99
Clothing.
MEERUT DIVISION.
X. Clothing:—As described in former reports.
XI. Duties.—The average number of nights in bed for the year has been 4.1. While the
regiment formed part of the force encamped at Delhi during the visit of the Viceroy, there
was a good deal of escort duty; and, of course, during the Camp of Exercise the regiment
underwent much of the hard work and exposure incidental to actual service. Surgeon
Corbett, who has been in charge of the head-quarters during these manœuvres, reports that
the men were often eight and nine hours in the saddle; but, as this hard work alternated with
frequent holidays, the health of the men improved rather than deteriorated under it.
XIII. Marches and service.—On the 3rd March the head-quarters of the regiment
marched for Delhi to join the camp of the Governor-General, leaving behind at Meerut a
small detachment of 70 men for the purpose of looking after the lines and carrying on the
orderly duties of the station.
The encamping grounds between Meerut and Delhi are Begumabad, Ghazeeabad, and
Shahdara. All were clean and dry, with an ample and pure supply of water from masonry
wells. On the march, the hospital had a site immediately behind the tent of the medical officer.
None of the encamping grounds have trees conveniently available for shade.
The regiment reached Delhi on the 6th and encamped on cultivated land skirting a canal
(Nujjupgurh Jheel escape), which runs parallel to the "Ridge" towards the river Jumna.
Here the regiment had the advantage of every condition, except the shade of trees, which should
belong to military encampments: the ground was clean and well drained; there was an excellent
and sufficient supply of drinking water from two masonry wells; while immediately behind the
camp ran the canal, containing a considerable stream of fresh water available for watering the
h o r s e s a n d f o r a b u l t i o n o f t h e p e r s o n a n d c l o t h i n g .
There are several wells spread over the ground here, but only a few contained good potable
water, and. these were numbered and marked off for use, the others being closed up. The
hospital pals on this occasion were pitched outside the east wall of the old military grave
yard in the shade of an immense pepul tree. The ground was first levelled and afterwards
leeped every morning, and as there was a liberal supply of straw, the patients were exceedingly
comfortable and clean. Water for the hospital was obtained from the regimental bazar well;
the water in the well at the hospital being very impure.
Duties.
Marches and
service.
Hospital.
Water-supply
in camp.
No effort was spared to maintain efficient conservancy. The latrines for the use of the
regiment were situated behind a small eminence about 300 yards to the rear of the camp.
They consisted of two rows of trenches concealed by mat screens divided into 24 compart
-
ments after the manner of the diagram below, which secured the utmost privacy with the
freest ventilation.
Conservancy
in camp.
Besides those for the sowars, there were others on the same principle for the camp-followers
and for the women and children. At first the cropped ground near the camp was a good deal,
fouled by camp-followers and others; but castigation of one or two delinquents, who were
caught in the act after a stringent prohibition had been issued, had a most salutary effect
in securing the popularity of the latrines. The regiment returned to Meerut on the 3rd April
, h a v i n g b e e n a b s e n t t h i r t y - o n e d a y s .
O n t h e 1 5 t h N o v e m b e r , t h e h e a d - q u a r t e r s m a r c h e d t o D e l h i , l e a v i n g a s m a l l d e t a c h m e n t a t
Meerut, to take part in the Camp of Exercise. Surgeon Corbett, M. D., proceeded in charge
of the regiment. He reports that the encamping grounds on the route were clean. The regi
-
ment arrived at Delhi on the 17th, and encamped on a plain about 2½ miles from the city,
where the ground was well drained and clean, and where the supply of water was procured,
partly from a branch of the river Jumna, and partly from wells which were in bad repair.
The supply of water was here sufficient, but of indifferent quality, containing a large amount
of inorganic suspended matter, to which Dr. Corbett attributes the occurrence of several cases
of dysentery and disordered bowels among the men.
The regiment remained on this site till the 2nd December, when it joined the brigade
of which it formed a part during the manœuvres. From this time till the end of the year it
was encamped immediately beyond the canal previously mentioned, on open cultivated land, the
canal being in rear of the camp. Here the regiment procured its supply of drinking water
partly from shallow wells made by the Quatermaster General's department for the use of the
regiment, partly from one semi-pucca well situated to the right front of the camp, and partly
from the canal. The supply was sufficient; but Dr. Corbett reports that the water in the
shallow wells was so impure as to be unfit for drinking purposes; that the canal water must
have been subject to pollution from the troops encamped higher up; and that only the semi
-
pucca well afforded at all a satisfactory potable water.
The trench system of conservancy on the principle already detailed was carried out with
admirable success. Dr.Corbett writes:—"The food in the bazar was always of good quality,
and none of the men seemed to stint themselves as regards quantity."
Camp of Exer
-
cise.
Water-supply.
Conservancy.
Food.