Part 147 - Narin Thang - Kang La, 22nd August

1 page

SUMMARY:
Persistent mist and rain hamper work between Narin Thang and Kang La, with notes on friendly sheep rations, leech troubles, and lamas’ warnings from Singhi Dzong. The writer reports finding more eburnea and a new primula, plans seed collection arrangements for October, and records low temperatures.

CONTENT:
Narin Thang
Kang La

Lucky, we get it fine from 5.0 am till 9.0, but even then the mist is over everything by 7.0 am. The lamas of Singhi Dzong will be chuckling: they said if we fired guns up here, the rain would pour. They also said if we visited the "Black lake" up above, it would rise up and cover us. I tried to get there this morning but failed. Some are still all safe. Even the sheep object to this incessant rain, and when either of us leaves his tent for a while, in walk our rations of three live sheep. They are nice friendly beasts, and when we are in, we let them in too, but I object to their entry when I have plates drying or washing. At any rate there are no leeches. The last bite I had was discovered at Singhi Dzong. A leech is the one animal we don't mind torturing: in fact we like it, and always burn everyone we catch with a match. They deserve it, and we have no feeling of pity for them. Found more eburnea today and am trying to make arrangements to get seeds home. It means a man coming up in October, but we can make his work easier by tying on little bags to collect seeds as they ripen. Min. temp inside tent 34°F.

Narin Thang
Kang La
22nd August. A miserable day: mist and rain from before dawn till night, and the temp. never over 41°. Neither of us went out far. Found one new primula, and saw nothing else of P. dryadifolia (jonarduni?) 455.