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SUMMARY:
Travel across a broad valley over a pass to the plain leads to the Dzong of Talung, with a river crossing, dirty water, and little fuel amid persistent rain and low cloud. Yamdrok Tso is a disappointment in the weather, though many ducks, greylag geese, and black-necked cranes are noted, and animal loads are assigned by a local elder drawing garters.

CONTENT:
93

a broad open valley to a pass at m 3 over a shoulder, about 750'
above the plain. Thence a gradual descent on the west side
past a village on a spur, to the plain again at m 4.
A small river is crossed here by a bridge, and the path then
B. 29. lies over an open damp plain, the Dzong of Talung being
Types of seen in the distance built on an isolated rock. It is
Tibetans loading reached at m 8. Water apt to be very dirty after rain. A
up at LING: little wood fuel available. // Most of the night it rained off and on,
yaks: children and was still raining in the morning. The clouds were right
down on the hills. We waited till 9:45 and then the sun
suddenly came out, but it was clouded over all day, with
only patches of sunshine. The Yamdrok Tso was therefore
B. 29. finished. a disappointment, though even in the bad weather, it
The west end of looked fine. The edges had many duck round
the Yamdrok Tso: them, and close to the lake were hundreds of greylag
A general view geese. On the flat plain we saw some black-necked
of the Yamdrok crane (Grus nigricollis), two of which I took a cinema
Tso, from near of. The start this morning was quite amusing. When
the west end. all the loads were laid out, it was a question as
to who should take which load, that was decided by
a venerable old man taking a garter each from the
B. 30. men and women who were to load up the animals. These
A pair of he held behind his back, and went round all the
black-necked pairs of loads, putting one garter on each pair.

SUMMARY:
Notes a black‑necked crane near Talung and describes Talung’s monastery, village, and August fair, with showers and thunder in the evening. Describes the 13th September route toward Nangartse Dzong via Chö Dzong by Yamdrok Tso, noting high river levels preventing the lakeshore route and that the party is on the route the Williamsons took to Lhasa.

CONTENT:
94

crane (Grus nigricollis) near Talung: Talung?
The owner of the garden then knew he or she too was responsible for that load. Once that was decided there was no waiting. Talung is picturesque; it stands on the top of an isolated rock in the middle of this huge flat plain. With it is the usual monastery. It is quite a large village of perhaps 50 houses. This is probably due to the fact that there is an annual fair held here each August. On the plains are countless sheep, & many yak too. A few showers in the evening, some thunder. The latter is a good sign, but the weather does not by any means yet look settled. We are now on the route the Williamsons took to Lhasa. Tomorrow we intended to go to Chö Dzong on the shore of the lake, but they say there is too much water in the river to do that.

(9)
13th September. NANGARTSE DZONG. 14,500' 10 miles. For the first 2 1/2 miles the route lies over the flat plain. From m 1 to m 2 is dry; the next mile over swamp. At m 2 1/2 the route enters the hills & passes a small lake on the west. At m 3 the shore of the Yamdrok Tso is reached & here is a small village of CHO DZONG. There is a cold weather route along the shores of the lake, but this is impracticable in summer. Leaving Cho Dzong village the path keeps along the hillside turning into a side valley which it crosses at m 4, then climbing up to

B. 30.
Ravens at Talung camp:
Transport leaving Talung:

SUMMARY:
Notes from Tsona and the ascent to the Kechar La describe entry into true Tibetan plateau country, with ravens, horned larks, mountain finches, and stunted flowers characteristic of the region. Observations include abundant plateau species and marshland birds such as Melanocorypha maxima, Montifringilla ruficollis, Grus nigricollis, and Sterna hirundo tibetana around Tsona and nearby marshes.

CONTENT:
13733
54932
14282

Tsona
BP = 186.7° Temp. 13733

Ibis 15.
July 15.
The Kechar La seems to be on the main range, for here we saw 104 =

Ibis 481 Otocorys alpestris elwesi — abundant Tibetan plateau.
Ibis 478 Fringalauda brandti haematopygia — common in suitable localities on the Tibetan Plateau.
Whilst a few miles to the north brought us to Plateau country on which
Melanocorypha maxima, Montifringilla ruficollis etc. were abundant.
Ibis 481 Melanocorypha maxima Lark — Ibis 481
Ibis 477 Montifringilla ruficollis abundant Tibetan Plateau.
On the Tsona marshes several waders were noted as well as
Ibis 503 Grus nigricollis
Ibis 502 Sterna hirundo tibetana — frequently seen — lakes & marshes of the Tibetan Plateau.

Ludlow p. 47
On the ascent to the Kechar La
we passed into true Tibetan country.
Ravens, horned larks, mountain
finches as well as numerous
stunted flowers all proclaimed the
fact that we were now in true
Tibetan plateau country.