Showing 5 results

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:
The writer reports heavy rain and a reconnaissance up the valley toward Waitang, finding the route likely passable despite earlier warnings that yaks could not traverse it. They plan to leave via Pangstang and criticize Ngudup for not negotiating effectively with locals. Botanical collections include Primula pusilla, P. bellidifolia, P. reticulata, Mec. paniculata, and observations comparing P. alpicola var. luna and P. reticulata.

CONTENT:
thorn scrub, it was very difficult indeed to move, or to get a clear shot at the bird. I hope something may come out. We have decided to leave here on 12th, and to go via Pangstang. I am sure if Ngudup had guts now, he could fix up the other route.

11th June Halt. I decided to go as far as I could up the valley where we had been told we could not go - yaks would be unable to take us to Waitang this way. It has always seemed odd to me that we could not go, when one man came back and said it was alright. But Ngudup is a poor fish with these people, and never asks enough questions, and never tries to persuade them. Anyway we went as far as I was able to walk - probably 3 miles from Garmotangha, there was no difficulty at all the whole way. Where we stopped we might have had to carry loads about 50 yds. We had quite a good day - got P. pusilla, P. bellidifolia and P. reticulata, the latter uncommon, but plentiful and beautiful where found. We also got Mec. paniculata in flower. The local form of P. alpicola var. luna is very like P. reticulata. In fact I was leaving reticulata today after having started to take it, when I noticed the absence of the very large bracts, which should have been obvious. Then later I saw that reticulata has no farina ring in the eye like alpicola. P. pusilla and P. bellidifolia are only just in flower. A very wet day indeed - the wettest by far that we've had so far, a sign of the monsoon at last surely. I got soaked through bottom half, but don't mind that, and remember now that I always used to. Without waterproof trousers, one must get soaked, and they are difficult to walk in. Started to rain about 8.0 and has not stopped by 5.0 pm.

SUMMARY:
High-altitude collecting around 14,000 ft yielded several small plants and a lake, with monal and burhel observed. The diarist notes mail delays, sends letters and parcels to H.H., Raja Dorji, and Betty during a halt, then crosses the Hubsing La to reach Kantanang in wet monsoon weather.

CONTENT:
very steep indeed. At first we found little, but at the highest altitude, about 14000, found a good many little things, including P. glabra (19011), P. sapphirina (19025), P. hopeana (Lud. Sherriff 19030), P. macrophylla, a good Aster and one Mec. paniculata (Lud. Sherriff 19019) in flower, but not elongated. Plec. simplicifolia is everywhere, but a miserable thing. Saw a few monal, and a pair with 3 young. Also some heads of burhel lying about. It was lovely up at 14000, and we found a nice lake there, the which may be worth visiting again later on. But I think almost every stream starts in a lake up here. Although the weather was so good, we did not see anything very much in the way of a view, but a press of flowers was worth more.

Still no mail. It is a good long time since I heard from Betty now, and I hope she is alright. Her last letter came very quickly to me, written on 13th and reached me 15th at Menjisi. I have sent her 2 or 3 letters since then, but I feel perhaps the dak may be slowing up now with all the work it has to do. In 1937 I had bigger mails, but not so often, and all except one came through alright. That one was found later abandoned by the roadside - no harm done, but just left there.

1st June. Halt. Our last day here. We leave some boxes behind, and calculate that we will be back in 3 weeks at most. A poor day, with a good deal of rain. I sent off a mail today - a letter to H.H., a parcel to Raja Dorji and a parcel of books and a letter to Betty. They reach Bumthang tomorrow, but I wonder when they will be sent on from there. There seems to be some delay now in the mails, which at first came so quickly.

2nd June. Kantanang. There was heavy rain all last night, and although little rain today, it is very monsoonish and misty and wet. A pity as we came over a hellish pass, the Hubsing La, of about 14500 I should say, and would have had a very fine view on a good day.

SUMMARY:
Notes reference Kodachrome images of Chomolhari from south of Phari, hot springs, transport crossing the Kala Chu, and manis near Samodar. Kodachromes 1 and 2 were sent from Gyantse on 30/10/1946, and seeds (unnumbered) were sent to Taylor from Gyantse; taxa and collection localities are listed. A payment of Rs 250 was made to Bo at Gyantse for his son Sangye Tsering.

CONTENT:
3

Kodachrome 2. Chomolhari from S of Phari
" " N " hot springs.
Transport crossing Kala Chu.
Manis near Samodar.

Kodachrome 1 & 2 sent from Gyantse on 30. 10. 46.

Seeds sent to Taylor from Gyantse
without any number.

Primula obliqua. (2) Changu
Polygonum vaccinifolium "
Mec. villosa "
Mec. paniculata. "
Thalictrum chelidonifolia? "
Berberis sp. dwarf. "
Primula bellidifolia. Gautsa.
Euonymus sp. Changu.
Aconitum Ludlowi Sankang.

Paid to Bo at Gyantse for his son Sangye Tsering Rs 250/-.

SUMMARY:
Describes a frosty halt day, continued collection of Gentiana (lacunulata), and praise for the seed collector Tupden. Notes comparisons of the Dhu Chu area with the Bumthang Chu, reports a letter from HH about upcoming arrivals (Hicks, MK, Tasho Drunyer), tallies seed and plant collections, and mentions confirmations by Ludlow and Taylor regarding Mec. Sherriffii.

CONTENT:
with Mec. paniculata, simplicifolia & horridula, all of which are in cultivation at home. Tupden is one of the best seed collectors there could be. He takes great pains & always goes on till called away. I wished to have had him from the beginning. Now I know him, I find him very good indeed. He is a Khampa, probably a runaway murderer or something like that, from Markham. The area of the Dhu Chu is something like shown opposite.

4th October Halt. Another lovely day, & very cold hard frost last night. The tents each night now are covered with frost inside & out, & this makes them very heavy. Nothing special happened today. I went out to look for more of yesterday's Gentiana (lacunulata) 19789, & after a while we found a lot of it. It reminds me of G. amplicrata which we first found at Zimsati near Sangacholing in Takpo. I don't think it is G. depressa, & certainly isn't G. amoena. The more I see of this area, the better it looks. It holds much more than the Bumthang Chu valley, although this is a tributary of the Bumthang Chu. It must be more than just not so many yaks here, although there is no doubt that many yaks, & sheep too, in a valley, make a very great difference to the flora. A letter came in from HH to say Tasho Drunyer will arrive on 6th. So with Hicks on 5th, MK on 6th & us on 7th, there will be some activity in Bumthang this week. The main seed collection is now over, & I have about 130 gatherings of seed now, besides the 40-50 taken before & some 25 rooted plants & a number of bulbs & tubers & corms & so on. Ludlow tells me he has 5 lbs. of seed of Mec. Sherriffii! That shows how common it is when it does occur. Taylor has confirmed that it is Mec. Sherriffii, but a very fine form of it.