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SUMMARY:
The diarist notes magpies and quail, sends mail to H.H., Kalimpong, and Betty, and dispatches a box of dried flowers to Byakar Dz. On 20th May they march about five miles to Takhung via the Tang chu and Takhung chu, note altitude observations, collect Primula geraniifolia, and describe a well-made camp near Bumthang. The entry opens the next day's move toward Shabejetang.

CONTENT:
There are still a number of magpies about here, so they certainly breed. Also since we were here in April, there are many quail in the standing crops. One can hear them all day. I send off a mail from here to H.H., Kalimpong and Betty via H.H.. Also tomorrow morning Lundrup will take in a box of dried flowers to go to Byakar Dz. into our other boxes.

20th May Takhung About 5 miles. Heavy rain last night, fine this morning till 11.0. This was a nice march, up the Tang chu for a mile or so then cross to the R bank and up a side valley, called the Takhung chu. The path is half over open grassland and half through easy forest. The whole country here is very open and pleasant looking. Crops look very good this year. Here they are barley and wheat almost entirely. We have come up quite a lot, so I was surprised to see the alt. is only just over 10000'. I have always called Tang the same height as Bumthang which it obviously is not. It cannot be above 9000 at the outside. Today we found one more primula to add to the total, now 13. This is P. geraniifolia 18913, common in the forest beside streams. This seems rather low for it. I have always found it mostly above 12000'. This is a grand camp, but could do with being 1000 ft. higher. The forest is mostly tsuga and picea. Near Bumthang as we are, the locals make very good camps for us. I allowed Ngudup to persuade me to say we still wanted them. Here, in a lovely open place, the servants have a fine hut, while I have a very fine latrine - as if one could want such a thing here. However, if I don't use it, I see that a cow at any rate, has gone in and used it much more fully than I ever could have.

21st May Shabejetang Very wet last night, rain until we were

SUMMARY:
The party crossed Peipe La early but found little of interest due to dense bamboo, then moved into a more promising valley around 10,000 feet. H.H. sent multiple loads of provisions, and Yundun returned after depositing boxes; a local note explains that 'Smasietang' refers to Guru Rimpoche’s footprint kept in the Lhakhang. Weather was wet at night but mostly fine during the halt day.

CONTENT:
Rhod. xanthocodon 18521.
Campylotropis 18522.

89
Perpida

over the Peipe La, at 6.30. We started at 5.0 and in about 10.0 am going very slow. The pass was a disappointment, and we saw nothing of interest at all. There is a great deal of dense small bamboo, and nothing else much could grow in that. But there were some nice looking cliffs, which I scanned carefully through binoculars, hoping for P. Hazeharii or some other primula. But I could see nothing at all. Now we've got to our second choice of valley, and it is much nicer and more promising looking. Here the valley floor is almost 10,000', and I should think we rise about 1000 ft per day. I'm sorry we must stay tomorrow, but that is as arranged. H.H. has not forgotten us. He has sent in all 3 loads of rice, a load of meat and a load of other foodstuffs. That should see us through a month or two. Yundun also returned, having left our box of dried flowers with our other boxes.

22nd May Halt. Wet at night, fine nearly all day. "Smasietang" refers to Guru Rimpoche's foot, (honorific) which he put on a stone here, and the mark is in the local Lhakhang. Pasang and Yundun went out at

SUMMARY:
Notes on supplies being sent to Betty, followed by travel from Shimitang to Pangotang with excellent weather and a favorable campsite under Tsuga trees. The party observed a river gorge and collected several Primula species on the Pudo La.

CONTENT:
find it easy enough to send down for anything we want. Ngudup says
that H.H. also sent off 5 loads of food to Betty. The bears will begin to
curse us if this goes on much more. I think now we can't want
any more.

23rd May. Shimitang. 4.45 to 10.30. A perfect day with not a cloud till
we reached camp. The route too was pretty grand the whole way & was
always interesting, although we did not see much. And camp here is
the first camp that I have altogether liked. There are no more houses,
so we cannot camp near them. We are under huge Tsuga trees,
with rhodo & other shrubs around & a nice grassy sward. Ngudup
had sent on to have a place prepared. Whoever prepared it, cut
up all the nice turf, turned it, made it rough, & sprinkled over
the top juniper branches. I found my tent pitched there when I
arrived, but moved it at once. This is the first really first class
camping site we've had. I went out up the hill a good bit,
but found not a thing but ticks & a few rhodos which we
already have. The river all the way up today is in a fine
gorge, with often very imposing cliffs, & altogether it looked beautiful
with these huge Tsuga trees on either bank. Now Pasang & Nyundru
have disappeared. They are both keen to see more flowers. I hoped
for a primula today, on some of these cliffs, but we saw none
but P. denticulata & Smithiana. We are obviously still far too low.

24th May. Pangotang. 5.0 to 9.30. About 6 miles. Another lovely day, clouding up pretty
soon, but clearing again, sun nearly all day. Good also for flowers of which we got
16, including the yellow primula elongata (18946) taken on the Pudo La, & also what may be P.
Barnardiana (18946). P. Calderiana purple (18947), P. Calderiana white (18954), P. atrodentata (18957). Funny
enough, P. sikkimensis doesn't even show leaf yet on the Pudo La the flowers

NB
Concerning
seeds

SUMMARY:
Brief entries list Kodachrome and field observations dated 22–28 May, including Papilio machaon, Enkianthus, Clematis, Rhododendron, Saxifraga, and Primula, with notes from Snasjetang, Pangotang, Waitang, and an upstream trip to Kankarpunsum from Pangotang. An item numbered 9010 was sent on 1 June 1949.

CONTENT:
51

Kodachrome 10.
Papilio machaon. Snasjetang 22/5
Enkianthus 18909 & Clematis 18912 22/5
Rhod. cinnabarinum yellow. (2) 24/5
Upstream to Kankarpunsum from Pangotang: 24/5
Rhod. campanulatum Pangotang 25/5
Saxifraga yellow .. 18972 26/5
Primula calderiana white form, above Pangotang 27/5
" " mixtures. Waitang 28/5
" " " " 19000 ABC " 28/5

9010 sent 1/6/49

SUMMARY:
The diarist observes several alpine plants in flower and feels unwell, possibly from bad meat sent by the Nyerchen Trepa. They have established a substantial camp, are coordinating with the local Sokpon who will provide yaks, and plan to ride to Waitang before moving camp. The site is at the junction of two rivers, one from Waitang and another from the west and the Chach.

CONTENT:
...were just opening on 18th. Rhododendron setosum and anthopogon are just in flower, while Rhododendron campanulatum is really beautiful in full flower. Rhododendron cinnabarinum (velvet) is also very prolific, and Rhododendron campylocarpum common. Cassiope found also, and Pinguicula. Obviously we are nearer the real thing now; the only stupid thing is that I am not feeling too good. Ever since last night I have felt rather poor, partly heart and partly I think a cold or flu or poison from a tin of bad meat sent up by the Nyerchen Trepa. Anyway, here we must stay for a while, as we have such a hell of a place built for us. I am enclosed in a fir zareba, which is nice enough here where there is a strongish wind. The servants have a palatial wooden silver hut, big enough for dozens. The local Sokpon, in charge of all the Drogpas, is here, and a nice man. He will be the man we rely on from now on, and I gather that we will have 12 or 13 yaks always with us, and can move about as we like from now on. I will first ride up to Waitang to see what the place is like, then we will move camp. But we cannot move the servants' place. They must now learn to live in a tent for a change. This is at the junction of two equal rivers - that from Waitang and the other, shorter, from the west and also from the Chach

CONTENT:
26th May. Halt. Again mostly fine, but not clear, and showers through the day. I had a rotten night again; Omnopon made no difference at all to me. But this morning I had no fever at all and felt much better, so went out to the nearest cliffs into Ngudup. There we found a small Daphne shrub with reddish flowers (Daphne retusa 18973), an Androsace nearly out and of a very rich tone (Androsace strigillosa 18974), a fine cushion Saxifraga 18972 (Saxifraga stenophylla sp. nov.?), a small Berberis (Berberis parisepala 18975), and one or two other little things. But what pleased me most was that I saw a lot of another Primula, completely dry and not started in any way to start growth. This was on cliff ledges, or under jutting out rocks. There is a great deal of it and it is certainly a Soldanelloidae Section Primula. I guess it to be P. eburnea. It will not be in flower for 2 months, I'm sure.

Pasang and Mundrin were also out and got a few things; Pasang getting P. sikkimensis in full flower. That makes one think this bit where we are in camp must be very late for some reason: dryness, wind, or something else. I took the .410 out today and got a couple of snow pigeons. They are very tame, but would not line up to let me get several with one shot, so I enjoyed myself and took them flying. We have prepared our loads to go on with locals when we want to. The Sokpon will look after the rest for us here.

27th May. Halt. Rain and sun mixed, but never very heavy rain, nor for very long. We all went out together today up the valley to the West, I on pony back, the rest on foot. We left at 5:30 and were back at 3:30, with, on the whole, a very poor bag of flowers. But I certainly enjoyed it, and may have done so more than I should in consequence. We found no more Primulas, although we covered quite an area at the top limit of the firs. Up there, there should certainly by now have been P. glabra and P. pusilla, but I saw no sign of either, nor of any other than Calderiana (common), P. atrodentata (very common), and P. sikkimensis (just).

SUMMARY:
The diarist describes promising terrain at the forest–grassland edge ('shing sam pang sam'), nearby lakes, and a retreating glacier beyond the head of the Trongsa Chu, with reports of takin in that area. On a rainy halt day, companions went far afield and returned with Mec. simplicifolia; later the writer found many near the tent and mentions Sherriff.

CONTENT:
Coming into flower. Maybe they don't grow here. I hope I haven't come to a poor primula, as they are the best things in my mind, to find. Every place where the forest ends & the grassy hillside begins, is called 'shing sam pang sam' which just means the edge of forest & grass. It is there we intend to go later on, & must say the country there & beyond looks good. To the south, about 1000 ft up, are several lakes, & I always think the slopes above them seem specially good. Away beyond, is a retreating glacier, & somewhere beyond that, I was told, is the head of the Trongsa Chu. It is here, the locals say that takin are to be found in quantity. Locally they are called them and Drong guinsi, which is the Bhutanese word. Drogpas come over from that direction soon, if they see any we will be able to find out. It was lovely open up there, & made one want to go on & on. I could cheerfully have gone on all afternoon, but would have failed to get back had I done so.

28th May. Halt. Mostly rainy, but with nice sunny patches. I stayed in camp to rest after yesterday. The lads went out a long way, & had a bad day. They brought in Mec. simplicifolia though, from miles away. In the evening I went 50 yds from my tent, & found about 100 of them! Today I took some of the dormant Sherriff's

SUMMARY:
List of plants to collect seed from in the Pangotang area, with specimen numbers and locality notes such as cliffs opposite camp, beyond the fir zone, and near Tolegang and the first drogpa. Mentions taxa including Primula, Cypripedium, Saxifraga, Androsace, Meconopsis, Salvia, Potentilla, and others.

CONTENT:
55

Plants to get seed from Pangotang See also later list.

18946 P. barnardiana. cliff 1/2 m below Pangotang
18948 Cassiope
18955 P. elongata. 1 m above camp main river
18957 P. atrodentata
X 18963-5 Legume. to E beyond fir zone
V 18970 Cypripedium tibeticum. below cliff opp. camp.
18972 Saxifraga yellow cushion below cliff opp. camp.
18973 Daphne opp. camp.
V 18974 Androsace below cliff opp camp.
18977 Aster.
V 18995 Meconopsis simplicifolia
V 19009 Primula macrophylla roots.
19011 Primula glabra
V 19021 Salvia Tolegang beyond 1st drogpa & up cliff opp camp.
X 19027 Potentilla. a good one just before Tolegang 150
19030 P. hopeana a good one just before Tolegang
V 18992 small purple pea 2" high.

SUMMARY:
After an early start the party reached Weitang, noting Primula bellidifolia in bud, P. crispata, and particularly P. calderiana in white, yellow, and hybrid forms, while other expected species were absent, possibly due to heavy yak grazing. News arrived that the Druk Locha (Bumthang Representative) from Lhasa is en route to Bumthang and expected shortly; the diarist recalls meeting him previously in Lhasa with Betty.

CONTENT:
Signs of clearing and we left at 5:30 for Weitang. Weitang at last! The day turned out to be lovely, but again we saw nothing of interest. I did at last see P. bellidifolia in bud, and P. crispata was there too. But no gracilipes, no whitei, no macrophylla, or macrocarpa, glabra or puella. Either none of them exist here, or yaks eat them all. Perhaps there are so many yaks that we will find this area very poor indeed. It almost looks like it. The only interesting thing was to find P. Calderiana becoming more common in a white or yellow form than in its true violet purple form. I took a good many variations, and called them P. Calderiana, hybrid white, hybrid powder blue violet, hybrid yellow, and P. strumosa. I am sure that is what it is, and had the same times in central Bhutan in 1937 at a later date and more profuse. The great news today is that the Druk Locha (Bumthang Representative) in Lhasa, is on his way to Bumthang, will be here tomorrow or next day. He has 8 mounted people, 11 in all and 120 animals of kit, stores etc. It is the same Locha as was there when Betty and I were in Lhasa, so I must meet him and talk to him I suppose. He was always very pleasant to us in Lhasa. His son—the spoilt brat as we called

CONTENT:
57

Kodachrome 11
Mec. simplicifolia Pangotang 30/5/49
Rhod. agglutinatum 19023 a drospa. Pangotang 31/5
Aster 19019 "
P. macrophylla & Caltha 19014 "
Gormotangha monastery. 5/6
Group of P. elongata & Calderiana under Rhod. Thomsonii shrubs. 6/6

Dufaycolour 8
1 Primula elongata 189 27/5
2 Prim. Calderiana white 18895 27/5
3 " " 27/5
4 " " 27/5
5 X X
6 X X
Dufay 7 & 8 (4 only) 10 in all. Sent together about May 31. See Below

B.W. 6.
1 Mec. simplicifolia Pangotang 30/5
2 Primula glabra " 31/5
3 " macrophylla & Caltha 19014 31/5
4 " alpicola var luna 4/6.
5 Gormotangha monastery 5/6
6 Mec. sinuata "
7 " " "
8 Lubsang la to Kankar punsum 8/6
9 " back comp. 8/6
10 Primula glabra 8/6
11 Anemone narcissiflora -
12 Lloydia serotina -

Dufaycolour 9
1 Rhod. lanata? (18908) & P. elongata 28/5 (no filter)
2 Heads of various P. Calderiana or P. strumosa 28/5
3 " " with filter.
4 Mec. simplicifolia Pangotang. 30/5
5 X X
6 X X
See below

Dufaycolour 10
1 Rhododendron grande. Tolegang 19023 / 31/5
2 Aster 19019 " 31/5
3 Prim. glabra " "
4 " macrophylla & Caltha 19014 "
5 Rhod. cinnabarinum 1/6
6 " " 1/6

7. 8 & 9 & 10. sent 1/6.