232
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REFORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
To Camp
No. 15, Deling.
Returrn to
No. 6 Camp.
Return of
the force to
Narainpore.
It had been blowing hard and cold all day with occasional showers : here on the northern
side of the hill it was blowing an icy gale of wind from the northward, with occasional
showers of sleet; there was not much shelter to be got ; bamboos and thicker leaved jungle
were doubtless below, but the men were wet and tired, and the country was unknown ; the little
waste wood to be found was sodden and. would not burn well ; however, all hutted cheerfully with
the best materials to hand. It blew hard and rained all night.
To Camp No. 15. Deling.—The morning of the 10th broke clear and fresh; and after all
had breakfasted the march was continued towards Deling by a continuous and sometimes steep
descent towards the valley of the Runga. About 1 P. M., after four hours' marching, we came
to a clearing from which we looked clown on the villages of Deling, and had a fine view of the
country on the other side of the Runga. This appeared to consist of rolling grassy hills and
plateaus, with patches of forest, backed up by hills 9,000 to 10,000 feet high, separating it
from the valley of the Subansiri river. Some fourteen large villages were counted. Half an hour
completed the descent to where camp No. 15 was fixed on, a mile short of the Deling villages.
The site was in a cleared jhoom of dry and hard soil; the rain of the preceding days not having
crossed the line of hills of No. 29W and 29E. The transport were soon up and all enjoyed
the warmth and the sunshine. The camp was about five miles from, and 2,000 to 3,000 feet
above, the Runga river.
Return to No. 6 Camp.—On the 11th February the force started back. The well trodden
track, huts ready made, and good weather, caused the return march to be comparatively easy
and the force arrived at camp No. 6 on the 14th with not one sick man of troops or transport.
An officer of sixteen years' service in Assam who had been engaged in every expedition
occurring in that time, stated that this march was unquestionably the most arduous ever
performed by any force on this frontier.
The remainder of the 16th and 44th came down the hill from camp No. 11 to No. 6
also on the 14th.
37. Return of the . force to Narainpore.— On the 15th February the sappers, 42nd and 44th
marched for Narainpore : the two regiments to await orders for proceeding to the Naga Hills.
On the 16th, head-quarters marched with the 43rd. At camp No. 4 we had a warning
not to encamp under trees too deeply notched. During a storm in the night, a large forest tree,
which had been only marked deeply for felling, was blown down and fell through the hut and
across the platform on which an officer was sleeping. The escape . was miraculous.
Breaking up
of the force.
By the 23rd all had reached Narainpore, and the force broke up on the 25th of February.
The troops were rapidly despatched to their several stations, and the transport corps to
Calcutta. in progress to the Punjap. All arrived safely.
Sanitary state
of the several
encampments.
Sanitary and
Conservancy
Rules.
38. Sanitary state of the several eneampments.—On the return march all the different
camps were found in very nice order : indeed, it was noted that the several posts were as clean
and free from nuisance as if' they had never been occupied.
The system of conservancy laid down from the first had never been deviated from; path-
ways had been raised; drains cut ; all jungle and brushwood cleared away, and the surface
swept regularly every clay. The huts had all been renewed and improved from time to time;
were now completely water-proof; and there was a general air of tidiness about each station.
Camp No. 6 on the north bank of the river was now one of the best of the occupation.
Narainpore and Hurmutti were found in as good order as when we left it.
To the officers commanding at Narainpore, Hurmutti, Borpani and No. 6, and to the
officers of the Transport Corps at No. 7 and No. 4, is the force indebted for the cleanliness
maintained, and for the consequent healthiness of the posts.
39. Sanitary and Conservancy Rates—No further detail need be given regarding the
conservancy of the camps than what appears in memorandum No. 48, Appendix E. A copy
of the memorandum had been given to each Commanding Officer by order of the General
Commanding, with a request that the instructions should be carefully followed. They also
rendered every assistance to the medical officer who exercised supervision over the details.
The conditions of a camp site as in paragraph 1 were not always obtainable : there was
rarely a choice of ground. The rules of paragraphs 2 and 3 were always carried out. The
supply of water was, however, mainly from the pure source of the Dikrung river, or from
streams that ran into it. Paragraphs 4 and 5 relate to latrines.
Latrines.s.
Huts and
hutting.
The system of latrine trenches was new to the 16th N. and the Assam regiments. At
first, from the few sweepers attached to regiments—there were no bildars—there was the ques-
tion who was to dig the trenches. The sappers and artillery dug their own at once, and the
infantry eventually did so. Subsequently, when each detachment had its own sets of doolie-
bearers, they generally acted as bildars. The sweepers were employed in filling in. The hospital
sweeper was made to consider the hospital work his first duty; but as there were but few sick
with the column, his next duty was to help the regimental servant; one or other was always
present at the regimental trenches. No kahars accompanied the Deling column; here the
men again dug their own trenches. The objections to a new custom soon wore away ; and
it is believed both officers and men were well satisfied with the system. Certainly, after some
experience, I have never seen camps kept so clean during such long occupation, and under
such unfavorable conditions of ground and weather.
40. Ruts and hutting .—The precautions enjoined in paragraph 6 were carried out in
every camp. I am indebted to Captain Palmer, A. D. c., for the accompanying sketches of
the huts that were principally used by officers and men, as being the simplest and the
quickest erected. Gathering and preparing material and erecting them took between two
and three hours. The sides and open fronts could be closed at will with bushes or leaves tied
on to a frame. The hut for officers does not show the standing bed places ; they were made
on the same plan as shown in the sepoy's hut, only separate, with two or three feet space
between each.