY:
The diary records paying for pony transport and arranging routes via the Jelep La and Nathu La, with generous provisions from Rani Chuni and many loads of plants and seeds despite Betty having broken her arm. On 30 Oct at Damthang, coolies and transport are disorganized and late; on 31 Oct at Sharithang, rain and sleet continue with snow above 11,000 ft.

CONTENT:
four collectors. They will have to change transport at Rinchenpong. We have paid them at Rs 9/- per pony. Ludlow had 5 1/2 loads and Hicks at 10 1/2. I also paid Tsangpon at the rate of Rs 10/- per pony to Kalimpong - Rs 105/- - that being about half what we expect the cost to be. They will all go the Jelep La route, while we will go by the Nathu La. As usual we have been very well looked after here. Rani Chuni has been pouring things over to us, butter, cider, eggs, meat, even whisky. We can't stop her, and we'll be lucky to get off with just the number of transport ordered. With us we have 8 pony loads and 3 coolies with live plants. That can't all fit into a jeep and trailer, and we will certainly have to use some other form of transport to get the rest through. And so we end what has been a very successful trip for us all, with the one exception of Betty breaking her arm. Ludlow certainly has the best collection, but we all have lots of good stuff, and seeds should prove interesting, and also the rooted plants, of which we have brought more than ever before. We have 3 big baskets - each a man's load - each having 3 tiers of plants in them.

30th Oct. Damthang. Raining in the morning, off soon in the day. Coolies and transport very sad indeed. They do just as they like, and even by 4.0 pm several are not in after an 8 mile march. What is worse, is that we saw some of the boxes which were yesterday passing the bungalow this evening. In fact they never went yesterday at all. These people are very difficult now. There is no authority, no discipline.

31st Oct. Sharithang. Rain and sleet fell all evening and night, there was quite a bit of snow on the road today from about 11000 ft up to the top.

SUMMARY:
The writer instructs Chengala of Dengchung to show a plant to Betty and collect seeds of several trees, including one used locally for yellow dye, with earlier material taken at Panghar. After a strenuous day crossing the Rip La, the diarist visits the half sisters of H.H., two of whom come to the tent, and later receives a letter from Betty while expressing concern about Hicks.

CONTENT:
they have flowers in whorls. And the flowers of this one (18806) are not yet out, but already the second whorl is 1 1/2" above the first. So I can't think what it is. We have not got good specimens as regards flowers, but I hope we will get seed alright as it is on Betty's route. I have left instructions with the man of Dengchung called Chengala that he must show this to Betty & get seed. He has also to collect seed of another tree which I took at Panghar, with attractive Daphne like flowers, from the leaves of which the locals make a good yellow dye, used in all their clothes. So Chengala has to get seed if possible of the following:- "Trali shing" (Styrax hookeri) 18802. "Pumpa shing", probably Viburnum erubescens 18706. The new mother primula (18806) and the tree used for dye (Daphniphyllum himalayense) (18733). I have given him a letter.

There were no flower excitements during the rest of the day, but we climbed to the Rip La, certainly 3000', then dropped a similar amount on the W. side, & finally climbed a good 2000 or 2500' up here. I should think we have climbed or dropped nearly 11000 ft. today, & the same coolies did it all. This is the home of the half sisters of H.H. There are three. They sent their mule down for me. One is a leper in such a bad way that she can't appear. The other two came to my tent & for 2 hours I had to do my best by myself to talk to them. The elder is also a leper or has lupus - her nose is disappearing - but she is quite nice & reasonably easy to get on with. The other was rather difficult. No sooner had they gone than Betty's letter came & that finished a good day. I fear poor Betty will have a bad time with Hicks, but she will have a good time with flowers. It was very very nice hearing from her, it really seems

SUMMARY:
Halted at Pangotang due to persistent rain while Pasang and Mundon went to Kantanang for Primula reticulata seed; H.H. sent a Bhutanese blanket, causing concern about excess baggage. The camp was crowded with Drogpas and Tibetans returning from the Mela via the Monlakarchung La; Danang is unfit and may join later instead of going to Ludlow, and lack of yak prevented a planned trip to Tolegang.

CONTENT:
14th September. Halt at Pangotang. Wet all day. Pasang & Mundon went off for 3 days to Kantanang. The only thing I know I want from there is seed of a primula called reticulata, which was very pretty. But it will likely not be ready yet. We can wait longer though for Kantanang. It is not important, & the other places must take preference. H.H. is making me very embarrassed. He has now sent a very fine Bhutanese blanket. I don't know what to do with it & had told him I did not need any bedding at all. I fear Hicks & I may have to carry a good many unwanted things away with us - unwanted by me anyway. Pangotang is a regular Piccadilly Circus today, with all the Drogpas coming back from the Mela. Tibetans too are camped beside me on their way back over the Monlakarchung La. H.H. said it was a success, they had good weather. He tells me Danang is still not fit, which presumably means that he cannot go to Ludlow now, but will have to join me when he is alright. It will be a sad blow to Ludlow, although I believe Ramzana has seen almost all that Danang saw on their way East.

15th Sept. Halt. No yak turned up today, so I did not go out to Tolegang as intended. Very heavy rain again last night, & a good deal today too. Sat in camp all day practically, & did nothing but write a

SUMMARY:
Diary notes from Pangotang describe ongoing rains, plans to visit Marlung before turning back, and requests regarding taking Yundru and Ngudup to Kalimpong, with preference for Yundru. The writer develops Hicks’ photos, comments on Thompson’s image of P. eburnea, sends Dorji with airmail to Hicks and HH, and packs a ‘tsang’ of rooted plants for shipment to London, hoping to add more from Marlung and Ritang.

CONTENT:
147

Air mail plants
more specimens and also some roots. I have now so many roots to send home by air, that I wonder how many loads there will be, also how much it will all cost!

24th Sept. Pangotang. Fine morning, and a bit of rain after midday. There really is precious little sign of the end of the rains, although I keep on hoping there is. We are, in a way, on our way back home now. But still there is one place, Marlung, to visit, before we can say we have turned round and started back. But everyone obviously feels that things are winding up. I had a request today from Pasang, from Ngudup and Yundru that I should take both to Kalimpong. I don't mind taking Yundru, who is a good and cheery lad and a good worker, but I hope I won't have to take Ngudup one day beyond Bumthang. I do not like him, and except to arrange transport, he is useless. I am writing to HH tomorrow to ask for Changchuk, and to give him our final dates. Today I developed Hicks' photos. If only he had taken my advice at first, all his photos would have been like these which are good. But he would not, and considered he knew better. Thompson's photo of P. eburnea is quite good, much better than Hicks' first efforts. It is a real disappointment to me that in 6 months he has only taken 48 photos altogether, in spite of having lots of film packs available. There were so many photos he could have taken.

25th September. Sent off Dorji and with airmail to Hicks, HH and Kalimpong and paid him Rs 24/-. We then packed up a 'tsang' with rooted plants, each rooted plant in its own little basket inside the big one. The whole thing now is ready to go to London, except that I hope there will be a few more plants added from Marlung, and then more again at Ritang.
roots

SUMMARY:
The diarist rides a yak to Marlung and conducts plant collecting despite mist, rain, and poor visibility, noting abundant primulas and other flowers near yakherds' huts. A flower box arrives from Bumthang, thought to be Ludlow's, raising concerns about other boxes and presents coming from Kpong, while a future visit tied to Hicks' return is mentioned.

CONTENT:
as that would be a change and would give much trouble. The snag is that from there to come up here one would again have to pass through Bumthang, and we don't want any more of that, when already we must pay a last visit on Hicks' return about 1 Oct.

5th July MARLUNG. 6 miles. 13500' Pretty fine day, but no views. I rode up here on a yak today in real comfort. But we are not nearly high enough here, and should really be in the highest yakherds' huts. The cliffs here are again covered with P. umbratilis, but there seems precious little otherwise.

6th July Halt. A foul day of rain, wind and mist. We went about 4 miles up the valley, then turned south up a side valley, the one I eventually hope to leave by. But we were so lost in thick mist, that we could see only 10-20 yards, and didn't know if there were cliffs above, or open country or what. That doesn't make plant collecting any easier. One can only take a chance of finding things, without looking where they should be. In spite of that we got quite a number of flowers, though nothing very thrilling. The yakherds' huts up there are very beautiful—at least round about them is beautiful—a mass of white and yellow P. sikkimensis (orthopiana) in a sea of yellow potentillas and calthas, and asters and red pedicularis. When I got back I found a flower box had been sent up here from Bumthang, with no letter and message. The boy only said that he had been told it had come from Bumthang. It must be Ludlow's, and makes one wonder what is happening to other boxes that were left there. And it also makes one wonder what will happen to the boxes of bows and arrows and other presents which are coming from Kpong to be left in Bumthang. I hope they don't come on here!

SUMMARY:
Expected malaria patients from Punakha did not appear, despite H.H.’s orders, leading to frustration and letters to H.H. and Tobsgye. On 20 Oct the party marched to Taluku, found the hut gone, noted a better camp at Nahila, and collected 47 bulbs of Lil. Wallichianum; on 21 Oct they reached Balimape, where the Zimpon was away in Ha.

CONTENT:
shrubs all the way down, but otherwise the place looks dry. We were to have had 40 malaria cases here waiting for us, from Punakha, whose blood Hicks was to make slides of to see what kind of malaria they all suffer from. H.H. ordered these men to be produced. But there was nothing here, all the Dzongpon said was "There is no fever in Punakha". If this is really so, which I very much doubt, then all our gift of 5000 Paludrine is being just thrown away now. I personally think there is a lot of fever, but that the Dzongpon is a fool who has not the energy to call in the sick people. I've written a stinker to H.H. & told Tobsgye all about it. We are both rather sick at this. It seems v. difficult to get anything done for these people. They say they want something done, but then won't do anything, when one tells them what to do.

20th Oct. Taluku. A lovely day, with clouds in the morning, but clearing to the real cold weather dryness. This is an absurdly short march which I only arranged as there was a nice hut here, which would save trouble for the locals in making arrangements. But we got here to find the hut gone. That doesn't really matter as we have tents, but a much better camp would have been at Nahila, 4 miles on. We got 47 very fine bulbs of Lil. Wallichianum on the hillside across the valley here. Some are bigger than I have ever seen, but none has had more than 2 flowers on it, whereas in Kalimpong gardens they can have up to 5 flowers.

21st Oct. Balimape. Again fine though mostly clouded. We got in by 2.0 but kit not till 4.0 - 5.0 pm. The Zimpon is away in Ha, so we are spared any trouble here in the way of conversation & entertainment. He is a pleasant man, but it makes things easier if he is not here.

SUMMARY:
The writer reports finding P. caveana and, with Tundup’s collections, totals 27 gatherings, then receives mail including two lots from Kalimpong and letters from Betty, who has found P. jigmediana again. They comment on Hicks’ limited results with the camera, news that Bhutan’s treaty matters seem settled, car delivery news from Chris, and concern over the Paro Penlop’s worsening condition as H.H. cannot visit. On 15th June they halt in camp, send mail to Betty, Kalimpong, and H.H., note heavy showers, and remark on large butter consumption.

CONTENT:
Primula farinosa 19149
Primula sapphirina 19147
Meconopsis horridula 19136
Cremanthodium decaisnei 19148
Cypripedium himalaicum 19131
Cypripedium elegans 19134
Orchis chusua 19129
19144

valley to the east and found P. caveana in full flower, and with a few things collected by Tundup, we are 27 gatherings in all. I was busy writing these up when the mail arrived, and a good mail too, with two lots from Kalimpong, and two letters of 23rd - 28th from Betty. She has done pretty well I think, and has found P. jigmediana for the second time only. They also have P. caveana I suppose most of what I have otherwise. She seemed more cheerful too, but Hicks is not a great success I fear. He wrote to me in a cheerful enough way, and realized he was not as good as he might be. I fear he hasn't done much with the camera, whether the camera's or his fault I don't know. There was no special news in the mail I think except that Bhutan now seems to have all points of their Treaty settled at last, not badly either, if India keeps the bargain. Chris tells me the car I ordered at home on "18 months delivery" in Nov. last, will be delivered in June - now. That is rather unfair to him I feel, but it's very nice to know I won't have to take our car home. Paro Penlop is apparently worse, and H.H. very sorry he cannot manage to go and see him which he feels he certainly ought to do. I suppose it is cancer without doubt now. As there was such a lot to do, I decided to send off a mail tomorrow and not go out after flowers.

15th June Halt. Stayed in camp and sent off a mail to Betty and to Kalimpong and to H.H. Fine with some heavy showers. Nothing to report. I find we have disposed of over a maund of butter in 3 weeks, and cannot think how that could possibly

SUMMARY:
The diarist receives letters from Betty and outlines plans: Hicks will arrive in Bumthang on 5 Oct, they hope to leave about the 13th and reach Tashigang on 3 Nov; the party will include Ludlow, the diarist, Betty, Virginia, Tess, and Tasho. Entries for 30 September at Pangotang and 1 October at Tolegang note wet weather, seed collecting (including Primula umbratilis), Pasang and Mundru’s work continuing until 17 October, a visit from the Sokpon who received gifts, and mail sent to HH for Kalimpong.

CONTENT:
To cheer me up today—I was feeling very miserable—a mail came in, with letters from Betty in Calcutta at last, and also from her in London. Nothing from HH at all for the first time when a mail has been sent. Hicks confirms that he will arrive in Bumthang on 5th Oct. So we should be able to leave on 13th about, and reach Tashigang on 3 Nov. Ludlow has got a passage, Betty says, and also she and I, Virginia, Tess, and Tasho. So we should have a good time, 6 of us from Bhutan.

30th September. Pangotang. It rained all night again, but was fine when Pasang and Mundru went off about 6:00 am. We were off just after them, and had a day half rain half fine, but no sun. It doesn't look yet like clearing up, but I do most sincerely hope it is fine now for four days. There is a lot to be got in Tolegang and quite a lot on the other side. After that it doesn't matter so much, except for Pasang and Mundru, whose work won't finish until 17 October. Primula umbratilis here is nearly ripe, and I got some seed, but the big Androsace is still green. This is our last of many halts in Pangotang. The Sokpon came to call and I gave him a little bottle of saffron and a torch, which is doing him very well. But we've been in his district for a long time now, ever since 23rd of May. Sent off a small mail to HH for Kalimpong. I shall only be able to send off one more after this, except for Ha.

1st October. Tolegang. Fine till 10:00 then rain and snow off and on the rest of the day. We are camped about 14,000-14,500' and it is raw and chilly. We got some seed of Primula umbratilis, the very pale form which occurs here, and a few other things. But the Phlomis (19716) I particularly wanted, is still in flower; seeds are not nearly ripe. Neither are seeds of the interesting Gentian 19721. But I took roots of

SUMMARY:
The diarist reports persistent rain, a march near Kunzam with plant collecting including Albizia sherriffii seed, and a halt due to weather. News arrives that the Khoma Chu bridge below camp was destroyed, affecting Betty’s party, while rations were issued under H.H.’s orders and many sick parades occurred; later the party moves toward Pang Kha, with Betty and Hicks accompanying as far as Khoma before parting.

CONTENT:
great deal of rain, again today, I don't remember this at all in 1937. Sometimes the morning is fine, but always rain starts in the evening, or at night. It is at any rate better like that than rain in the morning.

19th. Kunzam. c 4 hours 8 miles. B.P. 205.2° T. 67°. 6.0pm Ht 3850'
Quite an interesting day, as we got 21 flowers, though nothing of outstanding interest. Albizia sherriffii is again to be seen, & looks a very fine tree indeed. I got seed for the first time today. The path drops down very steeply on an insignificant path which was very muddy & difficult to walk on. It drops down to the river bank in 3 miles or so, then is easy up the bank all the way. The hillside is bare though, with some Pinus longifolia, except where a side stream comes in.

20 & 21st April. Halt. Mostly rain. Today we heard that the bridge over the Khoma Chu just below camp was carried away. That means Betty & Co must go all the way up the side valley to Khoma, & will not reach Lhuentse tomorrow. We have had a great issuing out of rations from the Dzong. H.H.'s orders are that we are all to be fed free, it seems. I have kept a list & will try to settle with H.H. later. There have been large sick parades here, mostly worms & gonorrhoea, even boys of 14 suffering from the latter.

22nd April. Pang Kha. (Camp 2 miles beyond) 8 miles. B.P. 195.7° Temp 53°. 1.0pm Ht. approx. 9116'. Sun fine up till 11.0, then rain the rest of the day. Betty & Hicks had to come with me as far as Khoma where the next bridge over the Khoma Chu is. So we walked up together, & parted there. Betty was very good & showed nothing when the

SUMMARY:
The diarist, now traveling without Betty, notes Hicks’ variable temperament and plans to meet Betty in Bumthang, or wait at Singhi Dz if the Monlarkarchung route is impassable. The day’s route runs up the Khoma Chu to Khoma, then the Jumu Chu and steeply to Panghar toward the Rep La, passing Gangla, Khoma, and Tak Gompa; it is very cold and wet, and there are observations of Magnolia, Rhod. kingii, and an epiphytic Maddenii nearly in flower. The entry ends with a note from Galt.

CONTENT:
time came. It is much worse for her than for me to go off alone now, and I hope she won't feel it too much. Hicks has his moods, and can be quite nice, but can also be very trying. It is a long time for Betty to have to wait, and I just wish that the flowering season was in full swing, when there would be ample to do. We should meet in Bumthang on 15 Aug unless I cannot get through from here to the Monlarkarchung route, in which case I'll stay in Singhi Dz till she comes there.

The road today was easy up the Khoma Chu to Khoma at m 3. Then up a side valley from the North, called the JUMU CHU for about a mile. Then very steeply up the ridge on the L bank to Panghar at m 6. We came on 2 miles beyond this, still steeply, towards the Rep La. High up on the R. bank of the Jumu Chu are Gangla and Khoma, where HH's mother lived, and beyond them Tak Gompa. It is very sad without Betty now, and I will miss her a great deal in the next four months. It is extremely cold up here — colder than I've had it yet, and the wet does not add to the pleasantness. In a clearer spell I saw lots of Magnolia, when one fine evening I got Rhod. kingii, I saw an epiphytic Maddenii in very nearly in flower.

23rd April. Galt.