Showing 4 results

SUMMARY:
Notes a letter from Tongue reporting that HW does not want Bruce Bakewell and reflections on Bruce’s forest plans. Records travel at 9000 ft along the Longte Chu to Sefu via the Richen Zampa and Richen Chu, with cultivation and wheat threshing observed, and abundant Lilium nepalense above Chendesi.

CONTENT:
Lil. nepalense 3339. 67

a letter from Tongue, in which he mentions that HW does not want Bruce Bakewell. I wonder what HW thinks of the forest plans worked out by Bruce. He cannot realize what he is missing if he does not show any enthusiasm. However it is his show. I cannot do any more than put up the whole thing as I see it to him.

9000ft. 1st July. To Sefu 8 miles. BP. 195.9° Temp. 67° Time 4.0pm. Ht.

Keep up the main Longte Chu for 4 miles. A valley then enters from 150° M, the river of which contains as much or more water than the Longte Chu. There is a bridge here called the Richen Zampa, the valley is called the Richen Chu. Follow up the left bank for 4 miles to Sefu, where a valley enters from the N. West. There is a good deal of cultivation here, the valley is wide and open on both sides. Crops of wheat were being threshed as we arrived. The most interesting flower today was Lilium nepalense, which was very common for the first 2 or 3 miles above Chendesi. It is a grand sight when full open, the tips of sepals and petals being reflexed, and showing the big deep red star inside the tube. Always growing on very steep rocky hillside, among bracken and other such plants. It

SUMMARY:
The diarist notes continuous rain since arrival, a hail thunderstorm on the night of the 21st followed by a clear day with greylag geese flying north over Chungkar. On the 22nd they march to SATSALOR (2700'), with coolies departing early, observe birds including partridges, and remark on Lumsden’s early rising and lengthy shaving routine; Tongue is asked to dissuade a time-consuming visitor.

CONTENT:
5

got Tongue to put him off that. He is very nice, & a jovial man, but takes up too much of our time. I am very glad we came when we did. Since we arrived here, it has rained every day. The road must be in an awful mess now.

21st Feb. Heavy hail thunderstorm last night again, but a perfect cloudless day today. Others than us realized the weather had changed, as this morning at 6.15 we saw a number of geese (grey lag) passing over us & heading due North over Chungkar.

22nd Feb. SATSALOR. 2700' Another good day up to 1.0 pm when it clouded over. Our army of coolies left by 7.30 am - not bad for the first march. We came along slowly, getting here by 1.0 pm. There are still no flowers to be seen, but we got some good birds, including a pair of partridge which do not seem to agree quite with authorities in the book. Lumsden is getting very good at early rising already. If it wasn't that he took about half an hour over shaving, he would be ready as soon as us.

SUMMARY:
Travel from Tongsa to Tashiling and Chendebi in misty, unsettled weather; brief collecting of Thalictrum and generally poor seed. Met the Dzongpon of Tongsa, received mail from Bumthang with letters from Betty and Taylor, and noted Maté’s arrival with a letter from Tongue and responsibility for the subsidy. Mentions Ludlow’s plant not ripe and that Pasang may have taken a hanging creeper.

CONTENT:
14th October. Tongsa. Rainy night & morning, very little sun today, but just no rain. Very unsettled yet. Left 6.30 arr 11.30. Met here the jovial Dzongpon of Tongsa, all arrangements excellent. We had nothing special to collect today, only took some more Thalictrum 19544. Yesterday Maté arrived in camp somewhat surprisingly, with a letter from Tongue. He was in charge of this year's subsidy, which means I suppose he was responsible for carrying a couple of lakhs of rupees. I would like now to see a few really nice clear days for a change. We used to say the 18 Oct was the first really good day, but that was further east. It looks as if it might be the same here this year.

15th Oct. Tashiling. Still thick mist, except for 2 very hot hours in the morning, when the sun was out. We got rather poor seed this morning. Ludlow's tree or shrub was not at all ripe, & we missed the hanging creeper with scarlet flowers. Perhaps Pasang has taken that. Early this morning a mail came back from Bumthang for us, with some of Betty's letters of 13-15 September & one from Taylor.

16th Oct. Chendebi. Rain at night & thick mist, once left in Tashiling this morning. Cleared up by 1.0 pm & may now remain fine I think. No excitement. We got quite good

SUMMARY:
The party departs after intensive planning over the fate of Tashiding and Crockety, traveling by lorry and jeep to Rydak Tea Estate. Continuing via the Raidak toward Hatisar and then Kabare, they face repeated vehicle issues including getting stuck at a ford, fuel tank punctures, and delays at a ferry, turning short stages into long, difficult drives.

CONTENT:
25th March. BP 29.47 = 3840 70° = 1.0844 Ht. approx

It was very nice to set off at last after a good many days of hectic planning. Planning - not for this trip, which would be easy, but for the sale of Tashiding and Crockety, and wondering what would happen if we did not get a 'let' for Tashiding. Most of this fell on Betty, who also had all the trouble of thinking what was to be done in the Homes. We all left, with relief, at 7.30 this morning in Mintri's lorry and in our old Jeep, lent by Tongue well filled with the driver, Betty Hicks, myself and four Lepchas, two in the Jeep and two in the trailer. All went very well indeed and we reached Rydak T.E. by 5.0 pm with no trouble. It wasn't even very hot, nor very dusty.

26th Hatisar - c 250 miles by Raidak from Kalimpong. We thought this part would be very easy. We knew the road to Sankosh, easy and about an hour or so. Tongue's driver said three hours easy from there on, but it took us 10 hours and some anxious moments to get here. First the lorry stuck in the ford of the small branch of the Sankosh. Everything had to be taken out, the jeep hitched on to tow the lorry, then all loaded up again. The tank was punctured here, and that took time to put right. The same happened at the ferry and a worse leak started. From then on we kept on having trouble with the truck. Due to bad roads, leaking tanks and so on. Luckily we had Tongue's driver who knew the road well, and luckily also the road improved for the last 20 miles.

27th Kabare. This we were told was 8 miles, 5 along the flat and three up. If it is only 8, they are very long ones and we only got up in 10 hours. The road is easy along the river bank for 4 miles or so,