Part 149 - Lanjong: weather observations, seed drying, and transport arrangements

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SUMMARY:
The diarist records persistent wet and snowy weather, local accounts of seasonal precipitation, and difficulties drying seeds, which are laid out on blotting paper. On a halt at Lanjong, they pack numerous seed lots, note additional collections by Taylor, confirm transport with the gyampon, and mention snow on nearby hills and the expected arrival of the Kyimdong Dzongpen, suggesting the Pa La route remains passable.

CONTENT:
76

Weather NB
One man who has been, says we do not go to Tso Kar, although a possible path does lead that way. It seems too much to hope for fine weather, as I have seldom seen the weather so set wet looking. It snowed all day where we were, but wet snow, which did not lie much during the day. I have always thought the monsoon ended quite suddenly up here on 18th Oct. But that cannot be so in this longitude. This is the 24th of the 8th month, locals say quite definitely that during the 8th & 9th months they expect a lot of rain here, & snow up the mountains. In the 10th month, they say, it does not snow much, but they have their really heavy falls in the 11th & 12th, when everything is shut up. They retire to their huts then, remain in them for four months, seldom even going out to visit their next door neighbors 50-100 yds away. All the animals too are shut up in the huts, & fed on the dried grass the locals are now busy storing. It is a great problem how to dry our seeds this weather. I have most laid out on blotting paper, which is changed & dried as often as possible, & the seeds moved about on it. If out of the capsule they dry then pretty quickly, but rhododendrons take a very long time.

19th October. Halt. Lanjong. Fine & bright till 2.0pm: then heavy cold showers & snow chiefly up the Mipitun Pa La way. Stayed in camp. Lovely & warm all morning, & the sun allowed me to get nearly all my seeds packed up. Altogether I have this year 316 seed lots, which must mean about 360 or 370 packets, while Taylor must have an extra 150-200, so we are doing well. I hope for another 50 or so on the way home. I have asked the gyampon over & over again about tomorrow's transport, & he assures me still that all is ready, & we should take but three days. This evening it is again overcast, & a good deal of rain about, but much colder, so we hope for fine weather again. We have not collected in the valley due N. of Lanjong village, but there was nothing to be expected there, except some more P. rotundifolia seed. And it seems more important for me to get out of this valley as soon as possible. Snow this morning was well down into the abies forest, & appeared very thick high up the hills. The Kyimdong Dzongpen is expected shortly, so presumably the Pa La route is kept open, or being a good path, is passable in deep snow.

Seeds NB