Part 39 - Page 39

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CONTENT:
We only found 2 Codonopsis, one could not find the tuber, and the seed was not nearly ripe. This is a nice march to have got over. There is nothing now to worry about except officials and presents in Paro. We seem to have got near the end of our trip very suddenly, with only three days to go.

22nd October Pyimitangka. Low clouds in the morning looking like rain. But they soon cleared away and the day was beautiful, with just enough cloud for extra beauty. Ceratostigma griffithianum is in better flower now than it was in August, so we did not get much seed - 31 seeds actually, out of a big bundle of heads. The river is very low. Both this river and the main Thimpu river look lovely for trout, and neither comes down very dirty at any time.

23rd October. Paro. Lovely day. We came slowly, with a wait on the pass where the view was very pretty. Then down to search for Codonopsis. Here 5 of us looked with great care and we got in all 6 tubers only and a few seed. The Zimpon spent a long time with us and promises to give transport tonight, ready for a very early start in the morning.

24th Oct. Ha. Again a lovely day, but with dense cloud in the morning, through which we ascended about 2000 ft up. The Zimpon's promises meant exactly nothing at all. Coolies came at all hours in the morning, not the evening before, and some did not leave Paro till midday. So coolies were not all in till 8.0pm. Took a few seed on the way and roots of P. griffithii from the Chelai La. Ludlow joined up here, in very good form and very fit. Chuni and Ugyen also here, and came to dinner.

25th Oct. Today the bulk of our kit went off to Rinchenpong, with the...