TROOPEB SILBEY. I

55

H.—6c.

278. Where does the other week come in?—A fortnight from Durban to Albany. 279. I want you to notice that you told me that it was a week out from Durban when it was thrown overboard: do you admit that they only had a week to use it in?—lf they had used it before, it would have been used. 280. It would never have been used by the troops that had come in the " Britannic"?— They could if they liked to have don? so. 281. To be used by the troops on the " Britannic " means it could have been used between Durban and the day it was thrown over ?—Yes. 282. And you have told us that that was a week ?—Yes. 283. Then, if it was used in a fortnight before outside of the week, it must have been used by some one else than the New Zealand troops on board the " Britannic " ?—Yes. 284. The question of issuing that food or throwing it overboard : was it purely a matter for the owners of the vessel to consider ? —Yes, I should say so —the chief steward. 285. You say there were sixteen to twenty sacks of fish lying near the latrines ?—Yes. 286. Did they lie there for the whole passage ?—No, not the whole passage. 287. For how long?— They lay about a fortnight, or very near. 288. What fortnight was it ?—Within a few days of Albany. 289. That is, they lay there after leaving Durban and before they reached Albany ?—Yes. 290. And you state that the men rushed the upper deck: was it a complaint about fish or other meat ?—I could not say. It was a complaint about the tucker not being sufficient. 291. It was not a case of complaining specially about fish?— No. 292. Do you remember how often they rushed the upper deck?— Twice. 293. On the second occasion what was the cause ?—lt was fish, I think. 294. There was one other occasion than the fish when the troops rushed the deck?— Yes, there was one other occasion. 295. You saw it?— Yes. 296. The Chairman.] Whereabouts were the latrines on the upper deck ?—Aft of the ship. The deck we were in was a flush deck. 297. Were there one or two latrines ?—One aft and one fore. 298. Alongside which was the fish?—On the aft one. 299. How close to the latrine?— Very close to the latrine. 300. Close alongside—a foot or a yard ?—About a couple of feet away. 301. Was there leakage all round the latrine ? —Through the door. 302. How far were the fish away from the door?— About 2 ft. or 3 ft. % 303. And the latrines used to be so flooded that it oozed out from the door?— When she rolled it would roll from one side to the other. 304. Mr. Millar.} Do I understand that the fish lay on the deck for fourteen days?— That I could not say. 305. Did you say that it lay there all the way to Albany ?—I could not say. 306. How long did you see it lying on the deck ?—I saw it lying there four or five days. There were fourteen or fifteen sacks. 307. What sort of fish was issued ?—Salt ling. 308. Was it on a grating ?—Yes, on a grating aft. 309. How high up was the grating from the deck?.—Not very high. All of it did not lie on the grating ; some of it lay on the deck. 310. Is that the fish that the complaint was made about—the same class of fish ?—Yes. 311. And you saw it lying on the deck for four or five days?— Yes. 312. Did any one give instructions for it to be removed?—l believe they did. I know it was removed, but I do not know who did it. 313. Mr. McNab.] Do the answers you have just given to Mr. Millar regarding the fish relate to the sixteen or twenty sacks you referred to at the beginning of your examination —those that lay near the latrines ?—Yes. 314. Then, these whole sixteen to twenty sacks did not lie there for a fortnight as you stated to me? —I could not say. 315. You do not know ? —No. 316. Can you tell me how long the sixteen to twenty sacks did lie there ?—No, I could not. 317. Can you tell me whether the sixteen to twenty sacks were the same as you saw another day ?—No; some had been used. 318. How many sacks would be used in a day? —I could not say. 319. Is it possible that the fish you saw there one day was not the fish you saw there four days afterwards ? —That I could not say. 320. Do you want the Commission to understand that the ship's company brought out a large supply of fish and left it on the open deck near the latrines for a long period o£ time?— Yes, I would say that. 321. In spite of the fact that you cannot identify the fish of to-day being the fish that was there three days after ?—I would not say that. 322. Colonel Davies.] When you talk about men rushing the deck you say forty or fifty of them went? —I would say about that. 323. Do you mean on the occasion when they came to see me with some food in a tin ?—Yes. 324. Were you with them ?—No, I was not, sir. 325. Are you perfectly certain that they came up twice?— That I could not say. I would not be sure that it was fish on one occasion or the tucker. 326. Suppose I tell you for an absolute fact that, as far as I am concerned, they only came up once, and on that occasion two Australians brought up fish, and they never came up again : would you believe that ?—I could not say.