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SUMMARY:
Route notes from a camp above Churam crossing the Cha La towards Tsari Chu, with distances, elevations, and observations of vegetation and weather. Mentions seasonal grazing over the pass and a lama’s differing account about an incarnation.

CONTENT:
the incarnation, although that is not what the lama told us.

15th May Camp 1 m above Churam. Tsari Chu. 12 m. B.P. 187° Temp 50°
Time 3.30 Ht. 14104 ft. The path to the Cha La is good & not very steep. Pass the Cha La at m 4, 16600 ft. Descent on north side very gradual indeed. At m 8 pass a nala mouth on the L bank where another road joins. From about here on, there is a gradual increase in vegetation. Before Churam is reached, the south side is thickly covered with Rhododendron & a certain amount of juniper scrub. No snow on the pass in May. About this time of year mules & horses are sent over the Cha La to graze in Tsari valley. Cremnopitilon heard all the way down since the scrub was noticed. Primulas are not yet out. On the top of the pass was the new sikkimensis, & down both sides masses of P. Roylei & pygmaeorum. The Rhododendrons here won't be in flower for a couple of months I should say. Our usual luck was with us on the pass. Yesterday was a perfect day with hardly a cloud. Today we could see only a few miles, and in the evening had some rain.

SUMMARY:
Notes plant specimens and habitats around Cha La, with route details toward Zimsathi and mention of the Takar La being snowbound. Records Lumsden treating a local woman and reports local news about the Rimpoche's daughter and proposed marriage ties with the Bhutan Maharani's family.

CONTENT:
Cha La May 14 - Saxifraga monantha sp. nov. 1584, Anemone brahmaputrae 1585, Pegophyton scapiflorum 1587, 1588, Primula advena 1589, Lloydia serotina 1591, Primula glabra 1592, Fritillaria cirrhosa 1595, Anemone trullifolia var. linearis 1594.

Cha La 15th 70
Rhododendron paludosum 1598
Off to the E, at about N 8, but to the Cha La the main valley is followed to Zimsathi. From here the road turns W to the Cha La. Another path follows straight on. This is only used from N to S occasionally. The Takar La is said to be pretty deep in snow still.

Primula atrodentata
We came across the usual Primula atrodentata in masses. Rhododendrons also especially on the W side, all the same, a form of 1555 (Rhododendron vellereum). There is a good deal of fir and juniper. Primula roylei is common here and Primula pygmaeorum also. Further up Primula glabra 1592 is common, and there are signs of a good many other things, saxifrage, allium etc.

Lumsden had a case of a woman yesterday who wanted treatment. She had had 7 children, all of them feet first. The pretty woman at Sangacholing is the Rimpoche's daughter. He told the Bhutan Maharani's mother was to marry her. He came here, but went on to Kham. But she wants to marry into Bhutan. It is a pity it cannot be arranged, to bring in new blood. The locals have the belief that Tobgye's second son is...

SUMMARY:
Notes abundant Primula species on hillsides and highlights several Pedicularis specimens from a nala above camp. Observes eremophila with young and shoots two snowcock, then walks to the Le La and into another valley, noting Gentiana amoena forma pallida on shale scree near the pass, not yet in flower.

CONTENT:
144

P. consocia 2284. Mec. horridula (white bella) 2286. Sax. sessiliflora 2288.
P. hyacinthina 2294

Primulas indeed all over the hillsides, but no others bar P. tsariensis, pygmaeorum, roylei & macrophylla, with a few late flowering atrodentata & masses of sikkimensis.

The nicest flower we saw was a Pedicularis 2293 (Pedic. bella v. holophylla 2293), from the nala just 1 m above camp. Another Pedicularis 2290 (Pedic. megalocheila 2290) is also very pretty (Pedic. zephanantha 2295). Saw masses of eremophila with their young about 400' above camp. They appear to have either 2 or 3 chicks. Shot two snowcock pretty high up. There were many young birds with them, able to fly.

5th July. Halt. Le La. Fine most of the morning & part of the afternoon. Went up to the Le La direct, then turned left into another valley, so circled home. On the pass there is now no snow either side. Gentiana amoena forma pallida is fairly common just near the top in pure shale scree. I also saw it further to the left on a ridge further south. It is not yet out, but I could see the flowers that they were

SUMMARY:
An easy ascent of Nyala La was followed by a steep descent to the small villages of Loro Tö. Lumsden stalked gazelle but missed, while the author wounded an Ovis ammon and later he and Ludlow tried unsuccessfully to approach two more. Locals provided limited transport by donkeys and dzos, and plants noted included Primula pygmaeorum and emerging irises along the stream.

CONTENT:
valley, keeping to the left or north. Ascent to the Nyala La (16900') easy, passed at 11.4. Then steep down for a mile, and easier descent down to Loro Tö, one or two small villages of 3 or 4 houses, where there is some cultivation. Lumsden tried again for gazelle 1 m. below the pass. He had a good stalk, and missed. At the pass there were a number of gazelle. While after them I saw some Ovis ammon and went after them, getting a shot with the .410 at about 80 yds. I only wounded one and unfortunately did not follow up my shot at once, when I would have had a perfect chance.

Ludlow and I then had great fun trying to get near enough two ammon who knew where we both were - one on either side of them. They did a most unusual thing, went straight downhill about 800 ft or more, and escaped. The locals here are very kind and attentive. They have transport of donkeys and dzos waiting for us, but only take us on a stage, and a small one at that. There is little to be seen here: the hillsides appear particularly bare, but along the bank of the stream there is some grass and Primula pygmaeorum in flower. Iris are coming up and the