Showing 6 results

SUMMARY:
Farewell letters with small gifts were dispatched, and several boxes of bird specimens were sent off amid improving but still rainy weather. At Narim Thang, the writer went to the Kang La pass, saw little view, and collected snow partridge, including specimens for Inglis in Darjeeling.

CONTENT:
Kang La morning we sent back our last bunch of letters. It was
an awful job writing no less than nine farewell letters
in one day, to the Maharaja, Maharani, Tobgye, Ashe
Pedon, Ashe Wangmo, Tashi Dorji, Tashi Naku and Pintso
Wangdu. Helped by two hot toddies, we finished up in
good style just before dinner. This morning we did the
letters up in parcels with a scarf in each with a
small bottle of scent to the ladies. We also packed
three boxes of birds and got them off too, leaving only a
very few which we must take through Tibet with us.
Yesterday was fine for quite a number of hours, and
this morning has been the best for some time. But now
at 9:30, it is again raining and mist is low down. It
does appear to be getting gradually better though, and we
hope for a decent day yet.

27th August. Narim Thang. Fairly fine till the afternoon. I left at 6:00 am
and went to the Kang La (16,300') for the first time. Took two
hours. Practically no view, but it looks sunnier and
drier on the other side. In fact I did see sunshine
there. No birds or flowers seen near the pass which
is a knife edge ridge of broken rock. Saw 50-60
snow partridge on the way up and shot three: one for
a skeleton and one for Inglis in Darjeeling. The
other day I "bagged" 22 more P. eburnea at the

SUMMARY:
Notes a move from near Yonpu La to Khomanagri and then to Chungkar, with fine weather and good birding at camp. Reports misidentified P. eburnea seed as P. capitata and sends Kurtip back to Narim Thang to collect true material, and dispatches seeds and a flower box to the B.M. With Danong, revisits primula sites along the Diwangiri road.

CONTENT:
The Donga La is this (Dis) La. Boiling point in camp, about 50 feet below Yonpu La, is 196.9. Temp 52° = 8374'.

4th November. To KHOMANAGRI. 12 miles. 4500'. A longish march, but downhill most of the way. Bright sunny weather. This is one of the pleasantest camps we have ever had, and besides being pleasant, is in a good place for birds. Found a mail waiting for us. By this I heard that all the P. eburnea seed I took home last year turned out to be P. capitata. So Kurtip's stock is very low. I will send him off as quickly as possible back to Narim Thang to try to get the real thing this time.

5th Nov. Halt Khomanagri. Sent off a post with some seeds and Box 5 of flowers to the B.M. A perfect day, neither hot nor cold; three blankets needed at night. Got some interesting badal zats here.

6th Nov. CHUNGKAR. 8 miles. 6000'. Dull and cool day, pleasant march down to the valley and then a 4000 ft ascent.

7th Nov. Halt Chungkar. Rained in the morning, and cleared up to a most perfect day by 11.30. Danong and I went down the Diwangiri road to the cliff on which 552, 553, and 554 were found. It is a full 6 miles short of Chungkar. We climbed up the cliff and found signs of many primulas, both 552 and 554.

SUMMARY:
Diary notes from Pangotang describe ongoing rains, plans to visit Marlung before turning back, and requests regarding taking Yundru and Ngudup to Kalimpong, with preference for Yundru. The writer develops Hicks’ photos, comments on Thompson’s image of P. eburnea, sends Dorji with airmail to Hicks and HH, and packs a ‘tsang’ of rooted plants for shipment to London, hoping to add more from Marlung and Ritang.

CONTENT:
147

Air mail plants
more specimens and also some roots. I have now so many roots to send home by air, that I wonder how many loads there will be, also how much it will all cost!

24th Sept. Pangotang. Fine morning, and a bit of rain after midday. There really is precious little sign of the end of the rains, although I keep on hoping there is. We are, in a way, on our way back home now. But still there is one place, Marlung, to visit, before we can say we have turned round and started back. But everyone obviously feels that things are winding up. I had a request today from Pasang, from Ngudup and Yundru that I should take both to Kalimpong. I don't mind taking Yundru, who is a good and cheery lad and a good worker, but I hope I won't have to take Ngudup one day beyond Bumthang. I do not like him, and except to arrange transport, he is useless. I am writing to HH tomorrow to ask for Changchuk, and to give him our final dates. Today I developed Hicks' photos. If only he had taken my advice at first, all his photos would have been like these which are good. But he would not, and considered he knew better. Thompson's photo of P. eburnea is quite good, much better than Hicks' first efforts. It is a real disappointment to me that in 6 months he has only taken 48 photos altogether, in spite of having lots of film packs available. There were so many photos he could have taken.

25th September. Sent off Dorji and with airmail to Hicks, HH and Kalimpong and paid him Rs 24/-. We then packed up a 'tsang' with rooted plants, each rooted plant in its own little basket inside the big one. The whole thing now is ready to go to London, except that I hope there will be a few more plants added from Marlung, and then more again at Ritang.
roots

SUMMARY:
Notes report court intrigue involving the Maharani Padmadechen, causing anxiety for the Dzongpen; Yusun Kazi confides concerns and asks the author to speak to Tongsa. The page also records routes and plant collections made on 20–22 November between Yonpu La, Khoma nagi, and Chungkar.

CONTENT:
two months ago. He got hold of the Maharani (Padmadechen)
somehow and told her all sorts of lies about the Dzongpen and others.
She seems to have sent secretly to Trashigang and told all the
Dzongpen's servants to come to Bumthang - without a word to
the Dzongpen himself. I am told the Maharaja does not
believe all the stories, but the Dzongpen is obviously frightened
that he may be persuaded to. Yusun Kazi told me all this
secretly and asked me to speak to Tongsa about it. Yusun too is
not happy about his post: although promoted to (Betung?)
he finds there is a lot of intrigue there, again caused by the
Maharani, and he feels his position insecure. However he says
he does not mind that, but is worried about the Dzongpen.

20th Nov. Yonpu La 7000? 10 miles. Fine, hot below, but cold
on the pass, which was in the clouds. Collected bulbs of Lil.
Anemone gigantea. from Chuka, Rong Chu: seeds of P. eburnea 2899, P. bellidifolia 2901.
P. lillidale 2902. Meconopsis bella 2905

21st Nov. Khoma nagi. 4000? 13 miles. Fine but not too hot.
Coelogyne porrecta 2892. Eria coronaria 2893. Wightia speciosissima 2894.
Got two orchids and a fine tree in bloom; also bulbs of Lil.
Wallichii on the way down from the pass. Saw no birds, but
a few butterflies.

22nd November. Chungkar 6500? 10m. Fine. Every day is much the

SUMMARY:
Notes from Shagam La (next to Tame La) describe heavy snow and a difficult descent, with several primulas and gentians collected (nos. 2184–2189), including Meconopsis var. lutea noted as from Mipa rather than the Tawang district. Mentions a previous sighting of Pyrrhocorax at 16,000 ft and that a 'big bug' from Lhasa is expected tomorrow.

CONTENT:
Shagam La - (next to Tame La). P. hyacinthina 2185, Glabra 2186, Gent. phyllocalyx 2187
Meconopsis var. lutea - of no. 2188

The latter is reported as being found in Mipak, of the Tawang dist. This is Mipa, but hardly the Tawang dist., the height is 15800 and not 13800'. But I have my hopes about it. There was also a gentian seen there 2187, but very little. On this side of the pass too, there is much snow, mostly avalanched snow. We all came down various ways, on our feet sliding, or on our bottoms. The latter method was better and had about a 100' non stop run. It was difficult for the coolies. Snow for about a mile, then steep shale slopes with sharp rocks. On the R, South face, among some cliffs, were lots of P. bellidifolia, showing I think we are in a slightly drier valley, a P. sapphirina 2184.

Also there were masses of P. rotundifolia, or what I take to be that. Where I last saw that & bellidifolia together was in the Rong Chu, with them went P. eburnea, but that we did not see today. I hear a big bug from Lhasa is on my heels and will be here tomorrow. Saw no birds of any interest today, but yesterday forgot to record Pyrrhocorax - 16000'. A fine primula found today, which I suppose will go down as sikkimensis, is No. 2189. It has...

SUMMARY:
On 10 November at Trimo, the diarist notes seed collections and plants seen en route to the Pō La, and reports that Taylor has gathered many specimens between Sirimo and Shakti. They describe leaving Tsona, meeting the Dzongpen who discussed Tawang and Assam officials, sending mail by special runner toward Trashi-yang, and note health updates for Phunbo and the Dzongpen along with gifts from H.H. the Maharani, Padmadechen, and Phunbo Wangdi Palden.

CONTENT:
10th Nov. Trimo. seeds of R. baileyi 6656, R. tsariense 6657, R. wallichii 6659, P. pendulum 6660, R. tsariense 6661, P. strumosa 6658

Poda
things on the way to the Pō La - P. eburnea, Gent. amoena, Mec. grandis among others. And Taylor has another 150 specimens between Sirimo & Shakti! No mail reached them yet. I am sending their mail down by special runner - 1st day Le, 2nd beyond Shakti. It should reach Trashi-yang on 13th, so I hope Taylor may get it in Bhutan yet.

10th November. Trimo. Fine, much warmer in morning till 10:30, clouded. We left Tsona in true Tsona style. Everything was ready, ponies paid for & agreement signed, faithful promises to turn up by sunrise. Actually it was 9:00 before the mules loaded up & had to dig out one of the cooks & make him go in front of me till the Pō La. I went to the Dzongpen who seemed a nice man & fairly well educated. The only really interesting thing he talked about was Tawang, when he mentioned two points: one that the Tibetans felt very much that the officials visiting there from Assam were shooting so much, especially now the new Dalai Lama is expected: & the other was a complaint against the translator who was up with the Assam Govt official. The Dzongpen said that the Babu never told them the same as the Sahib said, but gave his own version. The Dzongpen talks Hindi pretty well, but he was not there himself. I left at 9:30 am, & reached the Pass at 12:30 & Trimo at 4:30 pm. Phunbo was very bad last night, but recovered quickly, & was well enough to ride here, has no fever now. But Dzongpen was ill today, with a very bad head, was sick on the way to the Pass.

Prim.
Gent.
Mec.
Rhodo
However he also is much better this evening. We found a very little of the Prim. eburnea Ludlow mentioned, some rather unripe G. amoena, a little Mec. grandis, & several Rhododendrons. To allow everyone to recover, & to give us a chance to get some seed, I am stopping here tomorrow. It is very nice to be here, because from here on it will be warm & dry & we will have no more transport troubles.

RB
The latter have loomed large with me this year, & it is good to feel they are now over. And none of us are sorry to get to a warm place again. Presents of butter, rice, cloths etc. from H.H. the Maharani, Padmadechen, Phunbo Wangdi Palden. They had been as far as Tsari Chinchu & back again looking for us.