Showing 4 results

SUMMARY:
Brief stop at Tawang before dark where lamas promised coolies; evening spent sorting seeds amid cloudy, misty weather. On 12 November the party marched about 10 miles to Muktur (c. 8000'), with Pinto successfully managing multiple transport changes after assurances from the Dzongpen's budli; arrival was at 1:30 pm and rhododendron seeds were collected.

CONTENT:
From Milakatong La. Primula P. jigmediana 2840, purella 2841, gambeliana aff. 2829. (50)

Tawang. We were only in a short time before dark. Three men - 2 lamas - called & promised that coolies would be here in the early morning. A busy evening sorting seeds. Very cloudy, misty, but no rain - pleasantly warm after high camps.

12th November. Muktur. 8000'(?). 10 miles. It rained most of the night and all this morning till 10 am, after which it was fine till 4.0 pm. Clouds down all day, & raining again this evening. Pinto did wonders to get everything off by 8.0 am. He had considerable difficulty. At the first change, I saw the Dzongpen's “budli” who promised there would be no further changing. I was very grateful, & gave him odd presents of money. We insisted on his two headmen coming with us. It was lucky we did, as actually we changed transport 4 or 5 times more. But there was never any delay, & we arrived, much to my astonishment, at Muktur at 1.30 pm. I saw nothing of interest on the way down: got a campanula on the way up, then went out here to look for rhododendrons. This must be a wonderful place for them. We got capsules, but no ripe seed, of Rhod. rhabdotum, seed of a R. maddenii, which is everywhere, the commonest shrub near here. Also seed of what

SUMMARY:
The diarist describes traversing Rip La down to a river and up to Khoma Kang, noting abundant rhododendrons including R. edgeworthii and a Maddenii-type on cliff faces. They compare the Sissi La and Pau La routes, plan to send Pasang to Sulu, complain of midges, recall standing in cookhouse smoke with Ludlow, and suggest Betty move from T'yangsi to Tobrang for better altitude.

CONTENT:
have yet seen. There are many Rhod. Edgeworthii in flower on the far bank, hanging over impossible cliffs, and a very great number of at least one other Rhododendron which is certainly a Maddenii - perhaps Dalhousiae. I cannot reach either yet. The road is not easy. First over the Rip La at m 1, then very steeply down a grass slope at the edge of the forest, to the river at about m 4.5. Then up fairly easily to the first village of Khoma Kang at m 7.5. Thence rather steeper up here. The river is almost a fall when first met, and boils over in a gorge and a steep drop just there. Hence the Rip La. The Sissi La, although easier than the Pau La, may be a worse pass in the end, because one has to go to Khoma, then up to Pangkar, then down to Khoma Kang: whereas the Pau La route, although higher and worse, comes down to Sawang, just beside Khoma Kang. I hope we will have a busy and good time here, and just hope for a few fine days. There is certainly a lot to be had, either in flower, or just about to flower. I now wish I had arranged to go on to Sulu, but will send Pasang on with a man for a night. It will be good for him too. Midges have now started, and were pretty bad today and last night. I remember them being so bad that when waiting for camp to pack up, Ludlow and I always used to stand in the smoke of the cookhouse fire, to get some relief. I think now that Betty should leave T'yangsi and go on to Tobrang which is much more the correct altitude. This is the first place I've been in where things really seem to be on the move. There are in fact

SUMMARY:
At Lung, the party halted for several days of fine weather while shooting birds and searching unsuccessfully for tragopan. The diarist notes rough valley paths, collects some rhododendron seeds, and remarks that other rhododendron seeds are not yet ripe.

CONTENT:
Lung
20th October. Halt. The first fine day we have had since the 4th Oct.
Wind from the North, cloudy but bright. Went down the valley a
bit - wandered round the flat part below camp. Shot four birds -
saw two woodcock about a mile down. Tsongpen & the gyimpon will go
off early in the morning to look for tragopan.

21st October. Halt. Another beautiful day, fine all day. Tsongpen &
the gyimpon spent from 6 am till 2.30 pm looking in the jungle for
tragopan, but they saw none, not even any signs of them. So
I'm afraid we are unlikely to get any here now, though I have
two more days to do up on the hillside.

Lung
22nd October. Halt. Fine all day, with a very strong wind: clouded
over in the evening & looks like rain. Tsongpen & I went down a
good long way in the main valley - 5 hours. The path is
really pretty dreadful, hardly ever level for 10 yards, & as much
on notched logs & ordinary logs as on the ground. It is far the
worst I have seen anywhere this year. Shot a Heteroxenicus
stellatus, Sylviparus & Fulvetta ludlowi in beautiful plumage, saw
two or three nutcrackers. The cinnabarinum rhododendron is
not yet ripe, but I took some seeds to try. The big maddenii
R. crassum seed
2332 & 2338 were not ripe, but further down I came across one

SUMMARY:
The diary records a halt with a flea outbreak at a disused hut, clearing weather that revealed steep surrounding hills, and exploration up the valley NE of Migitun. Several Primula species and a pretty heath were found on avalanche-swept slopes, while Buddhow discovered a scarce white Rhododendron maddenii (lindleyi) further down the valley.

CONTENT:
a disused hut where some yaks were grazing. Within half a minute or less, Tenduk's legs were covered with fleas - so were my stockings.

25th May. Halt. Stayed more or less in camp till the evening. It cleared up after the last few days of rain, - let us see the country, which is very grand looking, with precipitous sided hills almost all round. Only down here in the valley is it at all open.

26th May Halt. I went up the valley NE of Migitun, - found Prim. 1662 (Yargong-chu) in quantities about 2000 ft up. Nothing else very interesting except a heath 1713 which is very pretty & should do well at home. I hope we get seeds. Prim 1711 (tsariensis) & 1712 (micropila) were both very beautiful. They both grow on slopes swept by snow avalanches & are the first to come out, with that queer little white prim which we found at Chichchar. Buddhow went straight down the valley & at about 5 m. down, found a fine white Maddenii (lindleyi) rhododendron 1702, which unfortunately was very scarce. I hope we can find some more of it. There was another too, which was not in flower. He also got a pretty