Part 25 - Karutra–Drotang and camp below Kashong La: plant notes and injury

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SUMMARY:
The diarist travels through forests near Karutra, noting an abandoned village and collecting several plants before passing through Drotang, where a woman coolie is badly bitten by a dog and is treated and left in local care at Tenduk’s instruction. They then camp below Kashong La with fine weather and observe rain mist to the south, expressing hopes for better collecting beyond the pass.

CONTENT:
forest of rhododendron, fir, larch and other trees. The gompa at Karutra has one lama in it. There used to be a village of a dozen houses here, but all are in ruins now; no other people live here. C.G. fairly good. Midges worse than I have seen them anywhere. We did not get much. There are many Aquilegias on the way up 2316 (Semiaquilegia ecalcarata), and a lot of the blue Didissandra 2313 (Didissandra kingiana). Up here 2346 (Diapensia wardii) was the only flower of interest. No sign of the mail.

Passing through Drotang, one of the women coolies was bitten above the ankle by a dog—a very deep and nasty-looking wound. I dressed it as best as I could and left her there, Tenduk telling the locals that until she was well, they were to feed her for free. I think that a little further up the valley may produce something, and I have great hopes of the other side of the Kashong La, which means south of the main range, in the really wet zone.

13th July. Camp below Kashong La. About 14,000'. 3 miles. Fine, with quite a lot of sun all morning, and in the afternoon up to 3 pm. We could see the thick rain mist on the south of the range, and it just trickled over. I was up the