We got up before 6 o'clock; had breakfast. It is much colder, and we
are very near snow-clad mountains. We got to Nish at 8 and had two
hours to wait. We were met by the Serbian Minister and doctor, and
taken in a funny little carriage to the Reserve Hospital, where we
washed.
This was the Hospital which contained 1,500 Serbian wounded when it
fell into the hands of the Bulgarians. We then had breakfast--bread,
raw bacon and eggs; not good; but we must be thankful for anything in
these bad times. The beds in the wards are several planks of wood,
with straw mattress and pillows--quite clean. The women are not a
bad-looking race. The minister showed us a terrible photograph he had
taken of women and children hanging from trees, where the Bulgarians
had strung them up. Two units we left at Nish; one is coming in a few
days to Kragujevatz, the other to Belgrade. We drove back to the
station; impossible to walk; the mud is eight or ten inches deep.
We slept in the train, three in a compartment, and none of us got
bitten. We first cleaned all the carriages out with paraffin. We
passed through vineyards and maize-fields. The women do the ploughing
with the oxen. There are hundreds of wounded Austrians everywhere to
be seen. On arriving at Kragujevatz we were met by doctors and
officers, and were taken out to dinner. Four carriages, two horses to
each carriage, a most quaint turn-out. The horses seem to fly along,
and the roads are in the most awful condition; it was all we could do
to prevent ourselves being pitched out.
We first went to the sanitary department and were introduced round,
and then we all washed our hands in disinfectants, and were taken on
to the Prince's Palace; it is now turned into a dining club for
officers. We had a big dinner, starting with very fine Russian
caviare. The dinner lasted until 10 o'clock. We then returned to the
station and stayed the night in the train. One vanload of luggage had
not then arrived, and it was too late to pitch tents. The bull-frogs
were singing all night. When a Serbian introduces his wife, he says,
"Excuse me, but may I introduce my wife?" When a party is given, the
wife never appears at table. They must think it strange that our women
are treated so differently.