Part 157 - Sanga Chöling to Charme: fine weather, seed work, and plans toward Tsona and Trashigang

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SUMMARY:
The diary notes arrival at Sanga Chöling after severe cold, the first fine day in some time, active seed collecting and drying of specimens, and a letter from Ludlow with specimen numbers. It records news of Tarka’s party (with Tendrup and Tsering), plans to proceed via Tsona toward Trashigang, kindness from Ashi Gyelmo, and missing photo enlargements likely held by the Kharpon Dzongpon. The party then marches to Charme with transport arranged, while men sent with rice by the HH of Bhutan fail to locate them.

CONTENT:
be glad to reach Sanga Chöling tomorrow. I purposely took no riding ponies today, as it was far too cold to ride, and would be dangerous, but Simba got on a spare pony till I spotted him, by which time he was almost too cold to walk. Everyone laughed at him, which certainly did him good.

29th October. Sanga Chöling. Fine at last. Our first day without rain or snow since leaving the Loka, we are all very glad to have it. It is reasonably warm down here too, though a strong wind blows all day. Got seed of Gentiana waltonii; Primula jaffreyana var. hyacinthina, & 2 Dracocephalums. Found a letter from Ludlow & R. vellereum 6645, Dracocephalum hemsleyanum 6646, Frac. 6647.
Tarka here: they left on 21st & seemed in good form, & have got a fine lot of seeds, more probably than I have since we last saw each other. But of course Tarka has both Tendrup & Tsering with him, & although rainy in Tsari, they had no snow. Tarka sent off Tendrup for seed & seedlings of Meconopsis sherriffii, to the Drichung La, so I will not have to go up there either. We will stop here two days & then go on without a halt to Tsona if possible, reaching there I hope on the 11th Nov. If Pemba is there, I hope I may then be able to send off Tarka's mail so as to catch him still in India. Ashi Gyelmo has been very kind, & provided a hot lunch of gyathuk on our arrival, & has sent potatoes & other things down already. She is a kind soul. The peach, Ludlow said, looked awful, covered in kutch. But she must have been taken unawares, as she has now a clean face & is as much a peach as ever. The enlargements I took of her have never turned up. The Kharpon Dzongpon must have them still.

30th & 31st October. Halt Sanga Chöling. Fine: clouded at night. Bright sun & strong wind during the day. Spent these days in camp, repacked roots of primulas, got out the dry specimens & got seeds all dried. The air is very dry indeed, & everything was soon dry.

1st Nov. To Charme. We got a letter sent on about transport, so had no difficulties with changes today, & got to Charme by noon. Dry & sunny with a very strong cold wind up the valley. Clouds over the main range, & a lot of snow on the hills south of Kaprang, but we don't see any up towards the La. I hope now to go through to Trashigang without a stop, eleven days to Tsona, & another 6 or 7 from there on to Trashigang. HH of Bhutan sent four men with rice to meet us, but did not know where we were, these poor people spent a long time wandering