Showing 3 results

SUMMARY:
The diarist travels 9 miles to Le in wet monsoon conditions with difficulty obtaining coolies, noting a fine, sweet-scented rhododendron near the top end of the Pangchen plain and abundant magnolias above camp. A preceding note mentions plants at Sanga Choling and Chosam, lack of gentians and Cyananthus wardii seed above Sanga Choling, and time spent in Tsari in July and September.

CONTENT:
36

Sanga Choling, Adonis at Chosam and several other plants. I got no gentians nor seed of Cyananthus wardii which is abundant above Sanga Choling, — ... I was in Tsari for a week in July and a bad week in September."

4th April. To Le. 9 miles. B.P. 197.5° Temp. 51. Time 4.30 p.m. Ht. 8050'.

Quite a good day, but very wet from 10.30 on. The monsoon seems definitely to have begun in earnest. Coolies difficult to get, some had not arrived by 7.0 p.m. The finest flower seen was a Rhododendron 1269, about 1/2 m above the bridge at the top end of the Pangchen plain. It really is a grand flower & sweet smelling as well. More R. Boothii (R. gracilipes) also seen at most waterfalls. At one, beside the second bridge, it must have been a wonderful sight a month ago, but is all over now. The path is good the whole way, but built up on galleries here & there over the river. But it is well built everywhere, & not in bad repair. Only a few houses here. Rhododendrons not numerous, but magnolias (Magnolia campbellii) are a wonderful sight just above us here.

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.

CONTENT:
to Pimbo 500' from camp, and then came across 2 coolies asking
to be shot. He, without cartridges, bumped into a herd of
bharal with 2 good heads. Pretty chilly here, but not so
cold as I expected.

5th October Trün, 8 miles. 12,000'? Cloudy all day even down here,
a dampish mist on the pass. Got a good collection of seed
(coll. Sherriff 2723. seed) of the pink Meconopsis under 2723. Otherwise nothing much in
the seed line. I hope we can get some Cyananthus wardii
later on about 500' above Trün. Everyone quite happy here,
but nearly all men have gone off hunting, including the
Gyimpu of the Other Trün. But coolies and everything are promised
for the day after tomorrow. Obviously the monsoon has not
finished here, as clouds are very low. Lhopas have stopped coming
here, so it seems there must be snow on the Kashong La.
BP of Pass 182.0. Temp 46° Time 9:30 am. Ht 16,930'. Bearing
of Karutra from here is 86° Mag.

6th Halt. (Trön) Stayed in camp most of the day. There is still a good
(Iris decora 2251.) deal of the little dry zone iris seed here 2251, which I collected.
Pimbo returned in the early morning, and hoped to reach Kyimpu that
night, a long march. Cloud all day, some rain.