Showing 7 results

SUMMARY:
The writer describes court etiquette around H.H., with Nahu the Donyer managing access and notes language difficulties between Hindi and North Country Urdu. They observe the army’s routines, play football with them, note Dunkley’s request to see the 2.75-inch gun whose ammunition is in Trongsa, and remark on H.H.’s newly built Dzong with a corrugated iron roof.

CONTENT:
85a

...or even Nahu and the Maharani. None are allowed before him unless called for. Nahu is the Donyer and brings people to see H.H., but he himself must not come unless called. I noticed how he had always to stand behind H.H.; this must have been rather awkward for him once when I was explaining a camera to H.H. and kept turning the camera in a different direction. As H.H. turned, so Nahu had to run behind him. I have had a little difficulty with language, H.H. talking Hindi and I answering in North Country Urdu. [It is perhaps because of that that I cannot get anything very definite about the forests.] The Army now has its own lines, cook houses, and everything; they parade regularly most of the morning. They are a smart lot and seem pretty keen too. I played football against them once and had an amusing but not scientific game. Dunkley asked to see the 2.75-inch gun. It is all here, but ammunition is missing; it is all in Trongsa. The Army has its own signallers who practice daily and a band of drums, bagpipes, fifes, and trumpets. H.H. has made a fine new Dzong here, all to his own design. To my mind, it is spoilt by the corrugated iron roof. It is built in a good position, nice and open, commanding a good view.

SUMMARY:
Notes describe permission for six weeks and lively festivities in Bumthang at H.H.'s residence, including archery, races, and a bull fight, with named dignitaries present. Photo and route notes mention a tame bear, Ludlow as Lepcha Chaprassi, and the 18 July journey from Bumdangtang past Byaka Dzong and Bada La to Thang Naru via Gemishong and the Tang Chu; one item was sent to Srinagar on 02/11/1933.

CONTENT:
421

He made no bones about it, & gave us permission for six weeks where we liked. We could have had more had we asked for it.

19.B.
All taken in Bumthang or at H.H.'s residence. A tame bear. Bull fight: bulls are cross between mithun & local cow.
No 19 sent Bumthang 20/7
Sent Srinagar 2.11.33

17th July. Bumthang.
The last few days have all been busy ones, though we have had no work in the way of collecting. There have been archery contests, dinners, lunches, & yesterday a grand show at H.H.'s place up the valley. First football, then lunch, then races, mounted musical chairs, wrestling, & finish up with a bull fight. The bulls are magnificent beasts, crosses by Mithun wild bulls & local cows. They would fetch a high price at home, I'm sure. At all these shows H.H. & the Maharani are present, besides the two brothers Naku & Dorji, & the sister Ashe Wangmo & half sister Ashe Paldan. Their names are: H.H. Sir Jigme Wangchuk K.C.I.E., H.H. Tasho Gurme Dorji, Tasho Lhundup Dorji (Naku), Ashe Paldan & Ashe Wangmo.

20. B.
    Ludlow as Lepcha Chaprassi. Group on leaving Bumthang. Maharani, Ashe Wangmo, Ashe Paldan, Dorji;

18th July. (Bumdangtang) THANG NARU. 9400'. 15 miles.
Route lies past Byaka Dzong, crossing main river over good bridge at m.1. Thence steep ascent to Bada La m 3 1/2. Descent easier on W side to m 6. From here route crosses a series of ridges till m 12, beyond the eastern ridge, the village of GEMISHONG is passed. Route descends narrow muddy path to the TANG CHU which is crossed by a bridge at

SUMMARY:
The entry describes a steep descent from the Donga La, crossing the Lichi Chu and reaching the clearing at Sana, with notes on pine–fir forest and abundant fuel and water. Blood pheasants were encountered near the pass and two females collected, but mist obscured wider views. Letters and provisions arrived from Tobgye, Dorji, the Maharaja and Maharani, with H.H. apologizing for arrangements at Pinia; bamboo shelters for the men are noted at several camps.

CONTENT:
large number of Blood Pheasant

the descent is easy at first, becoming steeper to m. 10, where the path leaves the forest & emerges on to meadow land. After a steep descent over grassy hillside for ½ mile, it re-enters the forest & descends steeply to m. 11, where the LICHI CHU (map Tongdala Chu) is crossed by a bridge. A further easy descent of a mile over a muddy path, & SANA, a clearing in the jungle, is reached at m. 12½. Fuel & water ample, no leeches. The forest here is mainly pine & fir. // A good day. The road was pretty awful to the top of the pass, near which we were lucky to find blood pheasant, & to get two females, which have never been collected before. From the top of the pass we should have

B. 23.
Panorama from the Donga La to North west & North, with cloudy valleys.

had a magnificent view, but as we got there the mist came down, & only allowed us glimpses of the cloud-filled valleys on all sides. Sana is delightful & we should like to stay here a day or two, but must get on & let our coolies return to Lingitse. Last night letters arrived from Tobgye, Dorji, the Maharaja & Maharani. Each sent presents - ham, sausages, bread, cakes, vegetables & fruit, & with them came a welcome mail. H.H. apologized for bad arrangements at Pinia, the only place a campsite was not prepared & shelters built for the coolies & our men. Here, as at Donga, Pinia, Lhuentse, Shakhang, we have had good bamboo shelters for the men. They are quickly

SUMMARY:
The diarist arrives near a new palace and is lodged in a specially prepared house, meets Nahu, and pays a visit to HH with the Maharani and young Jigme. From 24–31 July they halt at Domkhar with much social activity; Wangmo is at Lama Gomp and Pedmadechen at Wangcholing.

CONTENT:
quite good, and much admired the buglers who bugled hard even when climbing a 1 in 4 hillside. We passed the new palace, a grand looking place and came on 1/2 mile beyond, where a special house has been erected for me. It is a grand place, with hall, reception room, bed-writing room, bath room and usual offices a little way away. The whole thing is very pukka, all lined with cloth, walls and ceilings, while carpets are on the floors.

Nahu met me here and we talked for an hour or more, but he has forgotten nearly all his Hindi, and conversation was not too bright. Then I went to see HH, with the Maharani and Jigme, who is a grand little boy of 10 (8 according to our counting). HH has not changed at all, and is just the same charming man as before. I just stayed a couple of hours with him and then came away.

24th July, 25th July, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st July. Halt Domkhar. These days have been a little trying, with lots of talk and lots of eating. But I have not got much of what I wanted to do done. In Domkhar are HH and the Maharani, Nahu, and little Jigme. Wangmo is in Lama Gomp and Pedmadechen in Wangcholing so I have not seen them. HH is very strict with all his people,

• SUMMARY:
  The diarist records a warm farewell from friends in Bumthang, including H.H. and the ladies (notably Ashe Paldon), with gifts and a light‑hearted evening dressing in various outfits. Route notes describe an easy ascent along the left bank to THANG NARU, a river difficult to ford in summer, muddy sections, a 150-foot cliff with houses and a monastery, and scattered houses along the Tang Chu valley.

CONTENT:
43

Tobgye & Ludlow

• m. 13. The river is of considerable size in summer & would only
  at farewell at

• be fordable in certain places with difficulty. Thence easy
  Bumthang: on

• ascent along left bank to THANG NARU at m 15. 1/2 mile
  first pass beyond

• above bridge there is a 150' cliff on R. bank of river below which
  Bumthang. F.L.,

• are some houses & a monastery. Route here is very muddy in
  Tobgye, Dorji.

• rainy weather. There are scattered houses all up the Tang Chu

• valley. Fuel water abundant.

We were both genuinely sorry to leave Bumthang, not because we were leaving the place, but because we were leaving good friends. H.H. is still a little nervous & awkward, & difficult to talk to, but he was kindness itself to us. He has taken a great deal of trouble in seeing about our arrangements East of Bumthang. Although he has not definitely asked us to return, he has repeatedly said that if Bailey should come again, we must come with him. The ladies were very kind, especially Ashe Paldon, who heaped gifts on us, & made us promise to write to her if we had any kind of trouble at all. On our last night in Bumthang Mrs W. dressed up as a Bhutanese lady, & induced the Maharani to get into her clothes. She looked very well, & I think rather fancied herself. I also dressed in Tobgye's clothes, while Ludlow put on one of the Sikkim chaprassis' clothes. I have seldom seen such a funny sight as he looked. We had a very cheery evening with it all. Leaving took some time. We had received so many gifts from H.H. & the ladies,

SUMMARY:
The diarist describes masses of flowers on open grassy slopes and in fir and juniper forest, noting especially profuse Primula winteri. They meet a sepoy and coolies from H.H., receive friendly letters and generous presents from H.H. and the Maharani (including butter, parched rice, and arak), and note that expected mail has not yet arrived.

CONTENT:
the grassy hillside was thick with these, all jumbled together, a patch of blue, then joined on to it a patch of white, & so on, really a beautiful sight. They were growing so profusely where the ground is probably pretty rich with yak manure, just close to a 'goat' on the open grassy hillside. Prim. Winteri is again in masses, & bigger flowered here than I have ever seen it, very profuse in the fir & juniper forest. It seems to like the fallen leaves from Abies Webbiana. Soon after leaving camp I met a sepoy & a train of coolies from H.H., who had not yet had my letter, but had heard from someone that I was up this way. Both his letters & the Maharani's were very friendly - "Since our first meeting, we became such great friends that we are now like the members of one family." Both sent presents, from H.H. "1) One load butter. 2) One bag parched rice 3) Two cases native brewery. 4) One box native biscuits." And from the Maharani - "a trifling present of a native made chadar, one bag parched rice, and a case of native brewery." The "native brewery" I had hoped would be chang (beer) but it is arak (spirit) which I can't touch. Everything else will be very good though, especially the 60 lbs of butter. I had hoped for a mail too, but there is no news of it yet.

SUMMARY:
Farewell letters with small gifts were dispatched, and several boxes of bird specimens were sent off amid improving but still rainy weather. At Narim Thang, the writer went to the Kang La pass, saw little view, and collected snow partridge, including specimens for Inglis in Darjeeling.

CONTENT:
Kang La morning we sent back our last bunch of letters. It was
an awful job writing no less than nine farewell letters
in one day, to the Maharaja, Maharani, Tobgye, Ashe
Pedon, Ashe Wangmo, Tashi Dorji, Tashi Naku and Pintso
Wangdu. Helped by two hot toddies, we finished up in
good style just before dinner. This morning we did the
letters up in parcels with a scarf in each with a
small bottle of scent to the ladies. We also packed
three boxes of birds and got them off too, leaving only a
very few which we must take through Tibet with us.
Yesterday was fine for quite a number of hours, and
this morning has been the best for some time. But now
at 9:30, it is again raining and mist is low down. It
does appear to be getting gradually better though, and we
hope for a decent day yet.

27th August. Narim Thang. Fairly fine till the afternoon. I left at 6:00 am
and went to the Kang La (16,300') for the first time. Took two
hours. Practically no view, but it looks sunnier and
drier on the other side. In fact I did see sunshine
there. No birds or flowers seen near the pass which
is a knife edge ridge of broken rock. Saw 50-60
snow partridge on the way up and shot three: one for
a skeleton and one for Inglis in Darjeeling. The
other day I "bagged" 22 more P. eburnea at the