Servants and
ponies.
Rations.
‫٭‬ RATION FOR BRITISH OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS.
Daily
12 oz. biscuit or 1 lb. bread.
1 lb. fresh meat three times a week.
1 „ salt meat four times a week.
1 ,, vegetables.
4 oz. rice.
2 1 / 2
„ sugar.
1 „ tea or 3 oz. coffee.
1 „ butter.
6 „ flour.
1 dram rum.
Weekly.
1 bottle mustard for 12.
2 oz. pepper.
2 pints vinegar.
2 1/2 lb. pickles.
7 oz. curry powder.
2 lb. atta or 1 1/2 lb. rice.
4 ounce dhall (moong or urhur).
2
, ,
ghee.
2 / 3 „ salt.
1
„ onions
Mussalahs.
1 / 6
, , pepper
1 / 6
, , chillies
1 / 6 „ huldee
236
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Officers'
baggage.
farther removed from the depôt of stores. The transport corps made its own arrangements for
the carriage of its hospital equipment.
A hospital tarpaulin was useful as giving quick shelter for the sick. Each was 12' x 14'.
Pitched on a ridge pole of 12' gave a fall of 7' on either side, which, with ends and sides
filled in with bush or grass, gave shelter for 10 men—5 a side. Eyelet holes had been put
round, and ropes attached to the corners and sides. But the weight was 40 lbs., one coolie
load ; and this was ill afforded. Painted native cloth, as the Commissariat had in use, would
have answered the same purpose and been much lighter.
47. Officers' baggage.— Officers were on 40 lbs. of baggage each ; except Army Staff
Officers and Officers commanding regiments, who were allowed 40 1bs. extra for office. An
allowance of 20 lbs. is required for a medical charge, for, if statistics are to be kept up, there
must be several books and a certain amount of stationery. Reducing personal baggage
to 40 lbs. requires some experience and practice. Small men here have an advantage. The
weight does not allow sufficient bedding or under-clothing—required more in Indian cam-
paigns than in European—to be carried for a continuance. For a week or two the allowance
is sufficient. As a
matter of fact, hardly one officer was reduced to the actual scale, for his
pony could carry a bundle. But when this could not be the case, there might be some provi-
sion for extra weight being brought up occasionally from the rear. There was an allowance of
10 lbs. extra for each officer for messing purposes, which was ample. The Assam regiments
are well practised hands at campaigning, and their officers' ponies were utilized for mess
stores. which kept them nearly as well supplied as in cantonments.
48. Servants and ponies.— Each officer was allowed one servant, one pony with his syce,
and one grasscutter for every two ponies. The allowance was ample. All the ponies with
the force throve well on bamboo, wild plantain and other leaves. Crushed food was provided
by the Commissariat. but was rarely to be obtained in the front, except by Private arrangment.
49. Rations :—Rations were issued free to all soldiers and followers. Officers and their
Officers.
private servants were supplied on payment. ‫٭‬ The
rations were on a liberal scale.
A baker was not allowed to be engaged ;
but one was found among the followers, and
the officers and non-commissioned officers were
very rarely without good bread. Fresh meat
was also almost daily issued. As suggested by
the Quarter-Master General, it was found cheap-
er to drive sheep, grazing on marches and
halts, than to carry salt or preserved meat.
The sheep kept in fair condition throughout. A
keg of salt pork was opened from time to time,
more as a change than otherwise ; 2 lb. tins of
Australian beef and New Zealand mutton proved
excellent, the latter particularly. A large poul-
try yard had been formed at Hurmutti, and fowls,
geese and ducks were often sent to the front as
Opinion on
the rations.
rations. Fresh potatoes were almost always served out. There was also every variety of
vegetables in tins to make up the ration. There had been a mistake about the butter, which
was remedied by private arrangement. The Commissariat butter was used in the kitchen only ;
otherwise, in the absence of ghee, cooking might have been a difficulty. The ration of
tea was large, as that of rum was small. There is sufficient in one ounce of tea to make at
least six large cups. Under stress of weather and situation, the one dram of rum was not
sufficient to meet the universal desire for it, and General Stafford granted the issue of a second
dram daily, on payment, which was taken advantage of by all. The dram is 4fl. ounces, in
this instance one-fourth being water.
Opinion on the rations.—I believe the good health generally maintained by all the officers
and non-commissioned officers was in consequence of the excellence and variety of the
rations. If salt, or other unaccustomed and indigestible food had been the daily fare during
those days at camp No. 6, and throughout the month of January, there would have been
very serious illnesses, for all the officers were ailing more or less from local causes, and the
services of many would have been lost to the force under the exciting cause of unusual food.
Native sol-
diers and
followers.
50. Native soldiers and followers.— The ration for native soldiers and followers is shown
in the margin. All the component parts were of
the best quality throughout.
The whole had been carefully examined in
Calcutta ; the atta by the Chemical Examiner to
Government, it was packed in canvas bags, con-
taining 40 lbs. each.
There were some arguments on the 21b. of
flour being too much ; one reason advanced was
that chuppatees were seen thrown away. This
certainly did occur ; but in small numbers in comparison with the number of men ; and it was
only when they began to get sickly at No. 6. The seer is a fair and good ration for
all large and able bodied men on work ; it may be too much for the smaller races of
soldiers ; but for the large majority it is required. To some of the public followers it may be
in excess of what they would eat if they had to provide for themselves ; but when all were