Showing 6828 results

SUMMARY:
Travel from the Char Chu valley to Gyandro is described, passing Sampa and Nyerong, with notes on weather, terrain, vegetation, and abundant wildlife including pheasants, partridge, and a musk deer. The diarist and Ludlow attempted to shoot partridge without success. A subsequent entry records the march to KYIMPU with distances, temperatures, and elevations.

CONTENT:
7th March. To Gyandro. 12 miles. B.P. 188.2. Temp. 54°. Time 3.30pm. Ht. 13514'.

A cloudy morning, followed by rain from 12.0 to 3.30pm. Road leads up the Char Chu Branch, an easy path, passing Sampa about mile 4. Then a little higher up cross to the left bank and pass the small village of Nyerong about mile 8. Here turn up a side valley, which is steeper, pass a ruined house where there is a little cultivation, and so on to Gyandro, 1 house, and about 20-30 small fields of barley. The main Char Chu has pretty dry sides, though high up rhododendrons can be seen, and some juniper. Up this side valley, the hills are obviously wetter and have quite a lot of grass on the north faces, while rhododendron and juniper is common a little higher than this. There are Chrysolophus pheasant here, and a great number of partridge. Ludlow and I were out for some time, and both missed a partridge. Within 20 yards of each of us a musk deer - the same one - got up, but neither of us was loaded with anything but dust shot and small cartridges.

8th March. To KYIMPU. 12 miles. B.P. 190.0 Temp. 49° Time 4.0pm. Ht. 12320'.

SUMMARY:
At Laba on the north side of Potrang La, the diarist reports a broken cine camera and scarce flowering, lamenting missed photographic plans between Tsona and Dirang Dzong. The next day they cross Potrang La to Lhaguari amid a blizzard and, at the request of the Jetsun Kusho, move from a planned campsite at the Lingka to quarters at the Gompa, also noting bird observations along the route.

CONTENT:
7th May. Laba on North side of Potrang La. 15,000'. Some rain last night. Bright with clouds most of today, with storms round about, but none here so far.

A minor tragedy happened yesterday, when the cine camera went bust - the mainspring I think. I was sorry enough to have to come back without all the flower photos hoped for, having at last got as many films as I could possibly want. But I had planned to get many interesting photos between Tsona and Dirang Dzong. Now I will take back 60 unused films. There is again very little in flower here. The hillside is covered with Rhododendron vellereum, but they have all been caught in a hail storm. Primula atrodentata, calderiana and pumilio are all in flower.

8th May. Lhaguari. Left at 7:00, got in at 1:00 pm. It was a very still night and I should think there were only 3-4 degrees of frost at night and it was fairly clear this morning. We took about an hour to reach the pass, and as we got to the top a real blizzard started, blowing hard up the south side. This lasted for about an hour and a half when it cleared up, but there were heavy storms all round for the rest of the day. We got in at 1:00 pm and were just about to choose a campsite at the Lingka, when the local clerk came down and said we were asked by the Jetsun Kusho to go to the Gompa. I foolishly agreed, so here we are, stuck in clean, but cold and extremely uncomfortable quarters, with little privacy. One should never leave the comfort and privacy of one's tent. Although they say here that we will get off tomorrow, I have no doubt at all that we will at least not get off till midday. On the North side of the Potrang La there were a great many blackbirds. We have had albocinctus all the way up from Kongbo, but he left us at Lenda, though there were a few at Lhapso. His place is taken by maximus at high altitudes now. He was very common from 15,500' - 16,500'. There were also at least 6 pairs of snow cock, very tame. Crossoptilon were up to 15,500' and mixed up with all of them were

SUMMARY:
Camped again at Chorten Korra near Trashiyangsi with unsettled weather and heavy rain; the local Dzongpen was very attentive. Sent cine film and dispatched a man with post and a cable home. Tried fishing on both days without success due to conditions.

CONTENT:
84

The Trashiyangsi river here is a magnificent stream. We were both thinking that it would make a very fine trout stream.

348
Anemone vitifolia 942
Quercus glauca 943
Abies densa 944
Dendrobium hookerianum 945

7th September. CHORTEN KORRA (TRASHIYANGSI) 6 miles.
Ht. 5825'. (B.P. 201.8 Temp 67°). Weather again pretty unsettled. Rained in the morning and again in the afternoon and evening. Camped in our old place, a very good camp. Tyangsi Dzongpen very attentive.

No 10 cine film sent.

Sent off a man with a small post and cable home. He leaves here tomorrow morning. Saw no birds on the way down. The path is awful the first half of the way, and is mainly a watercourse. Took out the fishing rod in the afternoon and tried with spoon and atta bait, but nothing happened. Intend to try again with worm bait tomorrow.

Trashiyangsi
8th September Halt Chorten Korra. Very hot in the morning. At 4:00 the heaviest rain we have had so far began, and continued till after 6:00 pm. We tried the fish again, as they were rising to something, we tried fly, but they would have nothing to do with them. The Dzongpen has been

SUMMARY:
Marched 7 miles to Sefu in persistent rain; Pritiman fell into a stream, soaking the rucksack. Presents and letters arrived from Lama Gompa and Domkhar, and later from Penlop Wangdi, with letters from HH and Naku; HH has sent another load. Tenduk rejoined after a long detour via Yundrucholing and Trongsa due to a washed-out bridge over the Wochen Chu, bringing a good collection of iris seeds from Punzor in the Mangde Chu valley.

CONTENT:
8th August. To Sefu. 7 miles. Rained all night: fine till 12.0 then rain all day. Tenduk never came back yesterday, and has not yet turned up. He must have found a bridge washed away, and has had to go back by Trongsa. I hope he has not been washed away too. More presents and letters arrived yesterday from Lama Gompa and Domkhar. I hope that is now all. Pritiman distinguished himself by falling into a stream today. He gets laughed at by everyone, but today he was by himself and no one would have known if he had only emptied the water out of my rucksack which he was carrying. The contents were not improved of course. Tenduk arrived at 7.0 pm, having walked from Trongsa today about 27 miles. On his way back from Punzor he found the bridge over the Wochen Chu washed away, so had to return to Yundrucholing and then round by Trongsa. (Iris decora? seeds - from Punzor, Mangde Chu valley) He has a very good collection of iris seed, which he found fully ripe and mostly thrown in the lower irises, but in good condition higher up, even unripe at their highest limit. I am very glad he is back again. He gives me the unwelcome information that still another load has been sent by HH for me. Three men came yesterday with presents from Penlop Wangdi and letters from HH and Naku. I thought all the present business was over. I'm glad

SUMMARY:
On 8 August the party travelled 9 miles to Lungur (below the Tongu La) in heavy rain, noting glaciers and a snow mountain to the west; despite having six 'riding' yaks they all arrived on foot. The writer engaged a lama to collect seed of Thalictrum, Meconopsis and Primula (including a small Meconopsis near the Tulung La), purchased a local hat for 5 tankhas, and found two gentians and an Allium on the way down to Mago.

CONTENT:
tomorrow morning, so as we may examine
them and take photos. I purchased a local type
of hat today, price 5 tankhas.

8th August. To LUNGUR. 13035'. 9 miles. (the camp of July 22 below the Tongu La) Left in comparatively
good weather, but by 1.0 pm the rain came on very heavily
indeed, and we all arrived about 3.30 very wet, cold and
[Mago 8th Aug] pretty miserable. I have taken the lama with me
who will come on tomorrow too for a bit. I have
shown him, and told him to collect seed of Thalictrum,
Meconopsis and Primula and tomorrow will show him the
[mec. bella 708] other small mec (708) near the Tulung La. I think he
will manage to collect all. He knows something of
Meconopsis when they should be ready, as they eat
the seeds, and also the shoots before the flowers appear.

[Gentianella paludosa 776, " azurea 777, Allium aff sikkimense 778] Found 2 gentians today, and an Allium
and one or two other things not out on our way
down to Mago.

There are signs of a big
snow mountain to the west of Lungur up the side
valley. Glaciers can be dimly seen through the
mist.

Today we had 6 "riding" yaks with
us, but it is significant that all of us arrived
in camp walking. One never knows what a
yak may do. One minute he will be as docile
as possible, and the next he will have you off.

SUMMARY:
Diary records marches from Trashidinka to Ritang and on to Samtegang, with heavy rain, heat, and severe leech problems. The author collects primula roots and some iris seed, notes lilies seen but unreachable, and mentions a mule sent by Tobgye to meet at Wangdipotrang.

CONTENT:
on the way to Samtegang.

8th August. To Trashidinka. Tang Chu valley. 11 miles. Heavy rain all night, fine and very hot today. Collected roots of the small new petiolaris primula 3192, and also some seed, which however is not yet ripe. It is beastly hot down here, and I have not very great hope of getting these roots home, with more than a week of this heat still to go before reaching Ha.

9th August. To Ritang. 6 m. There is a path which leads down the Tang Chu, which is a much quicker way between Ritang and Trashidinka than the way we went up. Follow the left bank down to m 1 1/2 then cross to the R bank to m 4. Recross and ascend fairly easily to Ritang monastery at 5 1/2 and village at 6. Path is good. Leeches were very bad and I had nearly 40 bites on my feet. We saw one Lilium wallichianum, but not in flower, and collected some iris seed.

10th August. Samtegang. 13 miles. Rained very hard all yesterday evening, all night and all today without a stop. More lilies seen across the Tang Chu, but we could not reach them. Tobgye has sent a mule to meet me at Wangdipotrang, and it came on up here. Rain keeps it reasonably cool for the primula roots, and I don't mind some more days of

SUMMARY:
The writer describes startling wildlife encounters including partridges and a close sighting of a panther, with no time to photograph. Notes record hot, windy conditions and a route descending from Phunzor to a cantilever bridge over the Rindi Chu, then along the Mangde Chu right bank through Pinus longifolia forest with some cultivation observed.

CONTENT:
minutes later I walked on a pair of partridges, which flew up into a tree. Then a little further on I walked round a corner of the path, there was a panther only 20 yards away coming towards us. He came another 5 yards then saw us, turned and went up the hillside. It was lovely to see him so close and quite undisturbed. I had no time to get a photo of any of these three episodes of course, though I tried to get the camera ready for the panther.

9th May. Bashaling. 8 miles. BP. 105.7° Temp. 80° Time 2:00 pm. HV.

No rain last night after 6:00 pm. Fine and very hot today, but with a pretty strong up valley wind just like Trashigong. Path falls steeply from Phunzor, which is in a side valley, to the Rindi Chu which is crossed by a cantilever bridge at 1/2 m. Thence ascent steep to m 1. After this path is more or less level.

Chiefly lies through Pinus forest on a steep dry hillside. At m 3 a cattle shed is passed and at m 4 1/2 a little cultivation is seen below the path. The path keeps on the Mangde Chu R bank all the way and from m 4 1/2 falls gradually, getting a little closer to the river. The forest almost all the way is mainly Pinus longifolia. At m 6 1/2 a prominent ridge

SUMMARY:
This page contains only the page number '936' with no discernible diary content.

CONTENT:
936

SUMMARY:
The diary notes a rough ascent along the river to camp, an open yak-grazing area, and additions to primulas including P. capitata crispata and an unusual elongata with three tiers of flowers; the river flows at a bearing of 165°M. On 9th July, halted at Changzethang, the party climbed steep rocky slopes and collected four Primula species (soldanelloides 3406, muscoides 3407, Caveana 3408, bellidifolia 3409).

CONTENT:
74

This is followed up on the right bank the whole way to camp. The path is very rough and stony the whole way. At mile 5 the forest is left behind, and from there on is through rhododendrons, the valley gradually opening out. At camp there is an open space, where yak sheep are kept for some months. The only addition to the list of primulas today was P. capitata crispata, just in flower. There was nothing else except a specimen of elongata with three tiers of flowers, which I should think is unusual. It was very nice to see the sun again, and have a chance of getting some things dried, which they badly want. This river flows at a bearing of 165° M.

9th July Halt at Changzethang. A good deal of rain last night, and off and on all day today, but not heavy. We went up the hills of the left bank of the river, very steep and rocky, the last 750 feet over just a mass of tumbled rocks of all sizes. All the hills here have fallen in great chutes of stones and boulders, perhaps as the result of an earthquake. We did fairly well with flowers, though only taking four. The first was Primula soldanelloides 3406. Then we found a little Primula muscoides 3407. Then Primula Caveana 3408 and finally what I take to be P. bellidifolia 3409. I had taken this to be P. Menziesiana, a mistake which was quite

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