Showing 32 results

SUMMARY:
Route from Karpo over the Trakan La is described, with an easy ascent and gradual descent into valleys and grassy hills. Few flowers noted, but some Saxifraga and Cyananthus are mentioned; Lumsden shot a young musk deer which Ramzana halal-slaughtered. The party suffered slight headaches and celebrated with a large birthday dinner.

CONTENT:
Saxifraga tangutica 2003, punctulata 2004, signatella 2007.
not yet ripe, but we are taking some on with us. All of us again had slight headaches. We had a huge birthday dinner of hare soup, roast partridge, pate de foie gras, apricot cream, and mushrooms on toast. Perhaps it was no wonder we slept badly.

11th August. Karpo via Trakan La. 12100'. 11 m. An easy ascent up a broad valley over grassy slopes to the Trakan La (16900'?) at m 3. The pass is a broad one & very stony both sides. The road over the pass first leads down left handed to avoid a mass of boulders, then crosses a small valley to another broad open valley in the same line as the final ascent to the Trakan La. Thence descent easy & gradual over grassy hills, to m 10, when it becomes steeper, with a final steep fall to the valley bed at Karpo, where there are three little clusters of houses, some cultivation. Nothing very much today in the flower line, but G. stictantha? (unopened) on the pass, Cyananthus incanus (var leiocalyx?) on the way down. Lumsden missed a fluke from musk deer, then at the same point shot a young male, which Ramzana managed to halal, or said he did. Yak meat very good.

SUMMARY:
During a three-day halt, the party planned to head toward Sakden, while noting a Primula from Yonpu La as P. Boothii, previously found by Cooper and K. Ward in the Nyamjang chu. Lumsden treated many patients, the Dzongpen provided supplies and huts for the route up the Gamri Chu, and Ahmad Sheikh made excuses when tasked with making mince pies.

CONTENT:
all he said, though with some difficulty. Plans have been made for us to go almost anywhere we like, and we will, after three days here, go off towards Sakden again. Weather perfect, with no sign of rain for a while yet. The Primula found on the Yonpu La 1147 must be P. Boothii, a Petiolaris primula. It is uncommon, but was found by Cooper three times and by K. Ward in the Nyamjang chu. It has some farina on unopened buds, though nowhere else. The colour is beautiful, but might not last in sunshine. I have two excellent colour Lumière photos of it.

3rd, 4th, 5th March Halt. We are in no hurry, so halted here for three days and did nothing but eat, write, and sleep. Lumsden, however, had his work cut out and had many patients, some sham and many real. The Dzongpen has been very kind indeed to us, supplied us with all sorts of stores and other things, and prepared huts for us on our way up the Gamri Chu. Ahmad Sheikh continues to produce wonderful excuses for anything he does not know. We told him to make mince pies yesterday,

SUMMARY:
At Bimbi La Camp, Tenduk brought in plants and a Tsongpen sent seed from Chuchar; subsequent halts record collecting seeds of Primula and Gentiana near a pass, with fine weather followed by rain. On the 9th, Lumsden, D and Tenduk accompanied the diarist toward Bimbi La and a talao, collected Androsace seed, and shot three partridges, while mail from Sanga Choling was delayed.

CONTENT:
Bimbi La 157

Cyananthus wardii 2557 sp. nov.
It, under No. 2557. Tenduk brought in a beautiful allardia
allardia glabra 2553
2553, a Tsongpen sent some seed from Chuchar.

Bimbi La Camp
8th Sept. Halt. Went with Danong below camp then up E to a
Gentian
pass about 15500 & collected seed of P. macrophylla & G. przewalskii
P. muscoides 2567 P. macrophylla 2560, 2561
It was fine again again, a perfect night, & only a small
thunder shower in the day. Lovely evening again. Took what
may be another gentian like the Chusam one, up the hill
Gent. trichotoma var. brevicaulis 2558, Gentian phyllocalyx seed 2559
a bit, much paler, not so tall, under No. 2558.

Bimbi La Camp
9th Sept. Halt. Lumsden, D, Tenduk & I went up towards the Bimbi
La, collected some androsace seed, then on to the talao, where
we found some partridges & shot three. Lumsden got one in flight
with No. 2 dust shot. Also saw a lot of G. ornata (?) &
higher up some fine specimens of G. stictantha & some seed
of P. glabra. Then we went on past a dying glacier, over the
ridge to the right & down an awful scree to where Lumsden
had shot kuling before. A lovely day: fine all day. Out
from 7.0 till 3.0pm.

Bimbi La Camp
10th Sept. Halt. Stayed in camp. Rain most of the day, though
P. sikkimensis pantlingii 2568
never very heavy. Still no sign of our mail, which the Sanga
Choling people must be delaying, damn them.

SUMMARY:
The diarist describes difficult stream crossings with washed-out bridges, a woman helping her brother, and a day in camp changing flowers and bathing. On 12 July they travel about 8 miles to Karutra via Drotang, encounter rain after 10 a.m., note relatively scarce rainfall in the valley, and await possible mail from Tsona via the dak runner.

CONTENT:
Chimaphila japonica (like Pyrola) 2340 Moneses uniflora 2340A Frit. cirrhosa 2341 121

streams considerably, and some of them were not too easy to cross.
All bridges had been partly washed away, and in each case there was
only one thin tree trunk left to walk on. I was amused to see
one woman cross with her load, take it off and come back to
take a man's load. The man was obviously her brother, and
was a bit 'pagal' so they say. Stayed in camp today,
changing flowers etc., and had a 'bath'. Ludlow and Lumsden
have the only tub, so I wait for a warm place, have a
basin in my tent and make a thorough mess of the whole
place sponging myself down. The dak runner was supposed
to be back in 12 days, and tomorrow will be the 12th. Of
course that depended on whether there was a mail in Tsona
or not. I do hope he managed to get one there.

12th July. Karutra. (about 13,000') 8 miles. Fine till 10, rain the
Incarvillea lutea 2342
rest of the day. But even here the valley is not very
Pyrola rotundifolia 2343
wet yet. I think rain has been scarce this year on the
whole so far. The path climbs steeply up the valley
side to Drotang, a small village with a good deal of
cultivation. A little beyond this and it goes level for
1/2 mile. Then most of the way a steep ascent through

SUMMARY:
Notes plant specimens and habitats around Cha La, with route details toward Zimsathi and mention of the Takar La being snowbound. Records Lumsden treating a local woman and reports local news about the Rimpoche's daughter and proposed marriage ties with the Bhutan Maharani's family.

CONTENT:
Cha La May 14 - Saxifraga monantha sp. nov. 1584, Anemone brahmaputrae 1585, Pegophyton scapiflorum 1587, 1588, Primula advena 1589, Lloydia serotina 1591, Primula glabra 1592, Fritillaria cirrhosa 1595, Anemone trullifolia var. linearis 1594.

Cha La 15th 70
Rhododendron paludosum 1598
Off to the E, at about N 8, but to the Cha La the main valley is followed to Zimsathi. From here the road turns W to the Cha La. Another path follows straight on. This is only used from N to S occasionally. The Takar La is said to be pretty deep in snow still.

Primula atrodentata
We came across the usual Primula atrodentata in masses. Rhododendrons also especially on the W side, all the same, a form of 1555 (Rhododendron vellereum). There is a good deal of fir and juniper. Primula roylei is common here and Primula pygmaeorum also. Further up Primula glabra 1592 is common, and there are signs of a good many other things, saxifrage, allium etc.

Lumsden had a case of a woman yesterday who wanted treatment. She had had 7 children, all of them feet first. The pretty woman at Sangacholing is the Rimpoche's daughter. He told the Bhutan Maharani's mother was to marry her. He came here, but went on to Kham. But she wants to marry into Bhutan. It is a pity it cannot be arranged, to bring in new blood. The locals have the belief that Tobgye's second son is...

SUMMARY:
Notes on identifying Meconopsis 1613 and a small primula found by Tenduk with Lumsden in the Chickchar valley. On a halt day, Pintso is unwell; the party visits Chickchar, with Ludlow and the author exploring different routes, finding primula Nos. 1621 and 1614 common, and Paraquilegia in flower.

CONTENT:
I suppose it is well known. It is exceedingly common here.

We all found a Meconopsis 1613, which works out by Taylor's key to M. quintuplinervia. This I hardly think it can be - if only because of geographical reasons. It should be simplicifolia. A few other things of not much interest were found. The best of all was a little primula found by Tenduk, with Lumsden, growing up in or beside the snow, up the Chickchar valley. It is, as yet no beauty, pure white & has no stem visible, but I think it will grow that soon. One flower was seen pale lavender.

20th May. Halt. Pintso is not much better, still very sorry for himself. He must have an abscess somewhere in his jaw. All went round to Chickchar, a very pretty valley indeed. The village can be little if any higher than this place, & has some very fine snow peaks behind it. I went up the valley to the W. of the village & Ludlow up the main pilgrimage route. We both found primula No. 1621 growing beside 1614, & both are pretty common. Paraquilegia is in flower at last -

SUMMARY:
Diary notes describe travel from Chosam to Senguthi with observations on terrain and vegetation, including early-season flowers. Medical events include Danang receiving a third dose of treatment and Lumsden extracting Pintso’s wisdom tooth, which caused a difficult night. The party halted on the 17th and then proceeded to Yarap on the 18th.

CONTENT:
72

Chosam to Senguthi
16th May. Senguthi. 4 miles. B.P. 188.4 Temp. 48° Time 4.30 pm.
Ht. 13198'. Path keeps up the left bank, almost level.
Pass Chosam, which has 20 houses, at mile 1, where there is a bridge over the Tsari Chu. Keep level to mile 3 where the path drops to the big open plain of Senguti. Here the valley is quite open, some hundreds of yards across of flat rather boggy ground. The hills both sides are covered with trees, on the south face chiefly juniper & rhododendron, on the north face abies & rhododendron.
There are signs of a good many flowers coming, but not much up, only a fine Adonis 1600 (Adonis brevistyla v. sutchuenensis 1600), & a little Gentian 1603 (Gentian bryoides 1603). Meconopsis will be in flower in a fortnight or so. Danang had his 3rd dose, & Lumsden pulled out one of Pintso's teeth, a wisdom tooth, & an overdose of the local anaesthetic gave him a very bad night today. I hope he recovers soon.

17th May. Halt. Went up nala to the NW of camp, but saw nothing out, but a solitary rhododendron here & there. Fine with a short shower.

18th May. Yarap. 10 m. B.P. 190.1 Temp. 60° Time 3.0 pm. Ht. 12550'.

SUMMARY:
Notes a striking new Aconitum (longipedicellatum) in juniper patches and abundant Cyananthus lobatus along the route. Describes an 11-mile day from Chusam to Chuichchar at 13,000 ft with rain and muddy paths, Lumsden losing his braces, and a halt day exploring west of Chuichchar to collect and mark white-flowered plants and seeds.

CONTENT:
150
2100 Aconitum longipedicellatum sp. nov. - long lax inflorescence & slender arching pedicels - a distinct & most striking species. - blue violet - never seen again
is also down here, in the little patches of juniper. A few Notholirion
campanulatum on the path from Chusam here, but very few & far
between. P. whitei has thrown its seed. Everything here has grown
enormously. The grass where not eaten is a couple of feet high.

22nd August. Chuichchar. 11 miles. 13000' After an awful night of
rain, it was just fine all day till about 2.0pm, then steady
but light rain the rest of the day. The path was in a filthy
mess all the way down. Cyananthus lobatus is lovely all the
way, particularly near Yarap & here. The Chusam gentian is
very common here among shrubs & rhododendrons. C. stylophora
is in seed but not yet ripe. Lumsden is in a peevish
temper today, having lost his braces in the morning! I
think because everyone laughed when they were found in
his bedding here, he is still more peeved.

23rd August. Halt. Fine till about 1.0pm. I went up the valley
W of Chuichchar, & had quite a good day. P. valentiniana is in seed,
barely ripe, P. 1621 has thrown a lot of seed, others are still some
in flower. Whole areas of steep hillside are absolutely covered
with Cyananthus lobatus. I saw three white plants, & marked
each with a stone. Also got seed of a white alpine Delphinium,

SUMMARY:
Arrival by the 14th with rain and hail, then days at Dewangiri spent unpacking, sorting stores, bird collecting, and using the wireless. Lumsden began treating local people, and Tobgye visited bringing mail with the Trashigang Jongpen.

CONTENT:
3

there, and stayed an hour or two with them. Then up here at
about 2.30 pm on 14th - with no troubles since we left
Kashmir. It was fine to here, but we had some rain
and hail in the evening.

15th Feb. Dewangiri. Spent the day unpacking and sorting
stores. Rain and hail in afternoon. Tried the wireless in
the evening, but for little result.

16th Feb. Halt. There are no flowers out here at all, and
from my point of view, it is a poor place. But we want
some birds and collected 20 today. Lumsden is quite happy
I think and has started treating people already, though
few have come in. One man had an awful abscess
on his foot, but after one dressing went off down to the
Mela. The wireless was much better and after 8.0 pm
was really good, but there are storms all round which
spoil any music coming through.

17th Halt. Tobgye came up today. It is very nice to
see him again, just his usual cheery self. He brought
up some mail, and came with the Trashigang Jongpen.

SUMMARY:
Botanical notes describe conifers, prunus, primulas, and rhododendrons, followed by short march entries between Rungzyung toro, Trashigong, and GHUNKARA. Lumsden treated many patients; the party met the Dzongpon at Trashigong, packed specimens and mail, and calculated food supplies before crossing the river.

CONTENT:
27

almost entirely conifer - either Pinus nepalense or P. longifolia. A most beautiful prunus tree was seen in several places. It reaches a height of about 60 ft. and its flowers are really beautiful. (Rhododendron arboreum 1185). I took another primula from the waterfall. There seem to be two there, both pink. One has flowers which are deeply cut, and the one I took today has almost entire petals.

Prunus cerasoides var. magnifica 1192
Primula gracilipes 1188
" filipes 1189
Rhododendron irroratum 1193

17th March. Rungzyung toro. A short and uninteresting march, but not very hot. Thunder is coming up and I fear we will soon have a bad storm. Lumsden has more and more patients each day and must have seen 25 today.

Elaeagnus umbellata 1196
Caesalpinia sepiaria 1197
Hypericum griffithii 1198

18th March Trashigong. An uninteresting march, with nothing much to be seen. The bauhinias on the river banks are fine. The Dzongpon met us, and we spent most of the day in packing up birds, flowers and getting off a big mail in two bags. We had awful calculations about the amount of butter, atta and rice to take with us, and now have I think 13 bags of rice and 3 of atta.

19th March GHUNKARA. Cross the river up up the R bank,