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Alcesti de Righi Diary Entry Wednesday, 9 August 1905
At 4-30 next morning [9 August] the camp is afoot; by five we are sitting before some good steaming cocoa, eggs, and bread and jam. This done justice to, we start mustering the coolies and serve out their loads. A good many are not to be found, but on account of the small accommodation for them and having still some money they have sought the shelter of wine shops in the bazar and I daresay by their puzzled looks a tamasha took place last night; they all eventually turn up so that by 6-45 a.m. all are en route. I start last with the rear guard in a drizzling rain. The road continues through a forest of stately magnolias and gnarled oaks. In half an hour we reach the small busti on the frontier of Nepaul. We find it full of our men who are crowding the "arrack" and "marwa" shops. We lost a good quarter of an hour moving them on, and I feel quite certain several would never have turned up at Toongloo to-night had we not stopped and seen the place cleared of them. Our path winds down to a deep dell where I find my pony which I mount, bidding "au revoir" to my companion. The zig-zaging road leads me through a charred forest.
I eventually reach our advance party and offer one of them as a rest the loan of my pony which is gladly accepted.
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