Showing 6828 results

SUMMARY:
Notes daily bathing at a pond with dug-out canoes and an inspection of Kuth plantations, healthy in places but grub-damaged elsewhere. Records travel from Sharithang to Chumpithang, Gangtok, and Kalimpong, with Mec. superba common on the Ha La and Kin La and seed ripening noted. Stayed with Odling (where Morris was also staying), then continued via Calcutta to Srinagar; specimens collected total 660.

CONTENT:
about 40 yards x 15 yards & 4 ft deep. On this he has 8 dug-out canoes which we found great fun. All of us bathed, including Chuni, & we bathed every day, wet or fine. I went up & saw all but one of the Kuth plantations. Kuth was looking quite healthy in some places, but rather eaten by grubs in others.

26th Aug. Sharithang. Tobgye came up to near the Ha La with us, & left us in a very heavy storm. Reached Sharithang at 6.45 pm. On the Ha La & Kin La, & particularly between the two, Mec. superba is very common. Seeds just brown: should be ripe about the end of September.

27th August. Chumpithang. Fine till about 12:00, then rain the rest of the day.

28th Aug. Gangtok. Walked the 32 miles in 11 hours exactly, & Tobgye's mule with my kit came in with me. Rained very hard all day.

29th Aug. Kalimpong. Motored in to Kalimpong & stayed with Odling, where Morris was also staying. Left Kalimpong on 31st, arrived Calcutta 2nd Sept, & went on the same night, reaching Srinagar on 5th Sept in time for lunch.

Specimens collected 660.

SUMMARY:
The writer describes abundant primulas and meconopsis around Shao, including a new white meconopsis and vast fields of yellowish white primulas, while noting Ludlow’s flea-infested lodging. The party proceeds toward Tsona, following the Shao Chu and a northern side valley to Kachen Tso and over Kachen La, with an easy descent past small lakes.

CONTENT:
Scotland, with the heather in full bloom. In Shao we put up in a stone built house - top storey. Very pleasant, though not too clean, as Ludlow discovered. He had many fleas and a louse or two in the morning. I have never seen so many primulas in one day. We found three yellow swamp ones, besides P. sikkimensis, another two small primulas, a huge big white one, P. Roylei that magnificent big purple blue one and some others. Besides this I found a new white meconopsis like horridula in growth and habitat and another. The small meconopsis found by Dawa on the Orka La was also near the Bum La. At Shao there are some disused fields where barley was once cultivated, and these are now absolutely full with a yellowish white primula - acres and acres of them.

15th July. TO TSONA. 16 miles. (B.P. 186.7° Temp. 50°. 13733' Corrected = 14282'). Path leads up the Shao Chu for half mile, strikes up a side valley to the North. Thence easy ascent over open country to the top of a rise at m 5 1/2. Beyond this the Kachen Tso is seen, and the path gradually ascends along the E and North sides of this to the KACHEN LA (15604') at m 7. The lake is about 1 1/2 m long and nearly a mile across. Just beyond the pass are two or three small lakes. Descent easy to the

SUMMARY:
The diarist reports leaving Tsona with improved spirits and continuing on foot since parting from Ludlow, aiming toward Tawang via the long Dirang–Saldang march and Rung-zyung. At Shao (about 14,000 ft) they note strong winds, warmer conditions compared to earlier stages, weather over Bum La, and successful seed collecting of Gentiana ornata and Primula species near Kechen-la.

CONTENT:
He did well in the flower-seed line on the way down, and got some quite good stuff. I only got Gent. ornata today. Everyone is quite light-hearted today, having quitted Tsona, a place we all rather dread. If Tawang is negotiated as well as Tsona was, our troubles will be over, though the Dirang-Saldang march is a very long one with a stiff climb. I have walked everywhere since I left Ludlow, and will continue to do so till we reach Rung-zyung I think. After that ponies are thrust on us, besides it will be very hot after these cold days, so a pony will be very acceptable.

10th November. Shao 14000'? 8 miles. Last night the wind was very strong indeed all through the night, but the temp only went down to 13°F. A strong wind all day today, which was cloudy with sun. Here the clouds were low on the hills & perhaps a little fresh snow will be on the Bum La. On the Kechen-la I got some Prim. tenuiloba seed, a further down some Primula sapphirina (or perhaps Jigmediana?). We also got a fair collection of Gent. ornata from just above here. It appeared to have a paler bright Cambridge blue flower. It is positively warm down here compared to what we have been coming through.

SUMMARY:
At Shakshing Camp on 7 February 1937, the party describes well-constructed Bhutanese huts, asks for minimal additional work, and notes the arrival of an old lady with burnt legs carried up on a stretcher. On 27 February they halt, record persistent mist and winds from the south and from T'jong, find more Primula filipes while Ludlow collects some food birds, and note the primula is common in damp spots during the dry season.

CONTENT:
9

Shakshing Camp 7 Feb 37

fine example of what the Bhutanese can do. Three little huts
formed the three sides of a square, in the centre of which was
a fourth hut made as a dining room. All had tables made
in them and benches, and the three had two-inch boards raised as
beds. And all that for us to stop one night in. By now,
they will be broken up I suppose. Today we particularly
said we wanted nothing done, so just have a small
terrace levelled for our tents, and a small hut made for the
servants. The old lady with the burnt legs arrived here
in the evening. She must have had a most awful trip up
here on a very uncomfortable stretcher.

27th Feb. Halt. The weather is always much the same now.
The mornings are lovely - cold but clear. Then by noon
mist has come up, later it gets lower, and by the evening
the sky is clouded over. Up here there is a strong wind
all day long. From the South all night and up from
T'jong all day. I got nothing of interest, except
more Primula filipes. Ludlow got some food birds.
P. filipes (1126) is obviously pretty common up this way,
provided it has a damp place in the dry season.

SUMMARY:
Notes seeds collected at Shagam La and Tama La (specimen numbers 2570–2572). At Bembi La Camp on 11 Sept., the diarist explored a nearby valley and nala, noted a delphinium and gentians amid heavy rain, and decided to wait for rhododendron seeds. The page sets revised plans and routes for Danong and Tenduk, including movements via Chayul, Tsona, Tawang, Sakden, Mera, Pintojong, and a later rendezvous near Dirangdzong.

CONTENT:
Shagam La & Tama La. 11th Sept. Seeds of:—
P. nyasifolia subsp. jorandrum 2570. P. iocossa 2571.
P. carvana 2572.

Bembi La Camp
11th Sept. Halt. Went up the valley, then to the West to the nala where
there is a small lake. Found nothing but a delphinium, but I
saw there Danong's white gentian of the Chang Chu La. The Chiram
gentian also is nearly in seed. Rained all day, hard in the
afternoon. We think that it will be advisable to wait for seeds
of rhododendron, having taken all the trouble to find them. So
plans are altered & dates now are for Danong & Tenduk to
stay in the Lo La - Langong area till 20th Oct. Then they return
to Chayul meeting me there about 2nd Nov. In the meantime I
will remain in the Lung-Kashong La area from 2nd Oct to 2nd
Nov. Then together we go down via Tsona to Tawang, Sakden
Mera & Pintojong. Danong I hope will manage another trip
from Tawang up the Nyam Jang Chu to the Sang La, Chukar,
Me La, Trashiyangsi & so to Pintojong to catch us all up in
Dirangdzong about 27th Nov, when we

SUMMARY:
Notes from Shagam La (next to Tame La) describe heavy snow and a difficult descent, with several primulas and gentians collected (nos. 2184–2189), including Meconopsis var. lutea noted as from Mipa rather than the Tawang district. Mentions a previous sighting of Pyrrhocorax at 16,000 ft and that a 'big bug' from Lhasa is expected tomorrow.

CONTENT:
Shagam La - (next to Tame La). P. hyacinthina 2185, Glabra 2186, Gent. phyllocalyx 2187
Meconopsis var. lutea - of no. 2188

The latter is reported as being found in Mipak, of the Tawang dist. This is Mipa, but hardly the Tawang dist., the height is 15800 and not 13800'. But I have my hopes about it. There was also a gentian seen there 2187, but very little. On this side of the pass too, there is much snow, mostly avalanched snow. We all came down various ways, on our feet sliding, or on our bottoms. The latter method was better and had about a 100' non stop run. It was difficult for the coolies. Snow for about a mile, then steep shale slopes with sharp rocks. On the R, South face, among some cliffs, were lots of P. bellidifolia, showing I think we are in a slightly drier valley, a P. sapphirina 2184.

Also there were masses of P. rotundifolia, or what I take to be that. Where I last saw that & bellidifolia together was in the Rong Chu, with them went P. eburnea, but that we did not see today. I hear a big bug from Lhasa is on my heels and will be here tomorrow. Saw no birds of any interest today, but yesterday forgot to record Pyrrhocorax - 16000'. A fine primula found today, which I suppose will go down as sikkimensis, is No. 2189. It has...

SUMMARY:
Travel past yakherd huts at Sezi to Omta Tso, where a camp could be made. Despite foul rain and wind making photography difficult, primulas were collected and photographed, with abundant plants near Thita Tso and difficult cliff-face specimens that even Tenduk struggled to reach; P. hopeana was massed at camp.

CONTENT:
P. macrocarpa 3385
Mec integrifolia 3386
Lilium elatum var humile 3388 Prim macropetalum 3389.

space where there are some huts, used by yakherds, at m. 3. This is
called Sezi, the valley comes to an abrupt end here. Beyond this
the river is seen falling almost sheer for 500 ft. or so. The path winds
up on the left bank, under a cliff and then up to the Omta Tso at
m. 4. The Omta Tso is about 80x long and 40x across. A camp
can be made here, and there is some rhododendron for fuel. // I
spent the day in alternate cursing and rejoicing. Cursing the
weather, which was really as foul as anything could be, and rejoicing
in the flowers, especially primulas: rejoicing in their beauty or
newness, and cursing because photography on a day like this is really
very trying. Most exposures for colour were 10-15 minutes, in pouring
rain, with a wind, and under two umbrellas and various people trying
to keep wind off the flowers and rain off the camera. However it was
a good day: any day must be good when one gets primulas like
Nos. 3383 and 3384. The former just covers the hillside on the
shores and above, of Thita Tso. The latter was hard to get,
only on the most sheer cliff faces, where even Tenduk could
hardly reach. In fact we only got enough to press. There is lots
more, but it will be a job to get seed, unless the cliff is quite
dry. Here at camp P. hopeana is in masses.