Part 72 - Route from Upper Bridge over Lanjung to Sinjo Samba with Primula notes at Tsari Sama

1 page

SUMMARY:
The page describes the route from the Upper Bridge over the Lanjung to Sinjo Samba, including bridge crossings and path conditions through fir forest. At Tsari Sama (13 June), the author records Primula collections (Nos. 5537–5541), discussing color variation among P. sikkimensis forms and considering P. ioessa and P. Hopeana as true species. Additional route notes describe a path from the lower bridge up the right bank to Trashijing, a small gompa site used by yakherds, with reference to Tolo and the Lanjung Chu.

CONTENT:
36a

From Upper Bridge over Lanjung to Sinjo Samba 6 miles. Cross to the R bank by good cantilever bridge, with one mid stream pier. Continue down R bank to m 1 1/2 then recross on one-span bridge to L bank. Thence path through fir forest & a few clearings here & there, rather up & down, to Sinjo Samba.

Tsari Sama 13 June

5537, 5538, 5539, 5540. Primulae sp. sikkimensis Sect. Compare all these together, & with them No. 5541.
I take 5541 to be the real P. ioessa, although taken much earlier in the year than the type 2514. It alone seems to be a true species, or at least to be constant in colour, shape etc. It grows slightly higher than the other numbers, but comes down to where they grow. Down the fairly steep streams, on the wet banks, it is plentiful & always constant. Then the streams come to an open boggy meadow. Here are also P. alpicola, & here it is that an extraordinary mixture of colours is found, not in P. alpicola, which are barely out yet, but in these P. sikkimensis varieties. I have chosen four, quite distinct, but could take a dozen shades. Some, if not all, are most beautiful, varying between the white of what looks like P. Hopeana to the wine red of P. vinosa. My own opinion is that P. Hopeana & P. ioessa are true species, but after seeing this collection here, I should think that any others must be doubtful in the extreme, unless there is some clear specific difference.
5537 cocoa
5538 reddish cocoa
5539 cocoa incipient
5540 cocoa
5541 cocoa

X. From the lower bridge a path leads downstream up the R. bank, winding at first, then crossing a side valley by a bridge at m 3/4. Thence up this valley, path never steep & in fairly good order to an open valley on the lip of which is Trashijing, at m 2 1/2, where there is a small gompa & some huts used by yakherds. Lamas do not stay here in winter but come from Tolo in the summer. They have not come yet. The valley in which Trashijing lies, runs at a bearing of 340° from the Pass to the Lanjung Chu.