H.—6c.

LANCE-COBP. DONAUGHEY.

696. Were you able to get liquor?—We got liquor every morning ; beer at a penny a pint. 697. Did the men buy the beer much ?—Yes. 698. Good quality ?—Oh, yes ; it was good. 699. How came you to be promoted to be quartermaster-sergeant: have you had any experience of this kind of work in civil life? —I was acting-sergeant, in the camp, and for some reason or another, better known to those over me, they made me quartermaster-sergeant. 700. Was it not from your previous experience ?—I suppose so. 701. About the closets, was there much discomfort to the men owing to the insufficient accommodation?—l do not think so. I did not hear the men complain about discomfort; from that cause. 702. Were the closets kept fairly clean?— Yes ; they were cleaned out every morning. 703. Was there any nuisance below : did the men " pump-ship " or use the scuppers as urinals ?—No, sir ; I never saw anything like that done. 704. You do not know anything about the hospital arrangements? —No, sir. 705. Were the men fairly satisfied on the voyage across? —There were complaints of the food being dirty and of their being overcrowded. 706. That was the general complaint: they did not urge complaints?—No: they only talked about it. 707. How do you think their comfort compared with your previous experience?—l do not think the " Britannic " was quite as comfortable as the other boats I was on. 708. In what did they lack that comfort ?—ln the sleeping-accommodation ; it was not very good. I slept in the guard-room myself. 609. Was it very stuffy in the sleeping-accommodation ?—Occasionally ; but you could not get room to hang up your hammock, and you had to lie on the floor, and then somebody would walk over you in the night-time. 710. You think the windsails were sufficient to keep the place sweet below?— Yes ; but there were too many men below for the sweetness to exist long. 711. Was the place kept pretty clean below?— Yes; it was cleaned every day for inspection at 10 o'clock. 712. Mr. Millar.] Where was the guard-room ?—At the forward end of the ship. 713. On the upper deck or in the 'tween decks? —On the 'tween deck, just the same as the others, only there was more room. 714. Did you have any extra food there ?—No ; I only slept there and had my food below with the others, at the mess-tables. 715. Were you on the 'tween deck or the lower deck ?—On the 'tween deck. 716. You think the sleeping-accommodation was not sufficient ?—I think it was too crowded. 717. About the deck-space : on a fine day was there room for the men to move about?—No, there was not much room to walk about unless some of the other men sat down, which they generally did. 718. When you came back in the " Tagus " had you more room than in the " Britannic " ? — There might have been a little more, but not much. The only thing you could say was that she was rather crowded for accommodation. 719. Mr. McNab.] You are not making complaints ?—No; I thought that as I knew a little about it I would give evidence. 720. At what time did the inspection take place?— About 10 or half-past 10 o'clock daily. 721. Then the men were ordered on deck?— After breakfast the mess orderlies —two for each table —had to clean up, and if the men remained below there would not be room to do it. 722. How long would they be on deck?— From 9 till half-past 10. 723. During the afternoon were the men ordered up on deck ?—No, they pleased themselves for the rest of the day. 724. The men got into the habit of loafing about where they were in the habit of sleeping, and would not go in for physical exercise ?—-They played cards all the afternoon at most of the tables. 725. Were there any who systematically went in for physical exercise ?—No. 726. That would be during the afternoon. What about the evening: would the men sit about and continue what they had been doing ?—They would continue what they had been doing in the afternoon, and after tea would go ou again. 727. Did any of the squadron officers say to the men it would be better to go on deck?—l do not know. 728. Was it ever suggested to the men that it would be better for them physically to get about and go on deck, and not hang about the lower deck ?—No. 729. It never was impressed on them ?—No. 730. Colonel Davies.] Were not a majority of the men on deck in fine weather?— Yes ; but in damp, misty weather they would go below. 731. Mr. McNab.] Were there some men who seemed indifferent to going on deck, and would hang about the sleeping-quarters ?—1 do not say that. In damp weather they would be down below, but in fine weather you would find them all on deck, or nearly all. Lance-Corporal Donaughey examined on oath. (No. 5.) 732. The Ghairrtian.] You have volunteered to come here and give evidence?— Yes, sir. 733. Will you let the Commission have the statement you want to make ?—I will start on the food first. It was simply disgraceful, and not only that, but it was not properly cooked ;in fact, it was not cooked at all. I have seen the meat and fish taken out of the hold and left on the deck, and

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