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SUMMARY:
The party halts at Sana amid heavy rain that floods the tent; a Tibetan patient improves as more pus and cores are expelled. Their taphon begs for trousers and is promised pyjamas, and the next day they march to Trashiyangsi Dzong before rain sets in, with Danong and Kurtip returning.

CONTENT:
walk a little and in much less pain. There is still a lot of pus and two cores came out today. With the bright sun leeches have vanished as quickly as they come with the rain. Evening again heavy rain. I'm afraid I shall get no chance of a view from the Donger La, as tomorrow is our last day. I shan't be sorry to leave this place; it has not been very exciting.

8th October. Halted Sana. Very heavy rain last night flooded my tent. A good sunny morning. The Tibetan is very much better, though a lot of pus still comes out, and another core was squeezed out this morning. We sent him off at 1.0pm to get down to the next hut, a mile or two down the hill. Our excellent 'taphon' has just been prostrating himself in front of our tent. When cursed by Ludlow, he came to me. Eventually we found that what he was begging for was a pair of pants. These aren't generally worn in Bhutan, but he seems to think he has risen to them now. I have promised him my pyjamas in two days time, but they won't last him long.

Quercus griffithii 1053
Pleione praecox 1056
9th Oct. TO TRASHIYANGSI DZONG. 11 miles Ht. 5883' (BP. 20.17) Temp 68° A beautiful day until about 2.30 when the rain came on. Danong and Kurtip returned.

SUMMARY:
The party marches in persistent rain from Samtegang to Wangdipotrang and over Hinglai La to Tsalimape, with a halt day due to wet weather. They encounter an unprepared Ritang headman, receive a protracted visit from a local Dzongpon, and have slow coolies over the pass. Few flowers are seen, but seeds of Streptopus simplex, Vaccinium, and a Cotoneaster are collected; Lilium nepalense is noted as common.

CONTENT:
We hear Raja Dorji lost 160 cattle there lately.

6th August - Samtegang. Rain at night, rain and mist most of the way here. Nothing of interest on the way, except Lilium nepalense, which is fairly common, and in unripe seed just now. We took from 5:30 to 12:45, the longest march so far. The Ritang headman was no good. He was not ready for our arrival, had no wood or supplies, and then failed to have any coolies in the morning, and did not turn up himself. Samtegang was very different, everything there was ready and well done.

7th August - Wangdipotrang. Thick mist and rain - on the one day I thought we could certainly expect to be fine. But it cleared up later and was bright for a while. The local Dzongpon came and called and he caused us some consternation by staying for an hour and a half. At last I thought he was waiting for me to tell him he could go, so I got up and induced him to get up too. Then I led him out of the room and showed him the steps down. But not a bit - he led me through two other rooms and then said "Here you are - here is the lavatory." I told him I did not want that, and then reluctantly had to lead him back to our room, where Betty was very surprised to see him again. A pleasant, polite man, but very little use, one would think.

8th August - Halt. Wet all day.

9th August - Camp Hinglai La. Off at 5:15 in heavy rain. We reached the pass at 1:00 pm, and coolies not till 4:00 pm. They were very slow. Cleared up in the evening. Little of interest seen.

10th August - Tsalimape. A little over 3 hours. No flowers except one Pyrola. But we got very good seed of Streptopus simplex, and also of Vaccinium and a Cotoneaster. Here a very pleasant camp-fire.

SUMMARY:
The diarist describes comfortable bamboo hut accommodations and stages from Samri Chu to Taktu and then to Sakden over the Munda La, noting fine weather and elevations. At the first village over the pass, they observe papermaking driven by a waterwheel and efficient turning of wooden drinking bowls; Danang suggests the wood is a kind of Prunus.

CONTENT:
110

structure of bamboo huts - a room each of about 8' square, with a 'hall' in between, and small huts for the men coolies. Certainly travel in Bhutan in many parts is very pleasant and comfortable.

Samri Chu
17th October. to TAKTU 9 miles. 7840' (B.P. 18.1 Temp 60°). Fairly fine, though clouded all day. This makes a much better stage than doing the whole way to Sakden in a day. Even so, it is a longish 9 miles, and very hard work on the coolies. The temp. up here now is perfect.

18th October. To SAKDEN. 5 miles. Ht. 9731'. When we went to bed last night the mist was thick and it was raining. But a few hours later a cold N. wind sprang up, and this morning was clear and perfect, and it has remained so all day. A short march over the Munda La here.

FB
At the first village over the pass, there was considerable activity in paper making and in making small wooden drinking bowls. The paper bark is pulped by an ingenious water wheel machine, driving two hammers which fall into a stone with a well cut in it. The lathe for cutting the small cups is very efficient. I watched a cup finished from a solid lump of wood in about 5-10 minutes. Danang says the wood is some kind of prunus, but I could not make out what it was. Motive power

SUMMARY:
Notes describe Sakden as excellent for birds and plants; the party returned in autumn to collect seeds and study the avifauna, obtaining a new Fulvetta. Species observations include Fulvetta ludlowi common in bamboo and rhododendron forest on the extreme eastern frontier of Bhutan, and finding Tragopan satyra instead of T. b. molesworthi in dense rhododendron within silver fir forest.

CONTENT:
2453 ♂ Cyornis melanoleuca ?
2454 ♀ - " -
2455 ♀ Oriolus traillii
2456 ♂ Niltava s. sundara.
2457 ♀ Grammatoptila s. striata.
2458 ♂ - " -

Sakden
Ibis. 15. We found Sakden excellent for birds & plants & we returned to it in the autumn to collect seeds & study its avifauna more closely. We obtained here a new Fulvetta.

Ibis. 38. Fulvetta ludlowi - quite common in bamboo & rhododendron forest on the extreme eastern frontier of Bhutan between 7500 & 11000 ft. see Ibis 38
rather intensely open sub-alpine

Ibis 44 Pteruthius xanthochloris xanthochloris - Green Shrike Babbler
Ibis 278 Prunella immaculata rare. very tame in conifer forest. - Maroon Backed Accentor
Ibis 291 Homochlamys major Bush Warbler - see Ibis 291

We expected to find Tragopan b. molesworthi here, as we were so close to the supposed type locality, but all the birds we saw were T. satyra - Tragopan
dense rhodo jungle in silver fir forest is its favourite habitat - very plentiful in Bhutan

SUMMARY:
After descending in snowy conditions, the writer reached Sakden and collected Gentiana amoena and other material, preparing seeds to send via Trashigong. The following day they halted at Sakden to process seeds and flowers; Lumsden treated patients and cut the writer’s hair, while Ludlow improved the camp with a fireplace in the dining room amid cold nighttime temperatures.

CONTENT:
Sakden 13th March.
Prim. white 1215. P. gracilipes 1216

... in flower down to about 12,500, when it gave out, was replaced by 1166 again. I collected a bit of ground which had a lot of Gentiana amoena on it. No seeds were left in the capsules, but they must be in the ground with the living sprouting roots. I will send them by air if the post leaves Trashigong on our arrival there. I have put it in a tin with a hundred or more holes. Similarly I have tinned some of 1166. There was a lot of snow on the way down. I reached Sakden at 2:00 pm, to find Ludlow and Lumsden very fit. Ludlow had some food birds again, and flowers much the same as I collected.

14th March. Halted Sakden. I only went out for three or four hours this morning, and have been doing up seeds and flowers since. Lumsden has been very busy with patients. However he helped to cut my hair with clippers, and made a good job of his first effort. Here there is the usual village built for us, but Ludlow has added a fireplace in the dining room. It is very fine and a great boon. It is cold at night here. The temp. inside my room 3 ft from the ground was 23° last night. The days are

[Margin notes: Gentiana amoena, Sakden, Juniperus recurva, Tsuga dumosa 1180, Rhod. cavaleriei-florum 1181 1183, Rhod. arboreum 1182]

SUMMARY:
At Sakden, the page lists several Rhododendron species and describes passing through cultivated areas to scattered houses inhabited by Takpas, a Tibetan-origin group who wear animal skins and use a small round cushion for sitting.

CONTENT:
Sakden
Rhododendron arboreum 586
" keysii 586
" camelliiflorum 587
" micromeres 590
" thomsonii

We passed through cultivation to a number of scattered
houses inhabited by Takpas, a curious race of Tibetan
Ludlow 76-77 origin who wear skins of goats & wild animals, chiefly
deer skins, hanging from their rump, a round
cushion about 6" in diam. which they use for sitting on.

SUMMARY:
Notes plant damage by yaks, collects seed packets of Meconopsis grandis and Primula waltoni, and takes a colour photo of a gentian beside red Berberis. On a halt at Sakden, Ludlow packs birds while the diarist dries and labels seeds; staff health issues are noted for Pintso and Kuntip, and plans are made to look for Rhododendron rhabdotum seedlings near Muktur. Weather is frosty at night with bright sun and wind during the day.

CONTENT:
114

seeds. The yaks have done a lot of damage to all flowers, as I found lower down where the Meconopsis grandis (600) & red Primula waltoni 598 were in such profusion before. All had been trampled down or eaten; with difficulty I collected a packet of each. A perfect evening: we were out from 5:20 am till 3:30 pm. Took one coloured photo of Gentian 1001 growing beside a lovely piece of Berberis which was bright red (603).

21st October. Halt Sakden. Another perfect day. It is not often we don't go out on a day like this. But we have had a day in camp, Ludlow packing birds etc., I drying & labelling seeds. Both of us also bathing, shaving, hair cuts. Pintso seemed a bit off colour yesterday, & Kuntip's feet are so sore he finds difficulty in walking. He says the frost has got into the cracks; it might easily, his feet are cracked all over. This is a most delightful spot in weather like this. We have frost every night & bright sun & a wind all day. Temp. inside at night +3 ft. = 33°. On the way up to Sakden we looked for Rh. rhabdotum seedlings & I think found three or four. Danong will also look for them near Muktur.

22nd October. Halt Sakden. The good days are gradually

[Marginal notes:]
Mec. grandis 600
Prim. waltoni 598
Gen. amoena 1001
Berberis ludlowii var. sakdenensis 604
Contax No 12 finished on Nyaksang & last photo of Sakden.
Rhod. rhabdotum

SUMMARY:
The party reaches Sakden near the Gamri Chu, noting ample water, fuel, grazing, and a nearby gompa with a Tawang lama. On 5th July they halt at Sakden, finding few flowers in bloom, observing local clothing and village life, and practicing rifle shooting with the Jongpen and his men.

CONTENT:
than to Bhutanese. Over the pass the path drops easily to Sakden near the Gamri Chu. Water & fuel ample, excellent grazing & many sheep & yaks. Some barley available. There is a gompa with a Tawang lama above Sakden. //

5th July. SAKDEN. Halted. This place has been rather a disappointment. It was so nice to get out of the hot steaming valleys down below that we thought this would be a fine place. But there are no flowers out now. All are over. We have seen traces of one primula, but that is all. Birds too are not so interesting as they might be. The people are pleasant, happy, shy & full of life. They must lead a hard & difficult life at times, but are none the worse of that. This is the only place where I have seen villages in Bhutan, Sakden consisting of 60-70 houses all together. The Takpas & Drugpas wear thick woollen clothes, black or red, & have these funny little 'seats' made of thick felt, which hang down behind, & are used for sitting on. A most excellent idea in a wet climate. They also have Inverness cloaks, exactly as at home - another useful garment. We have had some rifle practice with the Jongpen & his men, followed by games &

[Margin notes]
6th June
Sakden.
Rhod. Thomsoni 595
Prim. strumosa 597
" Waltoni 598
" Sikkimensis 599
" Glabra 602
" Gambelliana 608
" Involucrata 610
" Gambelliana 611
" Strumosa 612
Mec. grandis 609
Rhod. campanulatum 605
" wightii 606
Berberis lichiangensis var. sakdenensis 604

• But see June 6th! p. 20

SUMMARY:
The diarist halts at Sakden and ascends toward the Nyuksang La, but cloud prevents views of northern snow peaks; the pass height is recorded. Gentiana amoena is abundant on the Meha and some Primula seed is collected, though many bagged specimens were eaten by sheep or yaks. The Kazi has tended the potted plants, most of which have survived.

CONTENT:
113

[Marginal note: Ludlow p. 149. The Nyuksang La is just a subsidiary pass leading from the Sakden valley into the Mera valley, the latter river emptying into the Gamri Chu above Phongme.]

...of the Meconopsis grandis, a wine-red Primula and perhaps the yellow one too, but I doubt about the blue one. The bags on the latter were all eaten by yaks. The Kazi has looked after the potted plants well enough, and all but two (a saxifrage) are alive.

20th October Halt Sakden. Another grand day, though there were clouds away to the North even early in the morning. I left Sakden at 5.20 and went up to the Nyuksang La. Left the ponies at the hut, and walked up to the North to a peak. But the clouds covered all the view of the snow hills to the north. Although it was very pretty, there was no chance of getting any bearings or even a useful photo. Then walked along the tops to the Nyuksang La, where I took the height (B.P. 187.7 Temp. 55° = Ht. 13766').

[Marginal note: Gentiana amoena 1001]
There were masses of that lovely Gentiana amoena found on the Meha (1001). The locals eat this, either when in flower or dead: it is cooked in ghee and said to be very 'sweet'. I tried to collect seeds up there and found some of Primula No. 602.

[Marginal note: Primula glabra 602]
[Note above text: Primula gambeliana]
The other one 608 (or 611) I could not find. The Kazi did not find the bagged specimens either. All have been eaten by sheep or yaks.

[Note above text: Primula strumosa]
No. 612 could not be found either. It had also been completely cleared by animals, but I have three bags of...