Part 9 - Road journey to Menoka Tea Estate and departure toward Dewangiri

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SUMMARY:
After a difficult muddy road journey with a borrowed lorry, buffalo carts, and a bogged car from Neoli, the party reached the Menoka Tea Estate and stayed in the manager’s bungalow, where S.M. Lemarchand had arranged generous hospitality. Mules sent by the Trashigong Dzongpen arrived, and the group set off in heavy rain toward Dewangiri.

CONTENT:
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[Marginalia: C.I. 0-80. Lorry and car on road between Rangiya and Menoka. Local form of tiddler fishing -]

us. She gave us an enormous amount of help. He had borrowed the Menoka Tea Estate manager's lorry and had tried to bring his own car from Neoli. But it had been bogged on the road. Most of our stuff was loaded in buffalo carts, while we went with some kit in the lorry. Maximum speed was about 6 mph, and we took nearly 10 1/4 hours (6.45 to 5.0 pm) to do the 23 miles here. The road is nowhere metalled, although there are many fine bridges along it, and as soon as rain falls it becomes impassable. The lorry had to be dug out several times, and it was a wonder that it ever arrived here at all. We stay here in the manager's bungalow. S.M. Lemarchand is away just now, but has left orders apparently that we are to be treated to real planter's hospitality. The whole bungalow is at our disposal — his servants and his drinks also. The assistant manager, a Bengali, spends a long time saying how "your goodselves" may make whatever use you like of everything he can think of. We arrived here yesterday, the 17th, and intended to go on to Dewangiri today. Mules have been sent here by the Trashigong Dzongpen and we were off — in pouring rain at 9.30 this morning. But the route lies up a valley. The river in this is normally a trickle or