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SUMMARY:
From Tongkyuk Dzong, the party reconnoitred toward the Soshe La but was turned back by deep snow, placed a thermograph, and noted views of Gyala Peri. Botanical observations included Meconopsis and Nomocharis, abundant capsules on Lilium wardii, and a noteworthy Lonicera; weather was cold with light snow. The old Dzongpon prepared to depart for Lhasa, and local peaks including Rangzen Karpo were discussed.

CONTENT:
moraine, when the road disappeared, & became too bad for ponies. Here I stopped and Ludlow went on, on foot, to try to reach the pass. He was held up by snow up to his knees & had to give up. While he was away, I looked at the cliff beside me & at the foot of it, & found many Mec. paniculata, a few M. speciosa, Primula aff. hyacinthina, several Allium, a Nomocharis & other signs of good things. We returned to camp at 6.0 pm.

1st Jan. 1947. Tongkyuk Dzong. Left at 8.0, & back at 2.0 pm. Nothing new seen on the way. We looked for Cremanthodium, but found none. The only game bird seen on the trip was one ♀ tragopan on the way up. The trip was worth while - we placed the thermograph: we saw the Soshe La: & saw that the area is undoubtedly a good one for flowers. There is a very fine view of the snow peaks around Gyala Peri from a little below the entrance to the Soshe La, with the river in the foreground.

2nd Jan. Halt. - Cloudy all day + cold, though min. temp. was high. Ludlow found two Lil. Wardii, one with 22 pods & one with 14. Both bulbs very big — one 8" in circumference. (Later saw one with 28 capsules). We can get little information about the mountains to the SE of here. The big one most obvious from here is called Rangzen Karpo & Gyala Peri is said to be more to the South i.e. right from here, but not visible.

3rd Jan Halt. - Cloudy all day, with snow in the evening down to about 10,000' but clearing up. Ludlow found a very interesting shrub 12062, a Lonicera, in flower. We have never seen this before.

4th Jan. Halt. - Only a very little snow fell, none in Tongkyuk, but pretty well up the hills. Even what fell will not last for long. We find that the old Dzongpon is going back to Lhasa now, so are sending with him a few

SUMMARY:
Notes on extreme temperatures and plant survival are followed by a halt during which the diarist and Ludlow visit the Dzongpon with gifts to secure cooperation for travel plans. They plan routes to the Sobhe La and Gyadzong, attempt to train a local to use a thermograph, test photographic equipment, and repack supplies.

CONTENT:
fairly easy. Supplies are not easy here, there is no doubt of that. The thermograph showed fine interesting results. But the whole question of temperatures to which plants are subjected is one of great interest. On the main range there is snow now; there has been snow above 13,000 or less for about a month or two. So the plants there are protected. But north of the Himalayan range for instance, there is no snow on the Tamu La for instance. Yet we had, at 11,500, a temp of -4°F. On the Tamu La, at 13,900', the temp must be 15-20° below zero. Yet the plants survive that. A contrast was the place Lil. Wardii was growing. The temps were down to -4° there, yet I could dig out the bulbs with my hand. Where we took P. sonchifolia(?), we broke the blade of the kukri cutting the frozen soil.

27th Dec. Halt. Fine again, but with thin cirrus cloud collecting. Ludlow and I called on the Dzongpon in the morning and gave him 1 pair of binoculars, 1 bottle of saffron, 1 Stanley flask, 1 than of cotton cloth, 1 picture frame and 1 photo of the Dalai Lama. That is a bribe. He seemed more pleased and easy than yesterday, and made no objections to our plans to go towards the Sobhe La on the 30th and to Gyadzong, with 50 coolies, on about the 6th or 8th of Jan. I have tried today to teach a local about the thermograph which Ludlow and I hope to put up above Laha on the Sobhe La route. He cannot read or write, but I think I will get him to do something. He seems quite intelligent and a decent youth. Took a few photos today to test the roll film adaptor which I fitted for use with either camera. As a test, I used the readings given by a GE meter.

28th - 29th Dec. Halt. Checked and repacked all kit, and took out a 2 months' supply for our visit to Gyadzong and a small supply for Ludlow and myself to take to the Sobhe La.