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SUMMARY:
Notes prolific flowering and collections including a new primula (P. jaffreyana 2257), an iris (2251), Incarvillea lutea (2252), and Thalictrum chelidonii. Reports shortage of drying paper, and mail issues: the runner found no mail at Tsona but had a chit from the Dzongpen; outgoing mail was forwarded by the Dzongpen and more is to be sent via Chayul.

CONTENT:
Rhod. sanguineum 1881, R. campylogynum 1882, forrestii var. repens 1883.
Diapensia himalaica 1884, Prim. valentiana 1885. P. Elizabethae 1886 sp. nov.
Omphalogramma bathysepala sp. nov. 1887

...see how much more prolific the flowers were on this side. The most interesting things were a new primula P. jaffreyana 2257. Common to quite low down. A beautiful iris 2251, which I think is near the K.W.'s Karta iris, a queer lily-like affair 2252 (Incarvillea lutea), I don't know what it is.

Thalictrum chelidonii was in flower about halfway here, beautiful as ever. There were also a number of shrubs in flower too. Altogether yesterday I collected 20 different species. Now I have no paper left to put the dried flowers in. No mail turned up, but the runner is there. He found no mail in Tsona. We thought he was doing us down, but he had a chit from the Dzongpen which shows he was alright. Our last outgoing mail was still lying there, but both were sent on by the Dzongpen.

30th June. Halt. Sanga Choling. Another perfect day. Packed up mail to send off tomorrow via Chayul. Packed up as many dried flowers as possible, but have no paper; with this confounded tamasha going on, I cannot get hold of anyone. I now only have about 80 sheets of drying paper to play about with, which is...

[Marginal Notes:]
P. jaffreyana 2257
Iris decora 2251
Thalictrum 2253
Meconopsis 2256
Jeffreyana 2257
Tibetica 2258
Dracocephalum 2255
Primula 2255
Rosa macrophylla var. farreri 2259
Gentiana 2249
Cryptantha 2250
Clematis 2254
Gentiana tibetica 2258
Jasminum officinale 2261

SUMMARY:
The party halts for several days in a valley on the right bank of the river, noting delayed flowering compared to Tongkyuk and recalling the 1933 flood from a lake on the Munkhu Phu Chu. They describe routes toward Munkhu La and Yigong, observe various birds, and report activities including Akong collecting specimens, Tsongpen traveling to Sobhe La to repair a thermograph, and Bill ascending above camp but finding little in flower.

CONTENT:
the R. bank of the river.

25th March. Halt. There is obviously not much to be found here yet. Everything is a good deal behind Tongkyuk — the pink rhodo, for instance, is only in bud still. This is the valley down which the flood of 1933 came. There was at the time a big lake about 1 1/2 days journey up this valley, which is called the Munkhu Phu Chu. The dam of this gave way forming the flood. Now the lake is still about 3 miles long. Beyond this village — really 2 villages, with cultivation on both sides of the river, there are only 2 more houses further up the valley. There is a path leads up the valley for 3 more days to the Munkhu la, over that to the Yigong at Parka or Parke, which can be reached on the 4th day. Today we saw Crossoptilon, kuling & tragopan all close together. Blood pheasant are also here, but no snowcock. I saw a large flock of Grandala. Akong came in with two specimens only, having been out from 7.0 am till 6.0 pm.

26th March Halt. Tsongpen went off up the Sobhe la today to try to put the thermograph in order. Betty & Akong up a side valley. Rain heavy last night.

27th March. Halt. Bill went up direct above camp for about 2000 ft, but saw nothing in flower except a few P. Winteri & rh. rhodentata. We saw some more rhodos though — a Thomsonii series & R. lanatum or something of the kind, rh. lepidotum. P. Jaffreyana, just beginning to shoot, is common on cliff ledges. We put up kuling, tragopan, crossoptilon. Tsongpen returned from the Sobhe la, she tells the same story. There is nothing in flower. Even P. Winteri is in the same state now as it was on Dec 31st — not in flower yet. He went up to the thermograph & put right what had been wrong. It is a great pity that the red pen was disarranged by the lama almost at once. Tsongpen reported that there was 1 to 1 1/2 ft of snow at the machine. When he put the red pen right, he said it read at the bottom of the scale — 20°F or below. That is interesting, & the last month may be interesting yet, with the two thermometers in action again.

28-29-30th March. Halt. Mail came in on 28th, somewhat to our surprise. Rhodo had not

SUMMARY:
The diary records movements from the east side of Kongbo-nga La via Mye to Shu, with delayed coolies and negotiations for transport. It notes forest and plant observations near the pass, attempts to contact Gyantse and Ford by wireless, strong winds, and halts on 1–2 Dec due to uncertain transport.

CONTENT:
Nang.

28 Nov. Camp on E side of Kongbo-nga La. Coolies had not come in by 9.0, so we set off at 10.0 with about 30-40 loads only, leaving Samdup behind. A good day but spoilt by transport trouble. Reached the pass by 2.30 & in at camp - not at Nye - at 5.0pm. Coolies came in soon after except about 15 who only turned up next day. It was good to be in forest again, pine, larch & birch on the west side, & juniper, larch & birch on the E, with pine on N faces. Rhod. vellereum common, with two small Rhodos. On the E side saw some P. jaffreyana & a lot of Androsace of 3 species.

29 Nov. Mye. A short march in today where we should have reached yesterday. Samdup also turned up by 11.0 & our kit has again caught us up. I saw two partridge on the way up the Pass. Ludlow then saw one 'Kuling' & another, while Ludlow missed a Crossoptilon on this side. This is the first village with pent wooden roofs. All to the W of this are flat roofed. The hilltops often have early morning mist on them now - a sign of a damper climate. I was surprised to see no Mec. simplicifolia on the pass - only M. horridula.

30 Nov. Shu. An easy march. We were in by 1.0 (start 8.0) & coolies were in shortly after. A few were late. I tried to contact Gyantse at 3.30 pm (BT) by W/T, but got no answer. Later tried Ford (TASA) but again got no answer. Local Dzongpon's man tried to refuse to give us anything but day to day transport. We demanded 'Dzongyel', & we think we have succeeded, at the price of 2 days halt & a than of cloth & ten cigarettes! Supplies difficult, & we have hardly managed to get anything. Very strong wind in evening.

1st Dec. Halt. Fine, but clouded by midday. Wind by 2.30.

2nd Dec. Halt. Fine & clear & windy. We doubt if our transport will come as promised, by this evening. This is a bad place to get away from - in 1938 we were held up five days at Kyimdong Dzong.

SUMMARY:
Entries describe travel from Latsa to Rapidang with shifting weather, few plants in flower at higher elevations, and notable abundance of Podophyllum emodi. Heat caused hardship for Jill, and mule transport from Yusum was ending; Muhammed was sent ahead to Lenda to arrange onward transport after efforts to continue to Lhapso failed.

CONTENT:
several showers & a very cold wind indeed. We were late in camp, & it was a poor very sandy place to pitch tents in a strong wind. But it calmed down at night.

30 April. Latsa on E side of Koncho nga la. Bright & fine, but clouding by 3.0pm. A strong cold N. wind blew nearly all day. There is little in flower up here except very fine P. atrodentata, Rhod. vellereum, & Prunus sp 12426 (Prunus caudata) which is rather fine. Rhod. primuliflorum var. cephalanthoides 12428.

1st May. Many Dyong. Lovely clear day, very hot on this side of the pass. There was nothing of interest, except Prim. pumilio. P. jaffreyana was in bud. All Rhod. vellereum had been hard hit by hail. The people here are very helpful indeed.

2nd May. Tronda. A very hot day finishing up in the evening with violent storms on the hills on both sides of the river. Poor Jill found the sand so hot that she almost gave up. She could not walk any longer & I carried her the last 6-8 miles. Her feet are alright, but the heat was intense. Nothing of interest anywhere. We have but two more days of our luxurious travel with our mules from Yusum. From Lenda on, it must be the same old bullock & odd animal as on our way down.

3rd May. Rapidang. Last night's storm cleared up & it was fine today till 2.0pm. Then other storms came on all round us. Podophyllum emodi (Podophyllum emodi 12429) here is more numerous than I have ever seen it before, & is really very pretty growing as it does in tight clumps showing 6-8 flowers close together. Our mule transport finishes tomorrow. I tried to get them to go on to Lhapso but they won't, so Muhammed went on today to arrange transport from Lenda onward. It has been very pleasant coming in without having to give a thought to transport. This was our worst part on the way down - with bullock transport day after day. Great damage was done then to boxes - now we have had none.

SUMMARY:
Travel and halts around Molo with heavy rain, abundant flowering noted, and a letter from Ludlow reporting good flower prospects and route constraints. Reports of the Singo Samba bridge being destroyed prompt local officials to plan repairs, and ponies are arranged by the Bharang Shiga Agent for the move to a camp on the Lilung Chu. Wireless news is heard during halts, with little collecting success on some days.

CONTENT:
To 24th June. Molo 7 miles. Fine in the morning, then heavy rain from 10.0 am on. Kucho had gone ahead yesterday to arrange transport at Pämse, so we did not have to wait this morning.

There is a great change here, and flowers abound. The hillside, south face, is covered with the big Androsace strigillosa var. canescens, and P. jaffreyana is out too, but only near Molo—it does not appear further up, until one gets a good long way above Pämse. Iris decora is common the whole way down from Pämse, and mixes with another here. A letter is here from Ludlow—from Tse 6th June. He seems to think that flowers will be extremely good down that way; already they have a fine lot of things, much better I fear than I have. I am very glad to get his news from there. The Tsela Dzongpen is alright but does not want them to go to Pemakö, only as far as the Doshong La. He also mentions how he thinks June is the month for rhododendrons and July and August for primulas. So we are not too late, but should walk into good stuff as soon as we leave Lilung. It all sounds very good, and most cheering to me, as I have been rather depressed about flowers this year. I cannot hear much about the Singo Samba bridge, but the locals here in Bharang Shiga say that the Langong people have destroyed it. The Pachakshiri gyinpon is here, and is determined the bridge shall be repaired, as he has to get back to Lalung.

25th and 26th June. Halt. Molo. Both days rainy, with some fine intervals, but no sun. I put up the wireless the evening I came here, and heard the news tolerably well. I also heard the 2nd Test match score, and to my surprise found I am a day out in my reckoning. Today should be the 27th and not the 26th. The mistake was probably made the day I left Molo, which should have been 25th May not 24th. It does not matter, and I will change the date on leaving here. We went down the R. bank today and got some quite good things, including Semiaquilegia ecalcarata. This afternoon I have tried to pack, but cannot get things to fit in anyhow.

27th June. Halt. Molo. Rain on and off all day. Found nothing of any interest.

To 29th June. Camp on Lilung Chu 9 miles. Heavy showers followed by bright intervals—mostly fair. The Bharang Shiga Agent produced his 12 ponies as promised yesterday evening, and three men from Molo with them, and we were all off at 8.0 and came along well, reaching here at 1.0 pm. The path is Picea spinulosa tree forest common in the side valley leading down to the Tsangpo river.

SUMMARY:
Field notes record multiple alpine plant collections and seed gathering around Putrang La, including Codonopsis seed collected below Lhapso Dzong at about 11,000 feet on 31/03/1938. The diary also notes damage to baggage from donkey transport and a descent toward the Tsangpo amid poor transport arrangements.

CONTENT:
Putrang La
vellereum

3587. Rhododendron sp. E. side common from 15000' - 12500'. SEED taken.
3588. Androsace sp. E. side common from 14000 - 12000. SEED taken.
3589. Rhododendron sp. W. side common from about 16000' SEED taken.
      3586 A. Gentiana Waltoni. E. side common from 14 - 12000' SEED taken.
      No. no. Gentiana nubigena E. side. A very few seed taken.
3590. Codonopsis vinciflora E. side. A few SEED taken at about 12000'.

A few signs of P. Jaffreyana seen on the dry banks about 12000'. No seed seen.

3592. Primula atrodentata. Not yet in flower.

3591 A. Codonopsis vinciflora. SEED collected below Lhapso Dzong. 11000'. 31.3.38.

Ludlow 25
Our baggage has suffered much during the past few days. The boxes in many cases have been smashed by donkey ropes colliding with each other or with rocks & boulders in narrow places.

Ludlow 26
Descent to Tsangpo

Bad transport arrangements