Part 13 - Zangrapang, 9 April: visit from HH, political news from Sikkim, and botanical notes

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SUMMARY:
The party delayed departure to meet HH, discussing a Treaty, M.K., and reports from Tobgye that the Sikkim Maharani had stirred Nepalis of Sikkim to oppose the Maharaja; they later dined and played games with HH and two Maharanis. They set off around 10:00 on a short, steep march behind Kunga Rapden, noting cultivation, forest edge and grassland, and several rhododendrons including R. arboreum, R. grande, and epiphytes such as R. edgeworthii and R. rhabdotum.

CONTENT:
9th April. Zangrapang. 5 miles. BP. 195.9° T. 61° 5.0pm. Ht. app. 9150'

This was a very short march, but we felt we could not leave HH until a time more suitable to royalty than our usual 6.0 am. So I said we would go when he was ready, that was 9.30. We had had a long & pleasant session with HH & on 8th. He came up again at 3.0pm & we had dinner at 7.0 & he left at 8.0. I talked to him again about the Treaty, & more about M.K. & the danger of getting mixed up with the intriguing of the Sikkim Maharani. He was aware of the danger there, more so because he had just heard from Tobgye that the Sikkim Maharani had induced the Nepalis of Sikkim & some others to go to the Palace to say they did not want the Maharaja, but wanted Indian Raj. This naturally made HH think very much. We later on had games with the two Maharanis & HH, & the greatest success was animal snaps, which so amused HH that we had to stop for fear he would do himself some harm through over laughing.

Today HH came up again to say goodbye, at 9.30, & we were off at 10.0. He was the same pleasant friendly & thoughtful man as always, & had thought out everything for us & our comfort on the road. The road was pretty steep, straight up behind Kunga Rapden, to the east. There is now a good deal of cultivation for about 2000' up, then the path goes along the edge of the forest, to a large area of grass. Round about here there were a number of rhodos. Rhod. arboreum is common, as is R. grande (18660) & some epiphytes like R. Edgeworthii, & rhabdotum,