Showing 45 results

SUMMARY:
The diarist describes very tall pines and junipers, birches and oaks, and notes the striking jade-green colour of the Po Tsangpo river. On 14th Jan. near Sangyü, Ludlow and Henry took the pony path while the diarist and B. followed the riverside through dense wet forest with massive junipers, passing Rhododendron trees near Chahzam and old cultivated flats with ruins said to have been destroyed by the Chinese in '12.

CONTENT:
Cupressus torulosa 12141
Cedrela 12142

43

flower line. The only interest is in the trees, which grow to enormous heights. Some of the pines - (P. tabulaeformis) must be nearly 200 feet. And near here there are really magnificent junipers which are certainly 200 feet and straight as a rod. Camp here very poor, beside the 'spring'. Birches also are fine on this march, and there are many oaks. The colour of the Po Tsangpo river is very fine indeed, copper sulphate (pale 'deep jade green') exactly. Both rivers are the same now. Left at 8.30. In at 2.30.

14th Jan. SANGYÜ. Left at 9.0 : in at 2.0. Ludlow and Henry went the pony path, a climb of 1000 feet. B. and I kept to the river side. Both tracks are not easy. Both were curiously uninteresting botanically and ornithologically. At first the forest was mostly dense wet forest, with magnificent specimens of Juniper, measuring up to 20 feet in circumference. We passed, about 1 mile from Chahzam, about a dozen Rhododendron trees, the same as seen on the Pan above Trulung. I heard today Monal for the first time. Here there is a large flat area, old cultivation, with old ruined houses, destroyed by the Chinese in '12. There is a hut and

SUMMARY:
Wet, misty morning with a clearer afternoon before rain while traveling between Yüto and Takar La at about 14,000 ft; the writer rode most of the way and spent four hours on the hillside. Numerous Primula were noted (including P. cawdoriana 2224 near Yüto, P. roylei, sikkimensis, and others), plus a single dwarf rhododendron (2225) and a gentian (2230); the path was easy after Kinghor but steep between Yume and Gompo Rong, and the river was barely fordable.

CONTENT:
of any particular interest. Rained all morning - more or less fine in afternoon. Mist down on hills all day.

27th June. Camp between Yüto & Takar La. About 14000'. 7 miles.

Wet & misty all morning. Fairly clear in afternoon till 4.0pm: then rain. I expected rather more than we got, but we saw a good many old friends: Ramzana's prim. is common in little patches. P. Cawdoriana 2224 is plentiful on a cliff below Yüto on the R hand side. Above here P. Roylei & the P. that is always with it, & the little white Petiolaris. Also 2137 the very small one, glabra & atrodentata. The big sikkimensis is everywhere & fine big flowers on it, also the candelabra red one (microdonta?).

An interesting rhododendron dwarf 2225 of which only one was seen, & another gentian 2230. I rode up almost all the way, very pleasant to do so again, & then had four hours on the hillside up here. The path up here is pleasantly easy after the Kinghor, but steep between Yume & Gompo Rong. There are prim. all the way up here. The river is barely fordable even here just now.

SUMMARY:
Notes on collecting a different Primula near a pass and on labelling flowers and preparing bird skeletons. On 28 August they packed, received final mail including a letter from Tobgye, and could not send replies until reaching Gyantse. On 29 August they traveled from Menchu Mu over Kang La to a shelter at Mencheman, describing the route, elevations, scarce fuel, and an 8-hour march for the coolies.

CONTENT:
75

same place - 16 small & 6 big. Today bagged seven of a different primula near the pass, not in flower (No. 489). Very cold misty afternoon, spent labelling flowers & making skeletons of birds.

28th August. Fine most of the morning low down. Mist & rain later. Packed up & discarded what we could. We should have a number of loads less now. A final mail arrived yesterday evening with a home mail & letter from Tobgye. But it was sent by 'dak' so we cannot send any letters back. We need now write no more letters till reaching Gyantse.

29th August. MENCHU MU. 15300'. 4 miles. There is one hut at Narim Thang, occupied during the summer months. It is situated at the South end of the plain. Leaving this the path crosses the wet plain, then climbs steeply to a lake, which is passed on the West side at m 1. Path then ascends very steeply to the West up a rocky gorge to the pass (Kang La (16300')), which is crossed at m 2. The pass is a rocky knife edge. Immediately on the north side is a small glacier & the path descends steeply over this gradually working to the R side, when it ends at m 3. Thence pretty steep down through rhododendron scrub to a valley running from E to West, where a shelter is situated, called Mencheman, at m 4. The only fuel is growing rhododendron. Coolies took 8 hours

SUMMARY:
A 14-mile march with heavy climbs brought the party to Sakden via the Munde La, where the cooler elevation was welcome. Ludlow arrived ill with fever and neuralgia, while Gulla collapsed en route with a high temperature, possibly malaria from Menoka or Diwangiri. Botanical finds were limited, including a few orchids, several rhododendrons, and a spirea.

CONTENT:
once to Sakden to say that two of each were to be ready for us on arrival.

2nd July. To SAKDEN. 14 miles. (B.P. 195.0° = 9095' Temp. 65°).

A difficult day for everyone, as the march was so long. 14 miles does not seem long, but add to it 4000 odd feet of climb and many descents of 500 feet and reclimbs of 500 feet in between, it is a good day's march. Ludlow was feeling poor in the morning when we left, and had no breakfast. He came straight on here, and went to bed with fever, though not much temperature. He has bad neuralgia and pains in the legs. Gulla gave out halfway, now has a temperature of 102°. I'm afraid he must have got malaria in Menoka or Diwangiri.

Sakden is a splendid place. We are at last at the right height, where it is cool. It was a hot day, and even up here pretty sweaty walking, but the nights will be grand. The climb up here is awful, up steps half the way. Over the Munde La, the country suddenly opens out, there is a large area of grassland - ideal grazing ground. Flowers on the way were rather disappointing, I only found two orchids, four rhododendrons and a spirea and one or two other small things. One rhododendron, white with red streaks up the corolla segments, is almost

SUMMARY:
The diarist travels 9 miles to Le in wet monsoon conditions with difficulty obtaining coolies, noting a fine, sweet-scented rhododendron near the top end of the Pangchen plain and abundant magnolias above camp. A preceding note mentions plants at Sanga Choling and Chosam, lack of gentians and Cyananthus wardii seed above Sanga Choling, and time spent in Tsari in July and September.

CONTENT:
36

Sanga Choling, Adonis at Chosam and several other plants. I got no gentians nor seed of Cyananthus wardii which is abundant above Sanga Choling, — ... I was in Tsari for a week in July and a bad week in September."

4th April. To Le. 9 miles. B.P. 197.5° Temp. 51. Time 4.30 p.m. Ht. 8050'.

Quite a good day, but very wet from 10.30 on. The monsoon seems definitely to have begun in earnest. Coolies difficult to get, some had not arrived by 7.0 p.m. The finest flower seen was a Rhododendron 1269, about 1/2 m above the bridge at the top end of the Pangchen plain. It really is a grand flower & sweet smelling as well. More R. Boothii (R. gracilipes) also seen at most waterfalls. At one, beside the second bridge, it must have been a wonderful sight a month ago, but is all over now. The path is good the whole way, but built up on galleries here & there over the river. But it is well built everywhere, & not in bad repair. Only a few houses here. Rhododendrons not numerous, but magnolias (Magnolia campbellii) are a wonderful sight just above us here.

SUMMARY:
Notes describe a valley with contrasting north and south faces, a bout of fever for Gulia, and halts on 9th and 10th May to explore and collect plants. Finds include rhododendrons, abundant P. bellidifolia (not yet out), and P. roylei and macrophylla in bloom near a terminal moraine; each member shot one crossoptilon.

CONTENT:
66

seeing. We chased crossoptilon, but with no luck. Gulia has fever on head: it may only be the snow thrush, I hope so. The valley here has a very marked N & S face. The South face appears quite bare, though there are small plants growing on it. The North face is densely covered with fine fir trees, up to about 13000 or 13500, then even more densely covered with rhododendron. Here there are some larches too.

9th May. Halt. We spread out in all directions to see what we could find. I had hoped for more, but I suppose we are still a bit early. One very nice rhododendron was found in the fir forest (1564) - the dwarf 2 ft bush 1565, which looks much like a pink lapponicum of kinds. Many of these have pure white flowers, the majority being a pale pink. Ludlow found a little more P. bellidifolia, P. 1562 is everywhere. We each shot one crossoptilon.

10th May. Halt. Went up the nala immediately north of camp to about 15000 ft. There is not much to be seen yet, though it is a good place. P. bellidifolia is everywhere, but not yet out. Both P. Roylei & macrophylla 1561 were in bloom at the terminal moraine at the head of the valley. A little

SUMMARY:
The party trekked through spruce, oak, pine, and larch forest, passed below Chunyima, obtained butter and fresh milk from herdsmen with yaks, and noted several plants including Primula atrodentata and Lilium wardii. They reached Tongkyuk Dzong after 68 days, glimpsing the Po Yigrong Range and collecting limited seed of an unidentified Rhododendron, a Gaultheria, and an evergreen Berberis.

CONTENT:
hard indeed - so much so that the kukri we used to cut out plants was broken slightly, & sparks were actually made when striking the ground! This might possibly be P. bhutanica or Whitei. Like P. atrodentata the buds were covered with dense farina. We did not see Chunyima at all, but passed below it scarcely a few miles (2?) to an open space, on the other side of the river from which is a herdsman's hut where there are two men with 50 yaks. Up behind that is a very fine snow peak (Sangdam Pu?) where the valley looks very good for flowers. We got some very dirty butter from them at 9 sangs the piece, about 1 1/2 lbs. Also most excellent fresh milk as a gift. The milk was brought in a ladle made of Rhododendron wood, holding about 1/2 gallon. Our 4 coolies caught us up today joined us here, so did 7 extra pony loads which had come on "sadsi". The path all day is through fine spruce, holly oak & latterly a little pine larch. Rhododendron in places plentiful. For the first mile or two the valley is open: thence it is a gorge, but everywhere very pretty indeed. My one only pair of shoes have given out, & am reduced to gym shoes from now on. We saw a little Mec. betonicifolia at Lunang, but no more anywhere else. I also saw one Prim. chungensis. Prim. atrodentata is everywhere & is all ready for moisture & a little warmth, to put it into flower.

22nd Dec. Tongkyuk Dzong. Home at last, after 68 days. It is worth it though, from what we can see. The march today was through conifer & rhod. forest all the way, but the forest was too thick for us to get but a glimpse of the Po Yigrong Range N. of Tongkyuk. We left at 7.30 & got in at 1.30. The road is good most of the way. In the plant line the most interesting things on the march were Lilium Wardii, common on the steep bracken covered slopes in the picea & pinus forest. A Rhododendron of which we got a little seed is one I don't recognize. We also got a Gaultheria & an evergreen Berberis, but saw no...

SUMMARY:
After a sleepless night the party set off before dawn and crossed the Le La in mist with fresh snow. They observed numerous Primula species, dense rhododendrons, Abies, and a Corydalis, noting the area would be spectacular later in the season.

CONTENT:
No coolie slept last night, so neither did Ludlow or I. We were up before 4.0 am & everyone was off by 5.0 am. There had been some snow the evening before, and it was lying from about 15000 to the top of the Le La, 17180'. We heard chrysochlora on the way up but saw none. Misty on top as usual no view.

On the very top were signs of a Primula showing green - perhaps Stirtoniana. Very shortly after, we saw P. bellidifolia in flower & P. atrodentata. The ground was simply covered with P. pryingorum, looking perfectly lovely, carpeting the ground with pink. There were a number also of P. macrophylla 1561 in bloom, & lots of signs of a P. sikkimensis. Other primulas there were too, but none in flower. About 15000 the rhododendrons began, & from then on the hillsides were covered with them. I don't think I have ever seen them so thick.

Down here the W face is covered with Abies, but there are a number of pale lemon yellow rhodos too, (1557). Also any number of pink ones which seem all the same though they show different forms. I got one Corydalis too 1560. This area must be wonderful later on when everything comes out. The rhododendrons themselves must be a sight worth

SUMMARY:
Ascent from below Chozan over a spur and descent to the magnificent Sengate plain, where the Tsari Chu meanders across a broad area with dense forests of juniper, rhododendron, and silver fir. Notes include BP 188.4, temperature 48°, time 4:30 pm, and a remark on the Takpashiri group of peaks.

CONTENT:
BP 188.4
Temp 48°
Time 4:30 pm

12772
1.0333
12772
382.16
39.85
3.98
13197.99

L p. 90-91. Below Chozan we ascended to 500-600 to cross a spur and then dropped down to the magnificent Sengate plain through which the Tsari Chu meanders in many branches. The plain must be 5-6 miles long x 3 miles broad. On both sides are dense and rich forests of Juniper, Rhododendron, Silver fir — a truly beautiful place.
NB the Takpashiri group of peaks — L.G.

11816
1.0622
11816
708.96
23.632
2.36
12550.95

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.