Showing 5 results

SUMMARY:
The party leaves Naszi, traverses along the Tirgang Chu, crosses side valleys, and turns up the Mangde (Trongsa) Chu above the river, noting oak and Pinus longifolia forests and cultivation near Nimshong. It rains intermittently, and during a halt Tendu, Trongpen, and the diarist press a fern when a serow suddenly charges past them.

CONTENT:
Leaving Naszi, keeping 1/2 mile or so from the left bank of the Tirgang Chu, and well above it. To 1 1/2 m. path climbs, from 1 1/2 to 3 it is almost level, then a deep side valley is crossed, and another at m 4. Thence path leads slightly down and is easy. At m 7 more open forest is met. This gradually becomes almost all oak and Pinus longifolia. At m 8 1/2 the path turns up the right bank of the Mangde (Trongsa) Chu and keeping 1000 ft or more above the river goes up stream. Just before camp is reached, the path drops steeply. Considerable cultivation can be seen on the right bank of the Tirgang Chu 1 m above its junction with the Mangde Chu. The village is called Nimshong. Both banks of the Mangde Chu have considerable forests of Pinus longifolia. Rained as we left and we had two or three more showers during the day. During one halt however we had rather fun. Tendu, Trongpen and I were pressing a fern, on the path. There was thick jungle above and below and just 5 or 10 yards clearance for the path, running along a steep hillside. We heard something dashing down from above straight to us. Then suddenly a serow charged out straight at us 8 yards away, sheered off and brushed past us then slap down the hillside. Ten

SUMMARY:
Entries describe observations around Mira La, including Lerwa, snipe, and abundant Notholirion campanulatum, with fieldwork by the diarist alongside Tsungpen and Tendu yielding notable finds such as Meconopsis horridula var. lutea and a distinctive Saxifraga. Taylor is ill then recovers, Anna falls ill, and a Pu chu man is engaged to collect seeds for delivery to a monastery below the Dzong at Tsela Dz.; later a move north of Mira La is hampered by slow and misrouted coolies, with Chomo Dzong noted next.

CONTENT:
60

Butterflies
Some of these tomorrow. No sign of any Parnassius butterflies, although the hills seem ideal
Birds
for them. No snow cock seen or heard, but Lerwa common. One snipe seen, nearly hit by
Tsungpen with a catapult, but it fluttered away and was taken by a kite. There is a small
wooden hut here, and some yakherds further up the valley. A good camp site. At yesterday's camp
Notholirion
there were many Notholirion campanulatum. I counted more than a dozen together in one
place. It is rather smaller and pinker than the one I took under No. 5923: from Kulu Phu Chu.

Mira La
14th August. Halt. Fine nearly all day, with a few showers. Taylor still very unfit and unable to go out
at all, but he feels better this evening. Anna is also down with flu or something like that. I went
out to the West, with Tsungpen, Tendu and a coolie. We did not find very much, but we got some good
P. Younghusbandii 6061
things. Primula aff. macrocarpa is very interesting (6061): it has such flaccid leaves, with copious
Mec. horridula var. lutea 6062
white farina. The best find was probably Mec. horridula var. lutea 6062, which is only known
from our three specimens seen in 1936 in Tsari. It is very common here. A beautiful little
Sax. haematochroa 6070 sp. nov. type
Saxifraga was found by Tendu (6070) which was coloured soft velvety dark crimson. A lovely evening
today, the sky tonight absolutely clear.

15th August. Halt. Fine all day, with one short shower. Taylor all right again, and did a full day on the
Butterfly Birds
hillside. I got few flowers, but caught 10 Parnassius and saw three P. tischelanus. It is clear again tonight
and looks very promising for tomorrow. I have arranged for a Pu chu man, who has been to Darjeeling,
Seeds
to collect seeds of Mec. horridula var. lutea and take them to a small monastery below the Dzong at
Tsela Dz. In return he is to get Rs 5/- (Indian). I have told him to come here in one
month's time.

16th August. Camp. North of Mira La. Fine till 11.00 am, then a good deal of rain, some thunder. The
coolies were terribly slow, some taking 5 hours to the Pass. None would admit to knowing the Pass,
and some went over a different one to the one the rest crossed. They reached a different valley of
course, and never turned up at all tonight. So I have no tent and bed. Flowers disappointing.
Notholirion
Near camp, Notholirion campanulatum very common indeed.

17th August. Chomo Dzong. 12 miles. Rained in the morning, fine but cloudy afternoon. Coolies

SUMMARY:
Stores were divided as Ludlow and Sherriff prepared to leave for Kyindong Dzong or Chutchar; Tendu was injured catching butterflies but remained cheerful. The party made a halt-day excursion to the Bimbi La with fine views but few new plants, and later the writer found a primula in bloom near camp, hoped to be P. cawdoriana. Departure was planned for the 12th amid variable weather.

CONTENT:
except to take some photos in the morning. The rest of the day spent in dividing stores once more, as Ludlow & Sherriff go off in three days to Kyindong Dzong or to Chutchar. Poor Tendu fell catching butterflies & cut his knee badly, having to have a stitch in it. He seems happy as usual though. We sent a man down today to call up the coolies, & plan to leave on the 12th.

9th June. Halt. A perfect day till 2.0 pm when there was heavy rain for a while, clearing up later. We all went to the Bimbi La & returned about 4.30 pm. Had fine views of snow hills but for little of interest in the flower line, the only new flower being a myosotis.

10th June. Halt. Another fine day, spent a good deal in looking pretty close to camp, where nothing much was seen.

11th June. Halt. Fine most of the day. Went up to the E. of camp, & at last found some specimens of a primula I have been watching for ages, in bloom. Only two seen fully out. The calyx is large, the leaves small, & one expects a very small flower. But it is really a beauty & the colour very pretty (2113). I hope it proves to be P. Cawdoriana.

SUMMARY:
Tsongpen's eyes have recovered as the party collects more yellow primula 2396, compares it with petiolaris and Sikkimensis, gathers Meconopsis bella, and secures a few seeds of Tendu's primula for cleaning next day. Persistent snow hinders plans to go beyond the Kashongha and makes crossing the Changha out of the question. The Trum gyimpu returned home but is expected back with coolies on the 15th evening.

CONTENT:
Tsongpen's eyes are now back to normal. We collected a lot more of the yellow primula 2396. Its capsules look very like those of a petiolaris, but I do not think that it can be that section. In flower it appeared to be a Sikkimensis. Beside it grow two others, both petiolaris, I think they are the Chunchar blue one, and the big flowered, small leaf purple one we found beyond the Kashongha. But the latter might be the little white petiolaris one from Chunchar. In the afternoon we went up the very steep gully towards the other pass, and got a fair collection of Mec. bella. But the best thing found was Tendu's primula - small leaves, and a big pinkish flower. It has thrown all its seed, but I found a few in mud and among the leaves, which will be a job to separate tomorrow. As we may not get over the pass, I am glad to have some of this one from this side. The Trum gyimpu returned home this morning, but will come again with the coolies on 15th evening.

If only this blasted snow would stop, we could get a good day beyond the Kashongha, and perhaps find seeds of P. bella and more of Tendu's one. It is out of the question to try to get over the Changha now, so I must do without seed of the

SUMMARY:
Notes describe mixed sunshine and heavy rain near camp, with collections of primulas, gentians, and saxifrages, and sightings of Crossoptilon and snowcock; most coolies returned but no mail arrived. On 14 July at Kashong La, the morning was fair before turning to heavy rain.

CONTENT:
miles to the N of camp, and was in bright sunshine and
pretty heavy rain for an hour or two, both going on
together. Still this place is drier than I had expected,
though it looks as if it must be pretty wet on the
whole. There is another primula here - a rotundifolia
section - No 2349 (P. littledalei 2349) - different to both the Bimbi La one
and the Lela one. Tendu also found four flowers only
of another new minutissimae one 2350 (P. barbatula sp. nov. 2350). We could find
no more (P. tenuiloba 2354). Two gentians (Gent. coerulea aglaia 2353) - one I think G. prostrata,
and two saxifrages (Sax. hispidula 2348). But very little of everything
we found ("wardii" 2357) but the primula 2349. Crossoptilon and snow
cock are almost together on the hillside just below
here. Blackbirds numerous beside camp. All coolies
returned except two. They have done me very well
indeed. No sign of the mail.

14th July Halt. Kashong La. A good morning till about 9.0 am. After
that gradually becoming fouler and fouler. This evening it
is just coming down in streams. Otherwise a day
full of