Part 55 - Lo La camps to Singo Samba, 13–16 May

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SUMMARY:
Entries from camps east of Lo La describe rough roads, changing weather, and botanical collecting focused on rhododendrons and primulas. Ludlow shot two male monal while coolies snared a female, and the diarist explored with Tsongpen and Tsering before moving to Singo Samba.

CONTENT:
Lo La
27

13th May. Camp 4 m E of Lo La. 6 miles. Rained all night. Fine all day with a little sun now and then. Left at 5.45, in at 3.15. I went up the new road on the L bank (L bank = right bank), and for 2 miles it was not bad, the next mile bad and the 4th mile very bad indeed. It then joins the old road at the bridge. Flowers rather disappointing, or perhaps I expected too much from the cliff faces we passed. We climbed up one a long way, very much further than I felt capable of, but found little of interest. Rhododendron 3750 is a queer thing with a most unusual colour, and 3751 R. primuliflorum? is a very pretty little thing. Got a few more collections of previous primulas, but not much else.

14th May. Camp 2 m E of Lo La. At approx 12000' 2 miles. It cleared up last night, and today has been a lovely bright sunny day, a very pleasant change. A good day for both of us too, as Ludlow shot 2 monal, which are Sclateri as expected. Both were males. The coolies between them snared a female. Tsongpen, Tsering and I went up the waterfall nullah which comes in from the E 1 m below camp. Although there was very little there, we got one new primula 3762. This one is just barely fully out yet, and there is not a great deal of it to be had, but it is a most unusual one, and I have had doubts about it being a primula. However it is one, but to what section it belongs, I can't make out. The rhododendrons are most confusing. There seem to be so many Thomsonii Ser. which vary very little indeed, with larger or smaller calyces, or perhaps a few glands on the ovary or style.

15th May Halt. Fine night and a lovely bright day again. Went up at 5.30 keeping high - South - of the Lo La. Within an hour I had shot a male monal and seen two females. We saw seven in all, so they are pretty common. We also saw snow partridge. Quite a good day, as we found several interesting flowers, including P. tsariensis. Of this I have no doubt but it does make me doubt the ones which Wright Smith identified as P. bariensis from Bhutan - 3366 - 3367. This one, No 3779, is exactly as found at Tsari Chikchar in colour, size of flower and everything.

16th May. Singo Samba. 8 miles. Rained in the night and early in the morning. Cleared up about 10 am, and turned into a beautiful evening. We were surprised to find it raining this morning after a perfect evening yesterday. Tsongpen went NE from the Lo La, and Tsering and I went to the S West. But it is still too early to find much. P. tsariensis grows on the N of the Pass in...