Part 129 - Kashong La Camp, 11–12 October: Halt in snow and plant collecting

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SUMMARY:
At Kashong La Camp the party remains halted amid persistent snow, cold, and wind, while the diarist treats Tsongpen’s eye with tea leaves and Optrex. The Trün gyimpu arrives and predicts bad weather for about another month; a yellow primula (no. 2396) is collected while P. Cawdoriana is noted as not yet ripe. Conditions worsen on the 12th with continuous snow and rain.

CONTENT:
Colour in autumn, and should do well at home. I doubt if I will ever get over the Kashong La to the primulas I want. It does not seem as if it would stop snowing any night now. Tsongpen still has one eye almost closed tonight, but has had a sleep. I put tea leaves on for an hour, and have twice bathed them with Optrex.

Kashong La Camp
11th October. Halt. Hardly saw the sun all day. One inch of snow at camp again in the morning, more on the hillsides again. It is annoying to see blue sky and the sunshine only a mile down the valley from us. The Trün gyimpu arrived today: he says this will get worse till the end of the 9th month - about another month, then clear up. Tsongpen's eyes are much better, she was out with me for some hours today. We managed to get the yellow primula 2396, which I thought I had got yesterday, but found I was wrong. I now have a fine collection of it. P. Cawdoriana is still not ripe. Very cold in camp, rain or snow all day long and a tearing wind.

Kashong La Camp
12th October. Halt. Snowed all night, and snowed or rained all day without a break. Snow is now, 6.00pm, lying pretty thick in camp. It seems to get worse each day and there is no sign of a break.