TROOPER P. E. MOORE.I

H.—6c.

702. Do you know of a complaint being made to an officer and no attempt made to rectify ic?—-No, sir. As far I know, the complaints made to officers were rectified. I can say about this complaint as to the sick being on the tables when they came for the doctor's inspection it was rectified by canvas being put up, but at Albany the canvas was pulled down and we had to put up blankets. 703. At alljevents, an endeavour was made to rectify what you complained of?— Yes. 704. Do you think the officers during the voyage tried to make things comfortable for the men ?—As far«as I am concerned, I think so. 705. How long would it take you to wash—that is, from the time you got into the wash-house until you dried yourself ? —I used to go up in my singlet, wash myself, and go outside and dry myself; I think it would take me four or five minutes. 706. Would that be a fair average ?—No ; some men would dry themselves properly and some would not. 707. Would any take over five minutes ?—No ; because as soon as you got there you would hear a man calling out, " Hurry up there ; it is my turn." 708. The men from forward could not come to your place, and you could not go to theirs?—No, sir. 709. You say there were about two hundred men in A and B squadrons ? —Yes. 710. Could the men get their wash after 8 o'clock?— After 8 o'clock the water was turned off and the wash-houses were cleaned up for inspection. Shortly after 8 o'clock, when they were cleaning up for inspection, the men were not allowed to go in. 711. Only six basins?— Yes. 712. That would leave 25 per cent, of your men who could not get a wash, or seventy-two men, allowing five minutes for each man ?—On one or two occasions I had to go without a wash. 713. You say there was not sufficient time to allow the whole of the men to wash ?—No. 714. Was there any room in the galley to put more than three coppers in it ?—They could have put one more copper in between the oven and No. 3 copper. 715. What size were the coppers, roughly speaking : how much would they hold ?—I have no idea. 716. Did you ever see them cleaning the coppers with a bucket of hot water, or anything ?— No, sir. 717. Mr. McNab.} With regard to the washing, do I understand you to mean that if there ha.d been only one basin only twelve men could wash in that basin in an hour ?—No, sir; certainly not. 718. How many men do you think could have washed in an hour in that one basin, not taking the time to dry themselves, but washing their faces and hands ?—I should think twenty men could have washed in an hour. 719. And very easily, too ?—Yes. 720. In fact, it would not be pushing a man too much to give him two minutes to wash his face and hands, not having a shave or bath, drying himself outside ?—lt would, because sometimes he would have to wait for the water to come. You would put your thumb, and it would take a couple of minutes to get the water. As the boat rolled the water would go to one side and then it would come back to the other. I know I have had to wait two or three minutes before I could get half a basin of water. 721. Did you ever complain to the officer about that ?—No. 722. So far as you are concerned, the officer in charge might have supposed that the water was coming all right ?—He might have. 723. And the water was on for two hours, from 6 to 8 ?—Yes; because just after 8 they began to clean up for inspection, and no one could go in when they were cleaning up. 724. How much meat, on the whole, do you think would be issued per man at breakfasts time? —About 2oz. or 3oz. 725. How much at the midday meal? —There would not be much more, because there was very little meat served out. It would be about the same quantity. 726. Not more than at breakfast ?—No, sir. 727. In what form was it issued ?—ln lumps. 728. Boiled or roasted ?—Boiled. 729. In the morning ?—Mostly in the way of stew. 730. Was it pretty thick stew ?—No ; it seemed mostly water. 731. Do you suggest there was no more meat given to the men at the midday meal?—l cannot say exactly. 732: You told us it was the same ?—I could not say exactly ; I never saw the meat weighed out. 733. If I were to show you a piece of meat the size of this carafe of water, could you tell the weight of it?—No; I am not in the butchering line. 734. How much did they get in the evening?—ln my opinion, they would receive more in the evening than at dinner or breakfast. 735. Double as much ?—No. 736. Fifty per cent, more? —I do not think so. 737. Would they get from 4 oz. to 5 oz. ?—I should think from 4 oz. to 5 oz. 738. You think, on the whole, you got about 11 oz. a day ? —Yes. 739. You admit that you are not familiar with the weight of meat ?—I have not been a butcher, and cannot say much about it; but, of course, I could tell by looking at what a bit of steak is. I should say if all the meat we got on board for the day were compared with a bit of steak, it would not make a pound a man.

9—H. 6c.

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