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Alcesti de Righi Diary Entry Thursday, 31 August 1905
Aug. 31. Third Glacier Camp 19,150 feet.
So far right to Kinchenjunga's big toe we have arrived without mishap. We are now just under the Talung Saddle, having crossed the Yalung glacier to its left side and we are on a rooky spur, which dams one of the glaciers from Kinchenjunga. This glacier looks as it might offer a point of attack to reach the western auête of our goal. Our advance party consisting of three Europeans and 20 coolies are about 1,000 feet above us, and have founded the 4th Camp which the aneroid registers at 20,000 feet. To reach this camp an almost continual ladder of steps cuts [sic] by the ice axe had to be made and as it takes nearly three hours' steady climbing to reach this camp, you can imagine the work it has enabled.
Now our troubles are beginning in earnest. Our coolies are almost in open rebellion owing to one of them having met his death by slipping and falling from the ice on to a rock precipice. This has cast a gloom over us all as so far no accident of any kind has happened to our party. The man had reached No. 4 Camp alright, but apparently did not relish having to sleep on the ice; so he started off back to No. 3 Camp against orders, and with three other men. His two companions descended the precipice and built a cairn over his remains which, they said, were in a terribly mangled condition. This has demoralized all the coolies with us, and we are in a bad fix being now only a few days from the summit but not a man will carry a lead. To-night all the men, but two who were with the advance party have returned, the others having deserted their loads at the 4th camp.
Unluckily, as a route towards establishing a 5th camp higher up, was being cut (by this I mean steps for foothold being made) an avalanche, not of great dimensions, fell on the party. All fell, one of the natives just managing to grasp a rock, gave a chance to the others to anchor themselves with their ice axes. This I am writing down on what they explained as the cause of having deserted the camp. Whatever we may wish to do, if all our coolies refuse to go higher, we are stranded. Much money, trouble, and personal discomfort will be for nothing except the exploration of an unvisited glacier, which one or two men with an eighth of our equipment could easily have done. This is pretty hard, but the Tibetans or Sherfs are not made of the stuff of mountain climbers. He will stand hardship and carry a load for many miles on a rough road but when it comes to pucca climbing his heart fails him and he loses his head. His superstition too about the gods that inhabit their high icy peaks is also against him. In his inmost heart he fears he is committing a sacrilege in helping mad sahibs to try and reach the seat of his gods. Only the high rate of wages and promises of baksheesh, besides daily rations can induce him to engage in such an expedition. He knows that when the road gets too bad for his liking he will refuse to go on and return to his former pasture. I do not think any law is available to punish him for deserting after having engaged for work which he well knew he would never accomplish. So things stand at present. I hope to be able to write you better news in my next letter if we can manage to persuade our coolies that they need only get our food, tents, etc., to a fifth camp, from whence we may be able to make a final dash to the summit and return in one day. All our labour will not have been in vain. As I am writing (6 p.m.) the guide that is being sent by the Nepaul Dunbar has arrived in camp.
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