Evening star., 1953-06-30

for us. warned us Of the ap-
proach of the monsoon proper:
Monsoon extending over all
eastern Himalaya will be reach
ing your area by June TO-"
So the storms of the last few
days. which had added such
hazards to our enterprise, were
nothing but forerunners of this
enormous disturbance which
spreads over Asia at this season
every year. The rains. which are
torrential over the rest of India,
become a solid deluge within a
few hours Of reaching the noun
tains. Tomorrow the skies would
open and the floods would be
upon us; but we heard the news
calmly enough now that we were
clear Of the mountain.
Ceaseless Rain.
AS forecast, the weather was
bad next morning and rain fell
ceaselessly. The Sherpas broke
camp with feverish haste.
The situation was serious:
there were only two ampoules
Of acetylcholine left. Lachenal
had had his two infections and
my arms and right leg were
done. and there we had to stop;
but / was unmoved by this news
which so distressed the others.
lay there like dying man, in
a state of extreme nervous
excitement. knowing that these
sessions were a terrible strain
on my general condition.
While the last loads were Ieav-
ing the camp under Ang Thar
keys supervision, Lachenal
started down. After a few yards
the coolies abandoned the
stretcher and the sledge was
tried, but with no success. DR..
Oudot sent for the cacolet.
I'VE must get away at all
COSTS" he said.
Before fixing him in it he gave
Lachenal an injection of NOR
phine. For me they found a
wicker basket. The Sherpas
hoisted me up and tucked my
legs into a sleeping bag covered
by pied d'elephant.
Avalanches An Around.
Everything was soaked. From
the walls all around us came
echoes Of rumhling avalanches
mingled with the continual noise
Of falling stones loosened by the
rain. The porter's naked feet
sank into the soggy ground Of
the moraine on which they were
walking. and we sent boulders
flying down as we went. We
were like the ragged remnant
retreating In a disorderly rout
from the scene of some cataS-
trophe.
Editors note: Five days
later, the party reached the
village of Choya in the woods
of Lete0
We chose a good-sized grassy
site, bounded by three enormous
granite boulders, and surrounded
by the soft green of the larches-
a cool and restful place. The
tents were pitched where the
Sherpas pleased.
The sun was warm, and DR..
Oudot decided to make his ex-
aminations out of doors. One of
my feet begun to suppurate, and
my hands were in an awful state.
There was a most unpleasant
nauseating smell: all the band
ages were soaked with pus. DR..
Oudot broke into his last re-
serves of dresSings-he knew
that fresh equipment would be
coming from Tukucha.
For the first time he took his
scissors and hegain trimming, !"
or cutting away the dead and
affected parts. My feet did not
hurt too badly. but many hands
were so sensitive that the slight
est touch made me cry out in
pain, and I broke down. could
light no longer. DR.. Oudot
decided to stop. He painted the
wounds with mercurochrome.
Lost 30 Pounds.
In the afternoon, Ichac, Ou-
dot and Schatz left for Tukucha.
The next day they dismantled
our original camp and they were
back with us at 4 pm. in the.
day after that.
The condition of the casualties.
| of myself in particular, was now
distinctly alarming; DR.. Oudot
pronounced the situation critical.
I had lost over 20 pounds and
-