Part 95 - Marlung camp: ascent by yak, misty collecting, and box from Bumthang

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SUMMARY:
The diarist rides a yak to Marlung and conducts plant collecting despite mist, rain, and poor visibility, noting abundant primulas and other flowers near yakherds' huts. A flower box arrives from Bumthang, thought to be Ludlow's, raising concerns about other boxes and presents coming from Kpong, while a future visit tied to Hicks' return is mentioned.

CONTENT:
as that would be a change and would give much trouble. The snag is that from there to come up here one would again have to pass through Bumthang, and we don't want any more of that, when already we must pay a last visit on Hicks' return about 1 Oct.

5th July MARLUNG. 6 miles. 13500' Pretty fine day, but no views. I rode up here on a yak today in real comfort. But we are not nearly high enough here, and should really be in the highest yakherds' huts. The cliffs here are again covered with P. umbratilis, but there seems precious little otherwise.

6th July Halt. A foul day of rain, wind and mist. We went about 4 miles up the valley, then turned south up a side valley, the one I eventually hope to leave by. But we were so lost in thick mist, that we could see only 10-20 yards, and didn't know if there were cliffs above, or open country or what. That doesn't make plant collecting any easier. One can only take a chance of finding things, without looking where they should be. In spite of that we got quite a number of flowers, though nothing very thrilling. The yakherds' huts up there are very beautiful—at least round about them is beautiful—a mass of white and yellow P. sikkimensis (orthopiana) in a sea of yellow potentillas and calthas, and asters and red pedicularis. When I got back I found a flower box had been sent up here from Bumthang, with no letter and message. The boy only said that he had been told it had come from Bumthang. It must be Ludlow's, and makes one wonder what is happening to other boxes that were left there. And it also makes one wonder what will happen to the boxes of bows and arrows and other presents which are coming from Kpong to be left in Bumthang. I hope they don't come on here!