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SUMMARY:
Notes on the Kyag Chu spring’s seasonal flow, a halt at Trashiying with poor weather, and a wet march to the Tsokang at Shacho Pebo in Tsari Sama. The diarist describes logistical issues with coolies and rations, and records abundant Primula and Rhododendron, including vast masses of P. valentiniana; blood pheasant chicks are noted.

CONTENT:
'Kyag Chu' or Indian spring. During the winter it does not flow - but is said to flow to India. On the 10th of the 4th Tibetan month it begins to flow here again. All the coolies washed in it as soon as they arrived.

14th June. Halt. Trashiying. Cloudy & rainy nearly all day. I went up the hillside E of camp for about 2000 ft or more, but the mist was very thick & decided not to traverse on to the head of the valley, which abounds in cliffs & has a good deal of snow still lying. We went over the ridge to the next valley & returned by the Trashi La. Very little seen of any interest. P. tsariensis everywhere, but no P. valentiniana. Mec. simplicifolia very common & good colour. Blood pheasant now have their chicks hatched out - one or two days old.

15th June. The Tsokang at Shacho Pebo, Tsari Sama. 7 1/2 miles. BP. 187.7°. Temp. 46°. Time 3.30 pm. Ht. app. 13576'.
A wet night last night, & a terrific downpour all day today, without a pause, with a strong wind. Yesterday evening one of my four coolies returned - with no rations - but with a chit to say the coolies were to return to Langong. This was not from the gyunpa but from his underling. He added that the Trashiying people would take me round Tsari, but ignored the fact that there are only five people there. Tsoupon-Kusho did some good work & for some rations - to be repaid in kind - from the locals, & my coolies - now 14 - agreed to come with me. It was raining hard at 4 am & has not yet stopped. I have seldom had such a bad day for weather, as there is a high wind with it all. We had hoped to cross to the South of the Himalayas, but this pilgrimage apparently keeps to the North. At first there was nothing at all to be found. Then we got into good country, & here it is very good, must be like the Lo La N. side, only a little higher. Of flowers, there is masses of P. Roylei (calcareum) - a very fine form - P. tsariensis, P. valentiniana, P. kongboensis, P. prenantha, P. pudibunda, P. elizabethae & others, besides one new to me - P. subularia 5561. Rhododendrons too are good, very interesting ones seen today, there are R. ludlowii 5555, & R. campylogynum (mekongense) 5560. Another nice one is one of the Glaucum Ser. (charitopes) No. 5565. The finest sight of all, is certainly P. valentiniana, which is in masses. We can see, when the mist rises a little, vast areas, coloured a deep wine red. I went this afternoon to have a look at it, & was amazed at how much there is. Beside it & among it are Rhodo. ludlowii (mekongense) & P. elizabethae. We reached here about 12 noon, all soaked to the skin. The

SUMMARY:
At Lo La, the diarist collected Primula and Rhododendron specimens around a small lake amid frost, snow, and sun, noting Jill’s reluctance to collect seeds and the coolies’ hardiness. On October 8 a halt was made; a circuit to the southwest of the lakes yielded a few bulbs, and Tsongpen arrived reporting difficulties obtaining ripe seed, fears of Lhopas on the route, and a theft problem with a dismissed man.

CONTENT:
Lo La. Oct 7. P. chamaethauma 6551, P. calderiana 6552, P. subularia 6553, tsangpoensis 6554.
Oct 8. Gent. hamberxii f. caulibaccans 6555, Rh. pumilum 6556, R. concatenans 6560.
Rh. lopsangianum 6561, 6567 R. lindleyi 6562, R. xeriflorum 6563, R. haysii 6565.
R. elatum 6568, R. brachyanthum v. hypolepidotum 6576, R. sulphureum 6580.
abrivale 6558, normaniana 6574.
laccata 6575, Omph. minor 6585.

On Gonyi-re the other day, so it seems common to Omphalifolia primulas. I thought I had P. laeta, with leaves all withered (6552), but a nice winter bud, but when on the way down, I decided it was P. calderiana so went up again to the little lake. There I took 6551, which does not seem to be P. tsariensis, which has more cordate leaves & a red winter bud. So I hope this will be P. laeta. Jill hates seed collecting, & does her best to get me to come on. We were four hours in one small patch, getting two full packets of P. valentiniana. I'm sorry not to have been here in the flowering season, to know more exactly where things are. Snow & a hot sun has withered everything completely. It is very cold at night, with a heavy white frost. But my coolies lie outside with hardly any covering at all. But they don't seem to feel the cold, as there is the fir forest only 100 yards away, where they could lie under cover & have a fire all night. One man comes into me each day, this is quite good. I give him cigarettes for helping to collect seeds, & that keeps him perfectly happy.

8th October. Halt. Rain & snow last night. Thick mist this morning till 9.00 am then clear with some sun. The really clear spell has gone, but it does not look as if we should have a great deal of rain or snow yet. I went to the SW round about the lakes, & took some bulbs of Nom. souliei, & a few odd seeds. In the afternoon Tsongpen came in. He has done well, but could not get seeds of a good many wanted things, especially the Cortusoides primula growing with P. normaniana, & the little Prim 3640. Most of the rhododendrons too are not really ripe, though we may make something of the seeds of most. His two men were very frightened about Lhopas, as is everyone on that route. The Lhopas have carried off 5 near the Chudi-Cun this summer. They saw a few & were warned not to come over again. Tsongpen had three men originally, but one was so useless he was returned. Besides being useless he is a thief. He stole a knife from the cookhouse at Molo, then stole my gun oil & cloth from Tsongpen. I found the tin with him here, but he has removed all the oil, so that I have none with me at all now. Since he has been here in camp he has continued to steal, & today when all the rest had gone for wood, he was seen to take the leather from one of the yak saddles, & to...