Part 51 - Lalung halts and march toward Kargong La

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SUMMARY:
Entries describe halts at Lalung with an attempted approach to a long waterfall via a crossing of the Yargyap Chu, noting flies, a small poisonous snake, ticks, and wood snipe. The writer discusses unreliable local supplies, some butterfly collecting, and preparations with coolies before moving camp toward the Kargong La.

CONTENT:
wonderful sight in the air. At present all are in pairs, often will be having eggs very soon. The sun has one drawback, that is that it brings out the damdim fly in thousands.

6th May. Halt Lalung. Fine alright very pretty all day. There is a valley leading South over the range towards the Marrang Lopa country, in which I saw a most promising looking long waterfall from the ridge on the 4th, we tried to get there today. Started at 5.15 am and returned, extremely tired at 6.0 pm. But we did not reach our waterfall, saw nothing of much interest. To get there we had to go 2 m downstream, across the Yargyap Chu in a 25 ft dug out canoe. The river is 5 ft deep in places, and about 40 yds across. Then through jungle to a point opposite camp. From there there is a path, only a Lopa one, going up the side valley to the South. It is very difficult though, and very tiring. We saw, and killed a small poisonous snake on the way, got a number of ticks on us, and were eaten by damdims. In the Lalung plain are many snipe, probably the Wood Snipe. A lovely evening, clear but with some huge cumulus clouds over the Main Range. I think we would have to have gone another mile to our place, and there was no time for that.

7th May. Halt Lalung. Fine all day, but gradually working up for a storm. Very close and hot in the evening. Stayed in camp most of the day and did very little. I find it very difficult to understand whether supplies are obtainable here in any quantity. It seems that a good deal can be had, but that it is only in driblets from each house. Purbo has said that 2 mds of rice will be brought here often, but it has never materialized: the same with maize atta. Certainly from the locals one can get nothing in the way of information which is in the least reliable. No more flowers collected today.

8th May. Halt Lalung. Clouded all day, some rain, cleared up in the evening. We are all glad to be leaving tomorrow. I suppose we have taken little from here really, but we can't find more without moving camp up into the hills, and that is impossible. Some good butterflies caught here, but they are really just getting going now, and the two hot days brought out a lot. Coolies all well arranged, but it remains to be seen how many will turn up tomorrow. Snow certainly appears to be leaving the hill tops pretty fast now, and always has a wet look above it, which it did not have when we first came here.

9th May. Camp on Ridge to half way up the Kargong La 3 miles. Clouded, but fine till the evening, with sun in the middle of the