Part 127 - Near Kashong La: Weather observations and seed collection

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SUMMARY:
The diarist describes severe wind and snow near a pass, continued mixed weather, and seed collecting of Primula, Gentiana stictantha, Meconopsis bella, and Diplarche multiflora. Coolies were to return to Karutra, about 50 Crossoptilon were seen, and Tsongpen suffered from snow blindness.

CONTENT:
on the South side, while on the N. it was bright sun, though the
snow was blown a good distance beyond the pass, by a very strong
wind. The primula rotundifolia seeds are not yet ripe, we could
find no P. tenuiloba. But I got some good seed of P. nivalis sp., and
several other things of less importance. The marks we left for
Gent. stictantha were covered with snow, but I found a few
ripe seeds. Many have been eaten by insects. Coolies returned
to Karutra, are to come on the sixth day. On the way
up above Karutra, I came across about 50 Crossoptilon,
but did not shoot any.

Near Kashong La
10th October. Halt. Yesterday afternoon and evening were beastly.
A howling gale was blowing, and it snowed steadily all evening
and a good deal of the night. The wind dropped about 8:00 pm.
Tsongpen had bad snow blindness, and has had it all today
too. Today was lovely after about 8:00 am till 1:00 pm.
Then the rain came on and later on snow, but the wind
has not been nearly so strong, and only in gusts. I found
a few more seeds of G. stictantha, some Mec. bella and
a little yellow primula, besides a heath (Diplarche multiflora) which we
collected above Mignitum. This heath, 1713, turns a lovely