The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-03-10
MaMlLH AEEINsn AFLoAr.
An 1n4eresting Account Of Hia life
81 me Eramaports ma Route
Is africa

% Africa
We hear much Of the embarkation
Of Tommy Atkins for the front and
also Of BIS doings when arrived at this
seat Of war. But between the two hap
penings there is q blank. How does
he live on shipboard2 What does he
10 dnrIdg bis leisure moments2 How
IS he fed and how does he generally
conduct himself? These are questions
to which nine persons out Of ten win
reply: eve do not know There is
q notion abroad that the soldier atloat
is practically q third-class passenger
and treated as such. No such thing.
He is a passenger, inasmuch s he is
an individual--not one of the e
carried on shipboard-but he is a sol
der ever and subjected to much the
same discipline and routine as when
on shore. Steerage passengers are
carried, at least on the more up to
date boats, in closed berths, Tommy
lis housed and fed in the open troop
deck Ranging from the ships sides
are plain, substantial deal tables,
secured, with the attached seats, to-
cnowy Wilderness. In a ship Of big
beam, say a ~6O-footer, each table ac-
commodities a messao of is men, and in
the transport Bavarian each troop
deck-the one forward and the other
aft OF the engine-room space-has
seats for over 1000 men. At the ships
side end of each table is a powerful
electric light, while the beam above
hold the hammock hooks from which
Tommy hangs the canvas couch in
which he sleeps during the night.
The soldiers night terminates at six
a. M, when the first bugle blows,
Then follows the first act of the days
routine. The hammocks are unslung
and taken, with the bedding, to the
deck above, where they are aired until
1O:30 a. m. Then they are taken down
and slowed in the room set apart for
that purpose. After the hammocks,
etc, are taken on the upper decks
comes breakfast, consisting of dry
bread and chocolate, and nothing
more. And then comes the inevitable
smoke on the deck above. The next
meal after breakfast is, Of course, din
ner, and here again the menu is by no
means of an extensive character.
The soldier cooks-who, by the way,
usually draw their cooked rations
from the chefs Of the ship-cannOt
ring many changes on the allowance
which the admiralty portions out to
Tommy when afloat. To begin with,
the daily allowance Of water per head
is six pints at least, with a minimum
Of one gallon when the ship is in the
tropics. OF meat there are 1p ounces
Of salt beef on Sunday and ditto on
Wednesday, with an equal quantity Of
pork on Tuesday and Friday, and ~
ounces Of preserved meat on the three
remaining days Of the week. Where
cold storage is provided fresh beef,
etc, may be dispensed in lieu Of the
salt meat mentioned. On Sunday,
Tuesday and Thursday IL ounces of
biscuit are forthcoming, and on other
Gays one pound Of fresh bread, while
each week Thomas is allowed IL
ounces of flour, together with one
quarter pound Of raisins and ditto oi
rice. The supply Of sugar is more
generous, being four ounces on Sun
day and half that quantity on other
days. There is not much chance of q
soldier firing Of vegetables while en-
route to the Cape, for on four days Of
the week he has two unces of pre-,
served potatoes, along with two
ounces of compressed vegetables each
week, and last, but not least, espe
peciaIly when the possibilities Of the
salt pork are considered, f~our-ninthi
of o pint of split peas per week. Witt
such yiands as these, aided by one
sixth of a pint of vinegar, half al
ounce Of mustard, one-sixth of al
ounce of pepper, six ounce of pickles
and two Of salt per man PEI
week, a skiIlful mess cook has, O.
course, the materials for producing
nutritious, if not luxurious, meals. O
tea the daily allowance per man il
half an ounce, and half this quantit,
IS considered equal to an alternative
ounce of chocolate or coffee. Therr
is, it viii be noticed, no fruit, jam
butter o r cheese, and Thomas, if b
wants these dehcacies, must purchas,
them as he does his drink, at the can
teens and stores provided on all troop
{ ers. His early supper over, he wide
7 away the time as best he chooses unit
B:15, when he must be in his ham
m0ck.-Syren and Shipping.
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