Showing 6828 results

SUMMARY:
Notes on pitching camp at Munda with views of high peaks east of the Kuru Chu beyond Towa. Describes the route via Khobrak Chu and Munda La to Tö Gompa by Pomo Tso, mentions brackish lake water, limited fuel, birds observed, and that seven lamas were resident in 1933.

CONTENT:
90

B. 28. contd.
Camp being pitched at Munda. Watching bed being made: types: View down valley from Munda.

just appearing at each end. There seems to be a range of high mountains due E of the line of the Kuru Chu away beyond Towa. The only ones on the map are marked 19,000' but these would seem to be considerably higher, especially the three peaks which are ice covered a good way down. To the South E of Munda is a fine snow peak, but it has not yet been clear of cloud. The sun is lovely today and the sky a beautiful blue again.

6

To Tö Gompa
10th September. TO MONASTERY (POMO TSO) 16,200' 16 miles.

Cross the side valley running into the Khobrak Chu at Munda, and continue up the right bank of this stream. The valley is fairly narrow but the path good and ascent easy. At m 4 cross to the left bank. The path becomes steeper then reaches the MUNDA LA at m 6 (17,200'). The descent on the north side is very gradual over rolling open downs.

On a fine day the view from the Munda La must be magnificent.

A small river is met at m 9 with a low cliff on the West side, this is followed till the Pomo Tso lake is seen at m 10. The path goes close to the lake at m 11 and followed the east shore round to the To monastery at m 16.

Birds on the way:
Horned Larks
Mountain Finches
Redstarts
Short-toed larks

The water of the Pomo Tso is brackish, but there is ample water from streams. Fuel - only yak dung and perhaps a little juniper which is brought up for use in the monastery. In 1933 there were only seven lamas resident.

SUMMARY:
The diarist describes finding an enormous Abies at Munde La, notes scarce birds with several sightings and a couple shot, and enjoys a cloudless view of the northern snows. Due to unreliable maps, he plans to ascend a high point on the ridge north of Mera, and mentions local information about the Mera chu.

CONTENT:
Abies and juniper 1175. I saw one enormous tree of Abies today at the Munde La, which measured 20 ft in circumference at about 5 ft from the ground. Birds are scarce, but I shot a laughing thrush today (T. ocellata?) - a snipe, of which I saw three - probably wood snipe. Other birds seen are affinis, a grosbeak (affinis), Pnoepyga nepalensis, the little crested coal tit, some dippers with lovely white breasts, and obviously mating.

I went up to the Munde La, 2 miles east of the Chöling La, and had a magnificent view from there of the snows to the north. But it is difficult to see enough to get any good bearings on known points. So I am off tomorrow morning up a high point on the ridge north of Mera where everything should be seen easily. The map is too hopelessly out to be of any use whatever. Had I brought instruments here for a little survey, they would have been most useful, but usually if there are flowers to be found I am too busy. There has not been a sign of a cloud in the sky all day long. How lovely that makes the place. Local information says the Mera chu

SUMMARY:
Field notes from Mura La listing numerous plant specimens and observations over several days in August, including Primula, Gentiana, Saxifraga, Meconopsis, and others with specimen numbers. Notes mention flowering status, abundance, and that Primula rigida had previously been taken in flower by Ludlow.

CONTENT:
Mura La.

Aug. 12 Sax. taylori 6124. P. capit. subsp. crispata 6125, Sen. reticulatus 6126
Cyananthus lobatus 6127 Parnassia nubicola 6130.
Rosa omeiensis v. pteracantha 6131

6034. Primula baileyana. Still one or two flowers. Aug 12.
      6045 Primula littledalei rotundifolia. Very common indeed, in typical P. rotundifolia habitat. I have never seen so much of this primula before. Aug. 13.
      6051 Primula rigida
      6051 Primula rigida. No flowers. Common. Taken in flower by Ludlow before. Aug. 13.
      6055 Primula advena v. concolor szechuanica. Still a few in flower. Has the purple tube. Aug 13.
      Aug 12.
      6035 Gentianella stellarifolia
      6036 Cremanthodium palmatum subsp. rhodocephalum
      6037 Cyananthus spathulifolius

August 13
6038 Gentiana infelix 6040 Gent. filistyla 6043 Gen. stictantha 6047 Gent. tsarongensis
6039 Dracocephalum speciosum 6049 Gent. vernayi. G. aglaia 6053
6041 Mec. integrifolia Mec. impedita 6052 Mec horridula 6056
6042 Saussurea obvallata
6046 Sax. signatella
6048 Aconitum pulchellum P. sik. var. pudibunda 6139

Aug 14 Aug 15. Corydalis 6149, 6150. Pedic. bella v. holophylla 6152
6059 Cyananthus spathulifolius 6 Gen. prolata 6072
6060 Cyananthus incanus v. leiocalyx Sax. stella-aurea var. polyadena 6074

6061. Prim. Younghusbandiana sp. nov. 6067 P. pumilio Prim. dryadifolia 6154. Cremanth. plantag. 6155
      6062 Mec. horridula var. lutea Aug 16
      6064 Meconopsis lyrata var. lutea Cremanthodium humile 6077
      6063 Sax. stella-aurea var. polyadena Sax. mirelana sp. nov. type 6078
      6068 Saxifraga matanella sp. nov. type Gen. infelix 6080, G. trichotoma 6081.
      6070 Saxifraga haematochroa sp. nov. type Mec. integrifolia 6082
      6071 Saxifraga drapana Meconopsis aculeata 6083
      6073 Meconopsis impedita 6084
      6142 Codonopsis nervosa

SUMMARY:
Orchids and magnolias were noted near the pass, and a snake that struck the diarist’s shoe was killed by Tsongpen. Rinso struggled with the local dialect, and the writer records route details around Nabzi, including the confluence at Nimjhong, the path to Trongsa via the Takotse La, and camp and weather notes.

CONTENT:
Coelogyne corymbosa 2954 Dendrobium nobile 2957 10
Phaius flavus 2956

Other flowers were mostly orchids. We passed and killed one snake, said to be poisonous. It ran right into my foot, hitting my shoe, but did not seem to be particularly angry. Tsongpen dealt with it with a stick. Magnolias were very common up near the pass; as there were some pink ones, they are probably Mag. campbellii. But the one we took was neither that nor M. globosa, probably a michelia. The locals talk a dialect Rinso has a great deal of difficulty in understanding. Beside the village, opposite, there are some Pinus longifolia, but not enough to exploit. This river meets the Trongsa Chu at Nimjhong. From Nabzi a path leads to Trongsa and takes five days from here. There is sometimes some snow, but the path is open all year round, over the Takotse La.

29th April. Nabzi. 1 1/2 m. BP. 204.2° Temp 4000' 76° Time 4.0 pm.
Kept the coolies and came on here this morning, as being a better camp. Path crosses river by bridge and leads straight up to the cultivated fields of buckwheat. At the top of these lies Nabzi, where there is a monastery. Fine all day yesterday and all last night.

SUMMARY:
Entries describe a halt at Nabzi with heavy overnight rain, payment of coolies who then celebrated noisily, and repacking of stores. The writer spent the next day in camp treating local sickness and noting poor bread but a successful cake by Pritiman, then marched 12 miles to Phumzor in the Mangde Chu valley with weather and timing notes.

CONTENT:
20

very round. Collected in flower under No. 2991 or 2992. It is common at the place we found it, but we never saw any more anywhere else. A steep slope, among bamboo rhododendrons, where it gets a certain amount of light - not too shut in.

6th May. Nabzi. 6 miles. Rained very hard most of last night. Fine but dull all day, some rain in the evening. It was nice and cool coming in. I paid off the coolies at 2 tankhas a day. They at once went to the village and got completely drunk and made a hell of a noise, but were all very cheerful. Repacked all stores. We have to wait here tomorrow and on next day. It is 5 days to Chendesi, rather uninteresting days I fear, but from there on sounds good.

7th May. Halt Nabzi - Fine all day even fairly clear up the valley on the spurs of the Bl. Mountain. Stayed in camp, and doctored most of the day. There is an awful lot of sickness here of all sorts, but mostly bad eyes and cataract. Pritiman's bread turned out as bad as before, but a cake he made looks good and has risen much more than the bread has.

4400 ft To Phumzor (PHUMZOR) Mangde Chu valley
8th May. Phumzor 12 miles. B.P. 204.8 Temp. 70 Time 4.30 pm. Ht.
Left camp at 6.0, coolies in at 3.15 pm. Path climbs up on

SUMMARY:
At Nabzi (4600 ft) on April 30th, after fine weather turning to rain by noon, Pimbo fetched the local Kazi, who agreed to arrange a trip to a pass towards the Black Mountain. A brief search along the Trongsa path yielded few plants, while notes describe how the Jirgang Chu joins the Mangde Chu near Byiti Sam and outline routes via Nabzi Kortha and the Trashi La.

CONTENT:
Jirgang Chu Valley R. Arboreum 2800. 11

April 30th Nabzi 4600ft. Fine all yesterday and last night, but rain by 12 noon today. The local Kazi did not come up yesterday, so Pimbo went down for him today and brought him back.

I went out along the Trongsa path, but although the country looks wonderful - or would be 1500' higher - we found little but some ferns. A man said there were primulas along the bunds of the fields, but not yet out - red, yellow and white. But we can see no sign. When I asked the colour of some irises at the same place, he said they were red, white, yellow and blue, all from the same plant, so I can't put much weight in what he says.

The Kazi has just been down, and he says he will arrange for us to go up to a pass, towards the Black Mountain. Beyond that he knows nothing of the country. This is good, and I hope we will get into some good country.

The Jirgang Chu flows to the Mangde Chu, joining it about 3 miles above BYITI SAM (Bitana Sang). Shamgong Dzong is about 3 miles above BYITI SAM. The road to Byiti Sam goes via Nabzi Kortha over the Trashi La, 3 m beyond and then down a valley to the Mangde Chu. The Trongsa road goes along

SUMMARY:
In camp during snow and rain, the writer collected Gentiana ornata seed, hunted kuling with Tsungpen, shot a raven for Inglis at Darjeeling, prepared bird skins, and packed divots of several Primula species. On 16th October at Nahampa, after a clear, frosty night, they noted kuling and Crossoptilon above Karutra and recorded nearby plant finds.

CONTENT:
conditions all day in camp - snow and rain with patches of sun. All I could collect today was some seed of Gentiana ornata, but I went out again to look for kuling with Tsungpen. First of all I shot a raven for Inglis at Darjeeling, then we came across three kuling just at the top edge of the rhododendrons, I got two of them. They are in good plumage, except for the head and nape, where moulting is not quite finished. Made flat skins of all of them, but wonder how they will travel tomorrow before being set. I made a box today, and have put in it a good many divots - two good divots of the yellow Primula petiolaris 2370, and three other divots which include two primulas, both petiolaris. One, I hope, is 2373 Primula chamaedora, a most beautiful flower, and the other is only the little white petiolaris primula Primula verrucosa we first saw at Chhachar 1614 or 1615 - a most uninteresting one. Let's hope all arrive in good condition at home. Temp in tent 20°F.

16th October. Nahampa. 10 miles. Last night was clear after 5.0pm, and very cold, with no more snow. The morning was perfect, really clear, with a hard frost. We had some rain down here, but nothing much. Saw a number of kuling above Karutra (seen Androsace brahmaputrae 2737, Ranunculus vellereum 2738) and also Crossoptilon, but no blood pheasant.