H.—6c.

22

LANCE-CORP. DONAUGHKV.

Y95. Why?— Because the men would be too close. 796. How far apart? —If all the hooks were filled up and the men in the hammocks they would be pretty close together. 797. Were they left 1 ft. 6 in. or 2 ft., or how far apart were they ?—I do not think they were 2 ft. apart. I could not tell you exactly. 798. Do you remember any instance in which there were three hammocks hanging together on three hooks ?—Yes; I slept in the middle hammock myself. 799. Did you touch the hammock on each side?— Yes, and got a dig in the ribs from the other fellows. 800. You say the blankets were filthy when handed out ? —-Yes. 801. Your own, for instance?— Yes. 802. You are quite sure of that ?—I am quite certain of that. 803. How long did the lice remain ?—Till we arrived. 804. What steps did you take to get rid of them ?—As was said on board, " Get a drive on." Most of us did, but did not succeed. 805. Did you complain to anybody about the condition of your own blankets?—No; I do not think there were any complaints made. 806. Was there any effort made to clean them ?—No. When we got up the hammocks were rolled up and put away in another room. 807. If we had evidence that the blankets were clean when issued would that be false evidence? —Yes, that is false evidence. They were all dirty. 808. Out of a hundred blankets how many would be lousy ?—lf they all came from the same issue they would be all lousy. 809. You believe they were all lousy ?—Yes, I believe they were. 810. How long were you at Durban before having tp embark and after embarking ?—I forget; I would not be sure. 811. When you found your blankets were lousy there did you send for insect-powder or anything to cure them?—No ; I do not think there were any complaints made. 812. Mr. McNab.] You made mention of a case of maggots in the rice ?—Yes. 813. Did the men take that rice to their officer ? —I would not be sure. 814. What did you hear?—l was standing on the deck, and the orderly said, " Just look at that rice." 815. Do you know whether they took it to the officer?—l do not know. They were at one end of the ship, and we were at the other. 816. Then, they may have taken it to the officer and got other rice?— Yes. 817. Was there anything special issued to the men that night ? —I could not say. 818. You (lo not know what steps the men took, you do not know what the officers did to remedy it, you do not know what the ship did, and it may have ended up by a special issue to the men, and that you do not know ?—That is right. 819. You only know of one case, and do not know what was done in that ?—That is right. 820. Did you complain to the medical officer or to the medical department that there were men who should he told off to separate latrines?—l think Sergeant Major did. 821. You did not ?—No. 822. Then, as far as you are concerned, it was not reported to the medical department .—Y es ; one man was put in the guard-room. 823. Then, the officer did take steps to remedy the matter?— That is right. 824. Did you report on the occasion you saw the food being thrown on the deck ?—Not to the officer. 825. To the non-commissioned officer?—! reported it to the men. 826. Were you a non-commissioned officer at the time?— No. 827. Not report to another non-commissioned officer?—No ; I went below and told the men what I saw. 828. You did not formally report it to Colonel Davies? —No. 829. You say when you saw the frozen meat coming out of the hold it was not fit for food ?— That is right. 830. Did you ever see the frozen meat being issued from the butcher's shop to the cook ?—Yes. 831. Did you ever see frozen mutton that you thought not fit for human food issued from the butcher's shop to the cook ?—I have seen meat issued from the butcher's shop to the cook worse than what I saw coming from the hold. 832. And yet you know that one of the best veterinary officers there inspected the food?—I never saw him inspect the food. 833. You know he was on board the vessel?— Yes, lie was on board the vessel. 834. Do you know of any case where the man lost his life through the food ?—No. 835. Do you know of any man losing his life through what you complain of to-day ?—No. 836. Then, it only caused an inconvenience to the men at the time ; it is not a matter that caused any death on board ?—This is what I saw myself. I did not bring any complaints myself on the boat, and I did not think it my place to interfere with anything. 837. Did you hear the orders to prevent the practice of buying meals from the cooks ?—Yes. 838. Then, you knew you were acting against orders? —The order was if anybody was found with food on deck that they bought from the cook it was to be taken from them. 839. You know it was forbidden by the officer in charge ?—Yes. 840. You admit you were breaking the regulations that had been issued by the officer commanding for the proper discipline of the men on board the vessel ?—I do not think that order ever came out in orders.