Part 105 - March to Kap and preparations for Lung expedition

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SUMMARY:
Preparations include sending bird specimens by post and leaving half the kit, with the Dzongpen arranging coolies to accompany the party to Lung and back. The party marches to Kap via a bridge to the right bank past Kumha; the writer ascends a gorge to about 14,000 ft, finding masses of rhododendron and juniper in a generally dry valley.

CONTENT:
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birds in boxes ready for the post, which we do not expect for another fortnight. We are leaving here about half our kit. The Dzongpen has kindly arranged that coolies from here will go the whole way to Lung, stay there with us and return here. No one knows quite what this trip will be like. For birds - almost certainly good, for flowers it is difficult to say, whether Chayul Chu will be wet enough or not. I hope so.

24th April. To Kap. 6 m. B.P. 192.4° Temp. 55° Time 4.30 p.m. Approx ht. 11071 (This ht. is about 200 ft above the river bed, beside the village). I left early with Tenduk, Danong and Tsongpen, Ludlow and L. following later with the kit about 8.0 a.m. The Dzongpen, who has been so kind all along, seeing them off. Road down L bank for a mile then cross by bridge to R bank and at m 2 pass Kumha, where there is a good deal of cultivation. Then for 3 miles along the hillside passing several small villages, and at m 5 a deep gorge, a mile before reaching Kap, beyond which is Kap, a small village, with cultivation. I went up the gorge to about 14000 ft. where I found rhododendrons and juniper in masses. The valley was dry, but obviously