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Diary entry by Gertrude Bell

Reference code
GB/2/8/2/2/15
Creator
Bell, Gertrude Margaret Lowthian
Creation Date
Extent and medium
1 entry, paper
Language
English
Location
India ยป Tonglu
Coordinates

27.03, 88.09

Sun 15. [15 February 1903] Quite fine, Kinchinjunga [Kanchenjunga]
absolutely clear. Up at 7, breakfasted at 8.30, and off at 9.30 on
excellent ponies. Turned off at Ghoom of the prayer flags and
followed a capital road leading along the side of a ridge through
forests, the immense trees hung with lichen. Lots of people in gay
clothes Lepchas I think. Got to Johrpukri about 11.10, 13 miles, and
found our fresh dak saddled and waiting. But no tiffin for which we had
hoped. A mile or two further, we rounded the ridge and dipped down
2000 ft or so by a very steep road. We met two English people, a
newly married couple I think, who told H [Hugo] they had lost their
terrier and wd he send it if we found it. At the bottom of the hill a little
grassy col with a house or two and praying flags. Then we went up
and up, through trees, through bamboo thickets and through trees
again. We passed patches of new snow, the air bitter sharp. The
mists blew aside at times and we saw a great vista of valley through
the trees. We thought we should never get to the top. It was 3.15
before we turned a corner and came suddenly upon a few houses
and our white DB. This was Tanglo, 10,074 ft. All ready, huge fires in
our 3 rooms and Nanga brought us in delicious tea, tongue[?] bread
and butter cheese and jam. We were ravenous. The saises came in
1/2 an hour later. Bitter cold; we crouch round our fire, but most
delicious. Mists and that eternal hill between us and the rest of the
world. The hill villages are almost exclusively built of old oil tins. Saw
white sweet scented Daphne, purple primroses, a white leafless
hellebore, a little bright blue thing (not a Gentian). Lovely great ferns
and a sort of coarse maidenhair right up here. Saw children carrying
a purple rhododendron but I did not see it in flower. Lots of lovely
ferns of all kinds and sizes. We saw the lights of Darjeeling [Darjiling]
11 miles away.

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