Part 31 - Kyimdong Dzong halt and move toward Taktsa

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SUMMARY:
The party halts at Kyimdong Dzong for several days due to transport delays, washing and repairing gear, developing photographs, and interacting with local officials; the Tsongpen scouts a snowy pass and brings back a rhododendron, while the Dzongpen visits and provides provisions. Kyimdong is noted as the source of Lhasa note paper and has villages under it (Shu, Langong, Sumbatse); later they move to a camp below Taktsa after Pinto assembles animals, with Ludlow not yet following, and note coniferous forest along the route.

CONTENT:
up tomorrow to find one. That will mean a two days halt here. As we have not bathed or had clothes washed for a long time, that is quite a good thing. Daud, I'm afraid is not a great success always. His cooking is excellent, but he is always quarrelling with someone, Ramzana, Pinto or Tsongpen. I had to tell him off again today when we arrived.

7th April. Halted Kyimdong Dzong. Fine morning, clouded evening. Tsongpen went to the la and reported only a foot of snow, so we can go that way. He also brought back a rhododendron (3607) = Rhod. vellereum. The Dzongpen came again to see us and stayed more than an hour. He gave us potatoes and flour, both very good. He is quite friendly and out to help. Spent the day washing ourselves and our clothes and trying to repair some of the badly smashed boxes.

8th April. Halted KYIMDONG DZONG. Fine morning, clouded evening. Stayed in camp all day. Did a little developing etc. Kyimdong is the place where all the paper used to make notes in Lhasa comes from. The notes are made of double thickness paper of good quality (probably made from a Daphne sp.) and have a black "water mark" between the two. We have not used them yet, as they are not very popular. This is a queer place for a Dzong and this Dzongpen certainly does not like it. There were six houses, but Pinto says now there are only two. There is however a good deal of cultivation, and it has other villages under it, including Shu, Langong and Sumbatse.

9th April. Halted KYIMDONG DZONG. "At least" 16 animals were promised without fail this morning, and the remainder by noon. By noon 8 had arrived, so we again pitched our tents and stayed the day. This doubt as to when or if we will get away from here is most annoying. If only the Dzongpen would say that we couldn't go for 10 days it would not be so bad, but he always says transport is just arriving. Fine morning, some rain clouds in the afternoon.

10th April. 1 m. below TAKTSA. Still no sign of our yak transport, but Pinto scraped up 16 ponies and bullocks and came on with them, hoping Ludlow might be able to follow this evening. But he has not. The path is quite good, with a more or less steady ascent gradually getting into the conifer forest. On the hillsides (N face) are masses of larix, a fair amount of fir and some rhododendron and birch. At m 4 1/2 pass the ruined village of