SERG.-MAJ. H. COLLINS. :

H.—6c.

470. Have you ever been down in a freezing-chamber? —Yes, sir. 471. Do you think the men would stay down there and pick out the meat ?—Not below, sir. They would take it up on deck and could pick it over there. 472. I understood you to. say that one of the men reported as having measles slept amongst the men all that night after he had been marked ?—Yes, sir. 473. Was the other man taken into the hospital at once? —He was taken up at 9 o'clock at night. The sergeant in charge of our troop-deck took him up to the hospital at 9 o'clock. 474. What doctor marked him for the hospital? —I could not tell you that, sir. 475. Whose duty was it to see that they went to the hospital? —The hospital orderly, 476. Did you ever come through the 'tween decks at night-time when the men were up in their hammocks ?—On my own deck, yes, sir. 477. Was there much room to walk among the hammocks ? —lt took you about five minutes to get the length of this room for fear you stepped on somebody. 478. Were they touching one another in their hammocks ?—Yes, sir. 479. How were the hammocks hung ? —Fore and aft. 480. They would go pretty well across from side to side ?—Yes. 481. Was there an alley-way to walk between them ?—At the far end, yes. 482. You say that when the hammocks were swung they were touching each other ? —Yes. 483. The men were lying on the floors and tables and in the alley-way to get to the companion ? —Yes, sir. 484. And did that go on all the voyage ?—More so in the latter part of the voyage. In the early part some of the men used to sleep on deck. 485. You said there was not enough deck-space?—No, sir. 486. How much space was there in the promenade deck reserved for officers and non-com-missioned officers ?—Well, there were two promenade decks -reserved for the officers. I should say they were about 25 to 30 yards long and about 4 yards wide. 487. If that promenade deck had been given to the men, do you think it would have given sufficient room for the men as an exercise-ground ?—Well, it would have made a very big difference. 488. Supposing one side had been kept for the officers and the lee side for the troopers, do you think that would have given sufficient room for the men to exercise themselves and to walk about?—lt would have given a great deal more room, anyhow, because the decks they were on were always wet from morning till night. 489. Would it be too cold to promenade on the upper deck ? —Certainly not. 490. During the bulk of the voyage they could have used it? —Yes, sir, they could. On account of the small accommodation they had to promenade in there was no room to sit down, and the men used to get tired of standing and they would go below; and, being down there in the foul air, no wonder some men got sick. I stood on th* decks until my legs ached. 491. When all hands were upon deck there was not room for the men to walk round —they simply had to stand about ? —Yes ; they had to stand along the sides, as there was no room for people to pass. They were always carrying meat and vegetables, and as the passage was very narrow you had to get close up to the deckhouse to let them pass by. 492. Whose duty did you consider it was to attend to the ventilation of the lower holds? —I should say it was the duty of the commanding officer on his inspection to see to it. 493. According to the evidence we have had, the commanding officer generally went round at 11 o'clock in the forenoon ?—Yes, sir. 494. Well, at that time the place would have had a fair chance to get ventilated? —It always looked best then —it had just been cleaned up. 495. Did you ever see the temperature taken on any of the lower decks?—No, sir. 496. Do you think they could form any idea of the temperature without taking the temperature ? —Not unless they came down at night. 497. Do you consider that, in your opinion, the overcrowding and bad ventilation indirectly developed disease ?—Certainly I do, sir. 498. The Chairman.] Was inspection constantly made by the regimental officers of the troopdecks ?—Yes, sir. 499. There was care taken in the carrying-out of the duties by the officers ?—To the cleanliness of the rooms, yes, sir. 500. Did you say you did not know what doctor reported the measles case ?—I do not know, sir 501. What do you know of your own knowledge about it? —Well, I saw the sick trooper myself, and I saw he was marked as having measles, and was to go into hospital. Later in the afternoon I saw them down in the mess-room. 502. Were the sick paraded by a non-commissioned officer? —Yes, sir. 503. Was it not their duty to see that they went to the hospital ?—No, sir. He simply had to parade them, and get a report from the doctor. 504. Have you any idea why they did not go to the hospital ?—Well, I believe there was not sufficient accommodation. I believe they were enlarging the hospital at the time, as the accommodation was not sufficient. 505. I should like you to be able to charge your memory when this happened ?—1 do not know, sir, for certain. 506. Was it after you left Melbourne ?—I could not say ; 1 fancy it was between Albany and Melbourne. . 507. Supposing we had evidence that the hospital was never full up to a certain date—it is important that we should get your evidence as to this point ?—I am afraid I have nothing definite to say.

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