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SUMMARY:
Brief list of plant specimens from Pangchen’s alpine area, noting Gentiana maculifera, Gentiana glabriuscula, and Rhododendron lindleyi with specimen numbers 1263, 1264, 1266, and 1269.

CONTENT:
2nd Alpine Pangchen
Gentiana maculifera
1263.
Gent. glabriuscula 1264
Rhod. lindleyi 1266 1269

SUMMARY:
The diarist reports scarce, undrinkable water and a poor route. On 3rd May they camped on a ridge south of Jirgang Chu, with rain overnight, clear morning, and mist returning at noon; coolies traveled from 6:00 am to 1:00 pm. They glimpsed Dungshigou and noted abundant rhododendrons and magnolias (Nos. 2980, 2982, 2983) with color variation by elevation.

CONTENT:
down, but I could not get a clear space through the forest to get a photograph. There is some drift snow still on it. The water here is quite undrinkable and very scarce. Tomorrow there is none at all, either on the way or at camp. In fact this is not too good a route altogether.

3rd May. Camp on ridge S. of Jirgang Chu 5 miles. Coolies 6:00 am to 1:00 pm. Rained pretty hard a good deal of the night, but was clear and bright in the morning, mist came up again at 12:00. Got a glimpse of Dungshigou through the trees at 6:30. The path was more non-existent than ever today, and a lot of cutting had to be done. But it follows the extreme ridge almost all the way. We came across first a white epiphytic Rhododendron (No 2980, Rh. Dalhousiae? Lindleyi?) then a lot of Magnolia Campbellii (No 2982). Then Rh. grande (falconeri) (No 2983) which covers an area on the hillside everywhere. It is in full bloom and really a grand sight. Low down it was definitely yellow with a biggish magenta blotch, but higher up was much paler with a small blotch. Here there were some pink

SUMMARY:
Entries for 1–2 May describe moving a short distance up the spur/ridge north of Lhalung through extremely dense forest, requiring continuous path-cutting and resulting in a foul camp with little water. Coolies were unreliable or refused to proceed, two men promised by Pintso did not arrive, and birds were scarce though tragopan and serow were heard; Ludlow and David suffered swollen hands from biting flies while Sherriff was away.

CONTENT:
seven or eight on my feet. But damdim (Simulium damnosum) flies are the worst nuisance here. They seem to be more poisonous than the Bantan ones. Both Ludlow & David have very swollen hands & wrists.
Sherriff away for 6 days.

1st May. Camp up spur to N. of Lhalung. 3 miles. Clouded but fine till 3.0 pm, then rain rest of evening. I'm afraid the local coolies are no better than the Moio ones. Two did not turn up. The others came early enough & were happy enough too. We asked all about the path. Yes, they knew it, or four or five did anyway, & we should get to the snow easily the second day. We should be in tragopan & monal country too. So off we went at 7.30. We reached camp - 3 miles and 2000 ft only at 1.0 pm. There is quite a good path as far as this, but beyond I could not find it, the jungle is very dense. So I had to consent to camp. When asked where the path was, then all just answered, 'We don't know, there isn't one'. I sent on five men, to cut a path for tomorrow, but fear they won't have done much, though they were out for four hours. Birds are remarkably scarce, since entering the dense forest, I have only seen phylloscopus & one sunbird. So things are not too bright. The two coolies who were to be sent on by Pintso, never turned up, even this evening, so loads are on the heavy side. The only flowers seen were two or three rhododendrons (R. nuttallii? lindleyi is common) which have already been collected. A bad day.

2nd May. Camp 2 m further up the Ridge N. of Lhalung. about 11000' Fine for a couple of hours, then rain most of the rest of the day. This is, I'm afraid, a wild goose chase. On the ridge there is nothing but dense forest, so dense that every step has to be cut the whole way. We took a good six hours for what is certainly not more than 2 miles. It is next to impossible to leave the ridge, as it is knife edge & very steep indeed both sides. However we came on, till the coolies refused to go any further. Then strangely enough we failed to find water on either side. After an hour's search a little was found, there we are in, without exception, the foulest camp I have ever been in. The day was brightened by the call of a tragopan, which we could not find, although we looked for a long time: and by the call of a serow, whose fresh marks we saw. He was only 50 yards away, but there was no hope of getting him. The coolies have never been up here, know nothing of the area & are completely ignorant of there ever having been a path. There has been though, & a Lopa has set snares for tragopan sometime this year. The Lpah once saw a small bird close to them - a Heteroxenicus - & two at once got out bow & arrows & tried to pot it, but missed. They go for anything apparently.

SUMMARY:
A wet halt day spent scrambling on a steep rock slope near Rip la to observe rhododendrons, notably Rhododendron edgeworthii, anthopogon, and lindleyi, with signs of bear and musk deer but no sightings. Men later brought in masses of R. edgeworthii, and the diarist began a letter to Betty before receiving mail from Kalimpong.

CONTENT:
a number of rhododendrons which are now over, and R. lindleyi
on the side of the Rip la and down a bit was very common. But
it is never easily seen up in the trees where it is happiest.
27th April. Halt. Very wet all night. Fine for three hours this
morning, then heavy rain all the rest of the day. We went to a
cliff opposite, where Rhodos. could be seen. The place is a 45° rock
slope, with no soil on it in places, while in others some trees
and shrubs have managed to find an anchorage. Obviously every now
and then anything on the slope just shoots off to the bottom. It is quite
impossible to climb the smooth slippery rock, but we went up the
between bits with the odd trees and bamboo, and found it very hard
work indeed. There were masses of Rhod. edgeworthii (18777) and
a little higher of Rhod. anthopogon (18776). Otherwise the day was
rather a disappointment. We had to go on up above 2000' and then
down another way. I hope I have at any rate some good photos of
these two species. Nothing else of interest seen, except a lot of Rhod.
lindleyi, which here is almost entirely a ground growing plant. We
came across many fresh marks of both bear and musk deer, but saw
none. When we returned, we found some men had brought
in masses of Rhod. edgeworthii for me. What a beautiful thing
it is, at its best: the buds are rich rose pink, and opened flowers
even retain quite a lot of pink in them. What a pity we
constantly have this miserable weather. Nothing could be more
monsoony than we are now having. Perhaps in the real
season it will be better. I started writing a letter to Betty
this evening, and no sooner had I decided to stop than a mail from
Kalimpong came in. As it contained two letters for Betty, I decided to

SUMMARY:
Notes at Lo La include plant collections and a notable new Primula, with complaints about a soaked camp; David remarks on heavy rain. The following day details a march from Nyugda La to Karchung La through dense forest with rhododendrons and primulas, a hazardous descent on notched logs, late and unhappy coolies, a hut taken by Molo people, and unsuccessful attempts to obtain monal and tragopan despite sightings.

CONTENT:
Lo La. April 25. R. hookeri 3652 & 3655, ciliatum 3654, Phaeodopum 3656, megeratum 3657, Stachyurus himalaicus 3661. Daphne bholua 3658.

Chenogone wretched. The best find was a new petiolarid primula, No. 3648. But P. Normaniana is, when seen at this time, a most beautiful thing. Both are however easily beaten by P. cortusoides Sech, No. 3649 (P. laciniata), which is really a most beautiful one; other flowers, though like P. Normaniana, are much bigger.

Camping ground awful, everything soaking wet too. David is having his eyes opened. Today (27th) he was saying "what an awful place for rain". I agreed, but had to tell him that the rain would not start till after another month or a half.

Nyugda La to Karchung La
26th April. Camp near Karchung La. 8 miles. Fine morning, clouded by 10 am. Rain at 2.0 pm & most of the evening. After crossing the Chudi Chu, the ascent is steep. The hills are covered with dense forest the whole way. Tsuga (Brunoniana?) is a common tree here, & grows to a great size. Rhododendrons abound, but are yet not in full bloom mostly. Two primulas found, P. Boothii, No. 3671 (P. gracilipes), a really magnificent one, 3673 (Primula porecta?). The latter is a grand sight when growing in close clumps as we saw it about 1000 ft below the Nyugda. Over the La the descent is at first easy, then worse than ever, very steep indeed, & down notched logs the whole way. A good deal of repairing to the road had been done to these, but even so they were awful, the path is most tiring. The coolies however are very sad, many were not in camp till after 5.0 pm. We went on further than the coolies expected & they did not like having to come on. They are a very independent lot, more than once muttering of dropping the loads & refusing to go further, as they did yesterday. A Maddenii rhododendron, R. lindleyi 3667 (R. Nuttallii?) was the finest we saw. It really is a most magnificent sight when in full bloom, & like many others of the section, it has a wonderful scent. Ludlow saw some tragopan but failed to get one. Ramzana shot one yesterday, but it was never found. We have had very bad luck with monal & tragopan, having seen quite a number now, but not having got one of either yet. We had a late evening & a perfectly awful camp. My tent was in a bog, Ludlow's on a most uneven bit of ground, with just room for his bed to be put up more or less evenly. A hut had been built here on the only even good bit of ground, but this was pinched by some Molo people, & our own servants used the half we kept clean for them. A tiring day. We could have been in by 2.0 pm, & so saved the coolies, but they were almost pushed up the last mile of 1000 ft ascent, & came in very late.

Nyugda. Ludlow 44. "We are unlucky with monal & tragopan; the net result of 2 years pursuit of them so far is one monal & one tragopan."

SUMMARY:
Notes list Kodachrome and Dufay colour shots of Rhododendron species and Primula filipes, a view toward Tom Tom from Rip La, and a sun bird on Piptanthus. Locations include Denchung (river and camp) and Shambling, with mentions of items sent off. Dated entries include 29/04/1949 and 06/05/1949.

CONTENT:
22

Kodachrome C.S. 7.
Bryocarpum himalaicum. 18744
Primula Normaniana. 18740
View toward Tom Tom from Rip La. Magnolia Campbellii & Rhododendron arboreum in foreground.
Rhododendron Lindleyi (2 shots) 18739.
Sun bird on Piptanthus. 23/4.
Rhododendron Edgeworthii 18777
Rhododendron Griffithianum 18776
Rhododendron Edgeworthii by river.
6+7 sent 6/5

B.W. 2. Dufay Colour 4.

1. Rhododendron Lindleyi 18739 trees in background. 1 Primula filipes 18749
2. Rhododendron Lindleyi 18739 sky + clouds - 2 }
3. Primula filipes habitat 18749 3 } Rhododendron Edgeworthii habitat 18777
4. Primula filipes close habitat 4 Rhododendron Griffithianum habitat
   5 } 5 }
   6 } Rhododendron Edgeworthii habitat 18777 6 } Rhododendron Edgeworthii camp river 18777)
   7 Rhododendron Griffithianum 18776
   8 Rhododendron Edgeworthii 18777
   9 ? Rhododendron Lindleyi. Denchung 29/4/49 Dufay 3+4 Sent off
   10 from Shambling
   11 River at Denchung with Bhutanese. 30/4 6/5/49
   12 River at Denchung camp - 1/5

SUMMARY:
The party set up the wireless and clearly heard England for the first time since Puntsogong, likely aided by monsoon conditions, with generally fine weather though cloudy on the hills. On 27 May they halted in camp due to rain, and on 28 May they went about seven miles down the valley along a difficult river path; Ludlow crossed the river, and they noted abundant Rhododendron lindleyi, a magnolia about to flower, and mixed jungle of bamboo, rhododendron, birch, larch, Tsuga dumosa and deciduous trees.

CONTENT:
Schisandra grandiflora 1704
Creeper 1704. The wireless was put up last night and worked fairly well; we even heard England a very little. This morning I switched on at 5:00 am and heard England perfectly. Ludlow waited till 6:00 am and got the news, the first we have had since Puntsogong at the end of February. Presumably monsoon conditions have made the reception so good. That will be one good thing in favour of the monsoon. Yesterday and today both fine again, though cloudy on the hills.

Meigiptan 1714
27th May. Halt in camp. Rain all day.

28th May. Went down the valley for about 7 miles or so. The path after mile 4 is awful, being in the river with water up to one's knees most of the way. Rhododendron lindleyi 1715 is abundant and very pretty from mile 4 down. Otherwise there was nothing of much importance found. Ludlow crossed the river and went down a little. A nice little magnolia is about to come out. The path on the left bank is quite good at first, the country pretty open, with a jungle of mostly scrub. This changes to denser mixed jungle of bamboo, rhododendron, birch, larch, Tsuga dumosa and deciduous trees.