The Ely miner., 1900-02-02
"TOMMY ATKINS" AFLOAT.
An Interesting Account of His Life
on the Transports En- Route
to Africa.

I We hear much of the embarkation
of Tommy Atkins for the front and
also of his doings when arrived at the
seat Of war. But between the two hap
pcnings there is blank. How does
he live on shipboard? What does he
do during his leisure moments? How
is he fed and how does he generally
conduct himself? These are questions
to which nine persons out of ten will
reply: 'We do not know There is
notion abroad that the soldier afloat
is practically third-class passenger
and treated as such. No such thing.
He is a passenger, inasmuch as he is
| an individual-not one of the crew
carried on shipbpard- he is a SOL
dier 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
is 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 whiteness. In ship of big
beam, say 60-footer, each table ac-
commodities mess of 18 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
10:30 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, dim
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 afioat. To begin with,
the daily allowance of water per head
SC civ infc o. .
of one gallon when the ship is in the
tropics. OF meat there are IL ounces
of salt beef on Sunday and ditto On
Wednesday, with an equal quantity Of
pork on Tuesday and Friday, and IL
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 12
ounces of flour, together with one
quarter pound of raisins and ditto of
rice. The supply of sugar is more
generous, being four ounces on Sun
day and half that quantity on other
days. There is not mueh chance of
soldier firing of vegetables while en-
route to she Cape, for on four days of
the week he has two Dances of pre-
served Potatoes, along with two
ounces of compressed vegetables each
week, and last, but not least, espe-
pecially when the possibilities of the
salt pork are considered, four-ninths
Of pint of split peas per week With
such viands as these, aided by one
sixth of a pint of vinegar; half an
ounce of mustard, one-sixti of an
ounce of pepper, six ounces of pickles
and two ounces of salt per- man per
1week, a skillEul mess cook. has, of
course, the materials for producing
anutritious. if not luxurious, meals Of
tea the daily allowance per- n1an is
Ealf an ounce and half this qusntffy
IS considered equal to an alternative
ounce of choculate OF coffee There
rs, it will be noticed, no fFuft, Iarr,
Eutter or cheese, and Thomass &c he
wants these dsfTcacies, must pirehase
them as he does his drink, att the cam
teens and stores provided on air troop
ers- His early supper over. he wiles
away the time as best he chooses until
5-15, when he must be in hiss ham
mock--Syren and Shipping
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