Part 145 - Tsari Sama and Sacua Pebo: seed collecting during heavy rain and leopard concerns

1 page

SUMMARY:
The diarist reports uneasiness about leopards and persistent heavy rain and mist that make seed collecting difficult around Tsari Sama and Sacua Pebo. Despite the weather, they gather significant Primula and Rhododendron seeds, note hut damage, and record that team members Cunha, Kuku, and Souypen choose to sleep under an overhanging rock.

CONTENT:
There is considerable uneasiness among the coolies about Leopards here. They have been here during the summer, but I think we are too late to be worried by them now. Anyway I take my gun, which they have great faith in.

To Tsari Sama:
11th October. Sacua Pebo. Rained all night, poured all day today, with a thick mist. A great pity the weather has broken so, as we have a lot to do here, and it is very difficult collecting, collecting many seed when so wet as this. There are several rather astonishing things. Rhod. campylogynum has thrown practically all its seed, though we managed to get sufficient as it is very common on the way here: the little yellow deciduous rhod. (R. mckenziana) has thrown all its seed and I doubt if we have any in the capsules collected (5555). So has Rhod. faucium. But we got a little Prim. morsheadiana (menantra), some P. pudibunda or flexilipes and will have a grand collection of P. odoritica (Kinga 6595). What I take to be Omphalogramma brachysiphon (6596) too has still some seed, is fairly common here. Although such a foul day, it is not nearly so cold as it was on 15th June when we were here last. That is probably due to the lack of wind. I was hoping to see the place in sun, but the hut is not visible from more than 40 yards. There is a v. small gompa here, there were two rooms when we were here last. But one has fallen down altogether. I meant all of us to be together here, but Cunha, Kuku & Souypen seem to think that wrong, and have put their bedding in the open, but under the shelter of the overhanging rock. So they will be dry at any rate. Rats bad, and probably fleas though they have not appeared yet. (Gent. lancantha sp. nov 6592, P. taylorii sp. nov 6593, Sax. probata 6594).

Tsari Sama
12th October. Halt. A perfectly fine day, with thick mist and driving rain all day long. Very hard to collect seeds and impossible to dry them. A good day would have resulted in many more seed. However we have the biggest collection of seed I have ever made, of P. odoritica, (6595) (P. chionogenes 6601). There must be a dozen packets anyway, and all are just ripe. Another good collection was the small rhodo. with large yellow flower (R. ludlowii 6600). (R. forestii repens 6598).

It is curious here that we have found no rhododendron with unripe seeds. All are fully ripe or have thrown their seed. The yellow petioled primula from the other side of the Lo La was not found: we could see no trace of its dead leaves at all. One man with us here has been round the full pilgrimage, and he tells me that from here to the second Tsukang is as