Showing 52 results

SUMMARY:
The party delayed departure to meet HH, discussing a Treaty, M.K., and reports from Tobgye that the Sikkim Maharani had stirred Nepalis of Sikkim to oppose the Maharaja; they later dined and played games with HH and two Maharanis. They set off around 10:00 on a short, steep march behind Kunga Rapden, noting cultivation, forest edge and grassland, and several rhododendrons including R. arboreum, R. grande, and epiphytes such as R. edgeworthii and R. rhabdotum.

CONTENT:
9th April. Zangrapang. 5 miles. BP. 195.9° T. 61° 5.0pm. Ht. app. 9150'

This was a very short march, but we felt we could not leave HH until a time more suitable to royalty than our usual 6.0 am. So I said we would go when he was ready, that was 9.30. We had had a long & pleasant session with HH & on 8th. He came up again at 3.0pm & we had dinner at 7.0 & he left at 8.0. I talked to him again about the Treaty, & more about M.K. & the danger of getting mixed up with the intriguing of the Sikkim Maharani. He was aware of the danger there, more so because he had just heard from Tobgye that the Sikkim Maharani had induced the Nepalis of Sikkim & some others to go to the Palace to say they did not want the Maharaja, but wanted Indian Raj. This naturally made HH think very much. We later on had games with the two Maharanis & HH, & the greatest success was animal snaps, which so amused HH that we had to stop for fear he would do himself some harm through over laughing.

Today HH came up again to say goodbye, at 9.30, & we were off at 10.0. He was the same pleasant friendly & thoughtful man as always, & had thought out everything for us & our comfort on the road. The road was pretty steep, straight up behind Kunga Rapden, to the east. There is now a good deal of cultivation for about 2000' up, then the path goes along the edge of the forest, to a large area of grass. Round about here there were a number of rhodos. Rhod. arboreum is common, as is R. grande (18660) & some epiphytes like R. Edgeworthii, & rhabdotum,

SUMMARY:
At around 14,000 ft the party camps on Yuto La, noting changing weather, a nearby water-turned prayer wheel tended by an elderly woman, and botanical work including primulas and seed collections. A man delivers biscuits and mangoes, the latter sent by Tobgye to HH by express runners. The following day is a halt with rain.

CONTENT:
82

from Calcutta, not a thing remained when he got back home.
It really is a rotten system this present giving one, but it
seems very well established. Outside the window is a huge
water-turned prayer wheel. Beside it sits a woman acquiring as
much merit as possible. She sits by the door of the wheel house; in
one hand she is turning a prayer wheel, while she turns her beads over
in the other. She must feel that she is very old indeed.

Up to 14,000 ft.
20th July. Yuto La. 9 miles. BP. Temp. Time Ht. More or
less fine till the evening. Camp actually on the pass, hope to see
to N-S during the next two days. One primula is still in
flower here, No 3465 (P. smithiana 3465 - see 12th June), which we took before in the Longto Chu,
3250 (P. sikkimensis 3250). I got a fair amount of seed from some taken pretty low
down, where the lowest of often 6 whorls were ripe (Geranium 3466). The next
few days are more and more going to be a trial (Clematis 3467). On the pass a
man was waiting patiently for me, with a basket of biscuits
& another of mangoes! The latter are sent by Tobgye to HH by
express runners (Presents). It is a very kind thought, but an awful waste
of money, especially on me, as I don't particularly care for them.

Yuto La Camp.
21st July. Halt. Thunder again last evening. Fine for an hour or
two this morning, then rain most of the day. We went up the

SUMMARY:
Notes on routes between Lomitsawa, Wangdipotrang, and Tsalimaphe, including Tobgye’s rapid ride from Wangdipotrang to Ha. Entries for 11–12 August describe continuous heavy rain after drought, severe mosquitoes, delayed rice sowing, finding scarce Lilium wallichianum near Wangdipotrang, and a 22-mile march to Tsalimaphe with swollen rivers, risky bridges, coolie changes, moving to a tent due to fleas, and arrival of mail.

CONTENT:
90

Lomitsawa and go direct to Tsalimaphe from Wangdipotrang. When Tobgye returns from Bumthang, he goes from Wangdipotrang to Ha in 2 days, which is 6 normal stages. Of course he rides, but a few of his men keep up with him all the way.

11th August. Wangdipotrang 7 miles. Rained all night, rain today. The mosquitoes last night were awful, I have never been bitten or worried so much by them before. It is only three days ago since rain started here, they have had a real drought. It has been so dry that rice has not been sown, which should have been done a month ago. They have plenty of rain now, but it is too late. Found Lilium Wallichianum just above here, but very scarce. It is said to be common 6-8 miles down the Mo Chu.

12th August. To Tsalimaphe. 22 miles. Left at 5:30 am. I got in at 4:15 pm and the kit at 6:30-7:00 pm. It was fine for an hour in the morning, but all the rest of the day has simply poured, without a stop. The rivers are huge and some bridges will not last much longer, on our route down today. Coolies changed about 1/3 of the way here. Expected to put up in a hut, but found the fleas too much for me, so am in a tent. A mail came in, and

SUMMARY:
Itemized transport and travel expenses, tickets, luggage fees, stores, and hires across multiple stages, with payments to staff and tips. Routes include movements between Sialkot, Lahore, Paro, Kalimpong, Gangtok, and Yatung, and through Bhutanese localities such as Wangdupotrang, Ridang, Chendebi, Gyetsa, and Bumthang. Mentions payments to Pintso and Danong and a present from Tobgye.

CONTENT:
Lorry to Sialkot. Rs. 30. To Ha. 12

• Lahore. Rs. 33. To Paro 46 coolies & 2 ponies 2 days 48.
  Tickets to Calcutta. 245. Pintso's pay 1 mth + 1/2 mth adv. 60. Pd 22/6.
  Excess luggage .. .. 185. Paro to Tsalimape. 49.
  Tickets to Gielle Khola. 83. Tsalimape to Wangdupotrang. 49.
  Excess luggage 100. Wangdi to Ridang (2 stages) 47.
  Stores from Mazda. 500. Ridang - Chendebi. 23.
  2 Cars G. Khola to Kalimpong. 16. Chendebi to Gyetsa. 67
  Hotel Kalimpong 24 Gyetsa to Bumthang. 22.
  1 Car to Gangtok 30 Danong pay June. All & July 40.
  Bullock carts Gielle Khola to Gangtok 34. Extra hire Gangtok - Yatung. 35.
  Transport. 18 ponies to Yatung @ 6/- 126. Presents from Tobgye (boots.) 10.
  Tips Gangtok Residency. 40. Odd expenses on road. 10.
  Karponang Bungalow.

SUMMARY:
Notes places linked to Guru Rimpoche near Chunhara and records several flowering plants; camera shutter failed during three colour photos. On 13 October the party travelled to Trashigong Dzong via the Gamri Chu and Chahzam Bridge; film was sent to Kodak, and on 14 October they halted at Trashigong to pack specimens and prepare mail, with no word from Tobgye.

CONTENT:
Guru dapon Rimpoche
to be. Many signs of Guru Rimpoche's passing are evident: holes in rocks are his "horse's footmarks"; a large hollowed out waterfall place in a rock is where he sat for three years. Chunhara is where he rested so soon. Found some interesting flowers, including a most beautiful, sweet-scented jasmine-like shrub. Took three colour photos, & all three were blank. For the first time my camera shutter has let me down — most annoying as I only have 5 films left. Temperature 90° in my tent this afternoon.

Jasminum officinale 1058
Luculia gratissima 1059
Desmodium oblongum 1057
Bauhinia purpurea 1055

13th October. TO TRASHIGONG DZONG. 7 miles Ht. 3966'. Path keeps level along the R bank of the river, close to it, never high above it. The Gamri Chu enters from the E at m 4 & the Chahzam Bridge, immediately below the Dzong is reached at m 5. From here up to the Dzong is a very steep climb of 1500 ft or so. The bridge is a suspension one, very old indeed, but still with the original iron links locally made. It is kept in good repair. It acts as a customs house for Tibetan traders.

One film 13c
Contax II
sent Kodak
15/10/34.

14th October. Halt Trashigong. Spent the day packing up flowers & birds & getting the mail ready for tomorrow. Yesterday a good mail was waiting for us when we got here. No word from Tobgye though. Our

SUMMARY:
Notes describe a hot, steamy descent and climb with collecting of butterflies and birds, a wire to Tobgye, and arrival at Kalimpong where ponies met the party below Pedong and lunch was taken with Chuni. Later entries mention three days in Kalimpong before traveling via Calcutta, Sialkot, Wazirabad, and Kud to reach Srinagar, while Tobgye went to Darjeeling.

CONTENT:
instead of staying in Ari. A fine day from morning to evening. Collected some beautiful, though probably common butterflies and some birds. It is rather beastly being down so low again. This road is awful the way it goes up and down. We dropped 4000', climbed 2000' and again dropped nearly 2000'. Wired to Tobgye today we would reach Kalimpong tomorrow. Pretty hot and steamy all day -

17th October. TO KALIMPONG. 4200' 19 miles. A fine day, rather steamy. Uninteresting road and few birds seen. Met by Tobgye's ponies below Pedong and they were very pleasant to ride. Tobgye off to Darjeeling, but lunched with Chuni.

16th October. SRINAGAR. Stayed three days in Kalimpong, then left for Calcutta and Kashmir. Stayed one night at Sialkot to wait for Tobgye. Motored to meet him at Wazirabad and reached Kud that night, next morning Srinagar.

• SUMMARY:
  Notes list plant collections from Tibdey La and record presenting HH with a wireless set that worked well. Tsonpen Tenduk went to Tibdey La and collected Lobelia nubigena; HH organized football and sports with a large tea party. A picnic included discussion of a forest scheme contingent on prices in Calcutta and agreement from lamas, with prices noted for Sealdah and Mathanjuri.

CONTENT:
P. tanneri 3477 - Tibdey La
Tibdey La
P. yargongensis 3487 (Upward 3488)

• 28th July
  Rhododendron bulbulifolium 3479
  Codonopsis nervosa 3482
  Lobelia nubigena 3489
  Gent. elwesii 3480
  Bergenia ligulata to Tibdey La up to 16,000 ft.

I presented HH with the wireless and heard it one evening, when it worked very well indeed. [Tsonpen Tenduk went off on 27th to the Tibdey La to look for a giant lobelia or anything else which they could see that was new. They got the Lobelia (nubigena) and a few other quite interesting flowers.]

We had another game of football in pouring rain on 30th, and before the end, the ground was covered in water: but it was good fun. On 31st HH arranged to have sports, which included boxing, relay race, women's race, three legged race and high jump. It finished up with a race for the women of the local villages, and then HH gave a "tea party" - tea and rice - to everyone present, about 400. I then found that he had quietly been doing this and giving money to winners, in my name.

[We had a picnic on 29th, and while there I tackled HH about forests. At first he was not anxious to speak, but eventually he was persuaded or had persuaded himself and told me to take up the idea, depending only on whether Tobgye could get a good price in Calcutta, and whether the lamas would agree. He mentioned all this again when I left, and seemed really pretty keen on it. The two prices quoted to Tobgye seem pretty good. One is for Rs 30/- at Sealdah per ton of 50 cubic feet. The other is for Rs 22/- per ton at Mathanjuri. These work out to show a

SUMMARY:
At Tashigong, despite few coolies and a missing tent load, mules with syces arrived and the Nyerchen, informed by Tobgye, provided assistance and lodging, though one room was infested with bugs. Arrangements were made to proceed to Puntso-gong, where heavy rain fell through the night and following day.

CONTENT:
1st June. Tashigong Only 6 coolies even this morning. The rest are still "coming". But we decided to go on after some talk in the dzong about coolies & the missing tent load. Very hot indeed, along the valley at only about 2500'. At the bridge we hoped again that mules might be down to meet us, which would mean that news was in about us. But nothing was there. However we had only walked 400 yards up hill when mules came trailing polite syces, after all the glum unfriendly looks we'd had in the last few days. The Nyerchen met us in the dzong. He had just heard from Tobgye about us yesterday night. So all is well, & I know we will have no more trouble in Bhutan as far as transport is concerned. We were given a nice "suite" of rooms, which looked nice & clean when we arrived, sat down on a carpet covered "boden". We both began to itch a bit soon later, & got up to find the boden running with bugs. There were dozens & all over the floor too. We killed a great many. But our tent was lost anyway so we could go nowhere else. The other room was cleaner & we put our beds there. The Nyerchen is very good to us & provides all we could possibly want. We have arranged everything for the trip down, will go on to Puntso-gong tomorrow. Still very hot.

2nd June. Puntso-gong. Heavy rain all night & rain all day

SUMMARY:
Notes daily bathing at a pond with dug-out canoes and an inspection of Kuth plantations, healthy in places but grub-damaged elsewhere. Records travel from Sharithang to Chumpithang, Gangtok, and Kalimpong, with Mec. superba common on the Ha La and Kin La and seed ripening noted. Stayed with Odling (where Morris was also staying), then continued via Calcutta to Srinagar; specimens collected total 660.

CONTENT:
about 40 yards x 15 yards & 4 ft deep. On this he has 8 dug-out canoes which we found great fun. All of us bathed, including Chuni, & we bathed every day, wet or fine. I went up & saw all but one of the Kuth plantations. Kuth was looking quite healthy in some places, but rather eaten by grubs in others.

26th Aug. Sharithang. Tobgye came up to near the Ha La with us, & left us in a very heavy storm. Reached Sharithang at 6.45 pm. On the Ha La & Kin La, & particularly between the two, Mec. superba is very common. Seeds just brown: should be ripe about the end of September.

27th August. Chumpithang. Fine till about 12:00, then rain the rest of the day.

28th Aug. Gangtok. Walked the 32 miles in 11 hours exactly, & Tobgye's mule with my kit came in with me. Rained very hard all day.

29th Aug. Kalimpong. Motored in to Kalimpong & stayed with Odling, where Morris was also staying. Left Kalimpong on 31st, arrived Calcutta 2nd Sept, & went on the same night, reaching Srinagar on 5th Sept in time for lunch.

Specimens collected 660.

SUMMARY:
The diarist describes difficult seed and bulb collection of taxa 552, 553 (Nephelium lancifolium), and 554 on sheer cliffs near Main Thang, with Danong retrieving a few bulbs and pods. Preparations for HH's visit are widespread, with huts, rice, and livestock being assembled, and concerns raised about how HH will finance trips and use forestry resources, noting Bhutanese training at the Forest Department in Dehra Dun and Tobgye's efforts.

CONTENT:
S sends Kuntip to Main Thang to collect seeds Prim. eburnea

We could however not find one seed of 554, and although there were lots of seed pods of 552, most of them were last year's. However we collected about 30 heads. It grows in the most impossible places, on sheer cliff, just hanging on to 1/2" of moss, which is now absolutely dried up. I took a few of the plants of both 552 and 554. The lily (Nephelium lancifolium (553)) was even harder to get. We could see it nowhere at first, but eventually saw a few. Danong with great difficulty got three bulbs and two seed pods. A few others were seen, but we could not possibly reach them without a rope.

Preparations are everywhere in evidence for HH's visit. Huts are being put up for his men, rice is pouring in from all quarters, and the local official has 20 sheep and 6 pigs all ready as a present. What HH is going to do with all this stuff I can't imagine. And how he is going to pay for his trip is also difficult to see. This one may be alright, but this will lead to more, and the country cannot stand more, unless HH does something to enrich it. His easiest way is probably through his forests. Tobgye started off well by getting some Bhutanese trained in the Forest Dept at Dehra Dun. But HH makes no use of them. He must have in some British