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SUMMARY:
Notes from Chendebi on the Trongsa Road record plant observations and collections, plans to stay two days, and mention of H.H.'s 'kazana' caravan of 200 loads passing through. The writer recalls a very wet visit in 1933 with comic hardships, and on 12 May notes more rain and identifies Rhododendron griffithianum as common just below Chendebi.

CONTENT:
Chendebi - Trongsa Road R. arboreum 3017, R. virgatum 3021, Enkianthus deflexus 3020, Gaultheria griffithiana 3019
Chendebi. R. rhaedoforum 3035 Berberis 3034

...takes its place & is very common just below Chendebi. A few Rhod. edgeworthii too were seen. We will stay here two days. In any case that would be necessary, as H.H.'s 'kazana' - his lakh of rupees & many other things - 200 coolie loads - are just in Chendebi this evening, & they have to go on tomorrow.

My recollections of Chendebi in 1933 are amusing but not very pleasant. We never saw more than 100 yards or so in any direction owing to the thick mist. It rained hard all the time we were here, & dinner in our bamboo village was comic. Rain came in through the roof everywhere, & a young torrent found its way to the dining room. We all sat on the table with our feet on the chairs like that. I also remember a plate of soup being brought in with a leech on the edge of it. It has started to rain this evening, but I don't think will be very much.

12th May. Halt Chendebi. Some rain yesterday evening, & more again this evening. Went out in the morning, & picked up a few flowers. The fine rhod. we found yesterday is Rhod. griffithianum. It is a beauty & very common just below Chendebi, but seems to stop abruptly here. Also one shrub of another red rhododendron, which...

SUMMARY:
After heavy overnight rain, the party went from Chamkhar (Bumthang) over the Kyikyi La to camp behind Byakar Dz, receiving food gifts from Pintso Wangdi and Ashi Choden Mother while H.H. added atta; rhododendrons were noted and a film pack was successfully developed. The following day was a rainy halt with more presents, preparations for Lhuntse, and a short excursion with Bette to collect a Prunus and a beautiful crab apple, with supplies sent as far as the Rudo La.

CONTENT:
in July also (perhaps 1st week Aug), they must breed here.

11th April. Chamkhar (Bumthang) 8 miles. c. 9500'. It rained very hard last night for a good many hours, but stopped as we got out at 5.30. We went the quicker way, over the Kyikyi La, 11,600', & down right at Byakar Dz, just behind which we are camped. Here I had expected that we would be left alone, but no sooner were we in than large presents started to arrive from Pintso Wangdi & Ashi Choden Mother. These were of foodstuffs, but still meant something in return. We saw little on the way. Rhod. ciliatum (18683) was a new one for us, we also got a good Barbatum Series Rhododendron (18682). Beside the Dzong (Byakar) another rhodo is in flower, (R. virgatum) 18687 which we last saw in Tongkyuk, but this was a much finer plant. Here everything has been made easy for us. We have ample food: H.H. has produced two mds. of atta to add to our supply, with all the butter & rice we've been given, we need for little. I developed the first film pack, with good results. It will be nice again to have a halt tomorrow. With new people with us, there is much more to do than with old. When we had Pintso & Tendup, Ramzana & Linka, the camp bundobast ran itself. H.H. has given me a very good man in Ngudup Namgyal who has authority to do anything, which makes a very great deal of difference.

12th April. Halt. Rained part of the night, & off & on all day today. We spent most of the day in camp getting things ready for the next jump to Lhuntse. More presents came in, & Pintso Wangdi sent food for us all as far as the Rudo La. Bette & I went up a side valley & found a Prunus 18691, like the Kongbo Nga La one, & a very beautiful Crab apple (18690) which we must try to get seed of.