Water-supply.
Arrival at
Malta.
Encampment.
Duties.
Natural
products.
Soil.
Crops.
Climate.
71
MEERUT DIVISION.
2 officers, 42 fighting-men, in medical charge of Surgeon Brereton; whilst some details and
ponies were put on board a native craft. At the time of starting, the destination of the
regiment was unknown. Had it been necessary to land in an enemy's country, and at once take
the field, the necessary equipment for each separate body of men in each ship would have been
faulty to a degree, as no one ship contained its complement of baggage, baggage animals,
or followers. As far, however, as medical arrangements were concerned, each ship had a
me d i c a l o f f i c e r o r q u a l i f i e d me d i c a l s u b o r d i n a t e , f o r wh o s e u s e me d i c i n e s a n d me d i c a l c o mf o r t s
were separately supplied by the Bombay medical authorities. All the ships left Bombay during
the 3rd of May, and after a slow but prosperous voyage reached Malta on the first week of
June, the only occurrence of any note on the journey being that, in consequence of high winds
and heavy seas in the Red Sea, the native craft with 80 baggage animals went adrift, but
fortunately was able to make for Jeddah, where it was found and whence it was subsequently
towed to Malta. Free rations were issued to fighting-men and followers on board ship; these
consisted of rice 1 lb. or flour 1 lb. 4 oz., dhal and potatoes 4 oz., on alternate days, ghee 1 oz.,
salt 1 oz., sugar 2 oz., firewood 2 lbs., water 1 gallon. The followers received three-fourths of this
ration. The men were allowed to take a few sheep with them, and thus had a small quantity of
meat about twice a week; and after the ships had lett harbour eight days or so, lime-juice was
issued every second or third day. On board one ship, in which the doolie bearers were conveyed,
dry rations only were issued. viz., parched gram or rice (powa), sugar, onions, tamarind. ghee and
Voyage to
Malta.
Rations.
Lime-juice.
salt. For cooking purposes there were four cabooses (on the main deck of each ship), each about
6 ft. X 5ft. x 4ft., lined with tin. Cooking was only permitted during certain hours of the
day, and every care was taken to prevent accident by fire. Great attention was paid through
-out the voyage to keep the ships in as good a sanitary condition as possible, by frequent sweep
-ings and cleanings, by the use of numerous windsails, and by disinfectants and deodorants freely
scattered about the decks, &c., and the men were encouraged to bathe frequently. Most of the
horses were placed between decks. All litter was collected and flung overboard, and the
boards were scraped and brushed and freely strewn with McDougall's powder. Every third day,
however, the decks were flushed with salt water, which flowed into the bilge (carrying with it a
certain amount of litter and urine), and was thence pumped out of the ship. This plan was
adopted in all the ships, and towards the end of the voyage the bilge-water so pumped out
was naturally very offensive. Indeed this method of keeping a ship (conveying horses)
clean is faulty. No refuse matter of any kind should be allowed to flow into the hold.
All litter and urine should be collected and soaked up with mops and at once thrown
overboard. The system of cleansing should be a dry one, that is to say, scraping and
brushing, and the deck on which horses stand should rarely be flushed with salt water.
On the return voyage, this dry plan was carried out, and with eminent success. Latrines for
the troops consisted of wooden cages hung over the bulwarks on either side. They answered
Cooking
arrangements.
Sanitation.
Latrines.
this purpose, and were easily kept clean. The supply of water was good and free from
impurities, and was fairly plentiful throughout the voyage. On the 4th of June, the last
ship of the expeditionary force reached Malta. On the 6th, the head-quarters of the 9th
Bengal Cavalry disembarked, and with the assistance of carriage, provided by the local
Government, marched 3½ miles and encamped with the rest of the regiment at a spot called
San Antonio alongside the 1st Bombay Lancers, and near two batteries of field artillery and
two regiments of Bombay Native Infantry. The position occupied was on the side of a long
valley extending from the town Citta Vecchia, the highest and most central part of the Island,
and the head of the grand harbour. Like all parts of the island, it consisted of numerous
small pieces of ground, each 50 to 60 yards square, surrounded by walls, and each enclosure
having its own tank, a bag like excavation (dug out of the sandstone) lined with cement and
containing rain or surface drainage water. Here the regiment was encamped in troops,
as on the line of march, and the ordinary duties of camp-life were carried on, with riding
school and rifle drills; but, with the exception of a few special occasions, there were no general
San Antonio.
parades, there being no ground for such purposes. The geology of the island may be briefly
described thus: coral limestone at the top of the highest parts, next a layer of marl, under
-neath this a thick layer of white and pale-yellow sandstone (the surface soil of San Antonia
and of most parts of the Island), and beneath all semi-crystal limestone. The nature of the sur
-face soil renders the general appearance of the island bare and barren, except in the season of crops.
Of large shelter trees there are few, and in the complete absence of grassy vegetation, the
white, dusty ground is particularly unpleasant to the eye-sight. The fig and lotus, and
orange, and vine, however, flourish abundantly, as well as a large kind of prickly-pear, whose
leaves afford food for cattle, and whose succulent fruit, in July and August, are a source of
nourishment for the poorer classes. Of true alluvial soil there is next to none, yet with the
abundant use of manure, and under the influence of heavy dews, the island is very prolific,
yielding crops twice a year of cotton, wheat, barley, gram, clover, potatoes, melons, tomatoes
and many other articles of diet. The climate is semi-tropical, mild in the winter months, when
the thermometer ranges in the shade between 48° and 60°, and hot in summer, with the ther
-mometer between 80° and 95°. The air is usually sub-charged with moisture, and at night
dews are very heavy indeed. Plentiful rains are said to fall in winter; but during the summer
months there are no rains, and this was the case in 1878, until September, when there was a
heavy fall on two successive nights, previously to which, for a month or so, the usual north-west
wind was frequently varied by a wind from the south-east called the sirrocco in consequence
being attended by or giving rise to malaise, dyspepsia and bowel complaints. The
Geology of
Malta.
hospital of-the regiment; consisting of four sepoys' pals, was pitched in front of and on higher Hospital.