H.— 6c.

SERGT. G. E. BARNES.I

97

202. You say you lost your blankets and hammocks ?—Yes. 203. That would imply" that it would be quite possible for a man to get a blanket issued to him, then to contaminate it, and perhaps another man would get hold of the blanket and hammock and get contaminated too ?—Yes, certainly. 204. So that it is quite possible that some men who were filthy would contaminate a large number of men on board ?—Certainly, that is right; but at the same time my own opinion is that the ship was lousy before we got on board her. 205. Do you mean the ship or blankets? —I could not say which, but there are certain parts of a ship were lice can live. I went below myself and was lying about, and I got lousy. 206. Eegarding the ventilation, were you ever much through the different decks when the men were asleep ?—Yes ; I was through the lot of them—that is, our own regiments in the bow of the ship. 207. Was it on the lowest deck ?—We were on the top and second troop-decks. 208. Did you notice whether the ventilation was good or inferior?— The ventilation on the bottom deck was very stuffy at times. I heard complaints when men came up in the mornings saying how stuffy it was down below. 209. On the top deck the ventilation was fairly good?— Yes. 210. It was not so good down below ?—Not by a long way. It was not at all what you would call good on a troopship even. 211. Mr. Millar.] Did you hear any complaints during the voyage about the officers not paying proper attention to the men ?—Well, no ; I have heard complaints, but complaints that I would not speak about. 212. You never had any formal complaints made to you ? —No. 213. Do you think yourself that the officers took that interest in their men that they ought to have done ?—Well, speaking for my squadron officers, they did; they took every interest in us. I was only on duty twice coming over. I was not well all the time. I was troubled with diarrhoea, and there were things that passed that I did not take any notice of. But I think H squadron had the best officers any men could wish for. 214. Do you think the ventilation could have been improved?— Well, they had windsails. 215. How many?—l think, one windsail, running right down to the lower deck. 216. Was there any room to put more ? —Yes; if lam not mistaken, there were two put in each hold. I would not swear to it though. 217. Did you ever see much drunkenness on board? —No, not a great lot. 218. In neither end of the ship ?—No. I used to go to both ends of the ship occasionally of an evening for a walk. 219. The Chairman.] Could a man buy liquor from the stewards, or cooks, or anybody ? —Well, I never bought it myself, and I do not think it would be my place to say that other men bought it. 220. You must answer the question if you can ? —Well, there may have been a certain amount of liquor on board. Any drunkenness was caused by the beer that they had at dinner. Some men ■got more than their share. 221. Was any liquor bought from the officials of the ship?—l could not say. I understood there was whisky in the forecastle. I never bought it myself. 222. Did you ever see any whisky ?—Yes. 223. When was that ? —Before we got to Albany. 224. And where was it obtained ?—Well, I could no swear to that. 225. Do you imagine it was from the stewards ? —lt is possible it might have been. But I did not get it myself, so I could not say where it was got. 226. You did see people with whisky that had been brought on board ?—Yes, I have seen whisky on board, but not to any great extent. 227. Do you believe that it would have been ship's stores ? —I could not say as to that. 228. It was before you arrived at Albany ? —Yes. 229. When you had diarrhoea were you in the hospital ?—No. 230. Did you go for medical advice? —No, sir, I did not. 231. You had nothing to do with the hospital ?—Well, I was in the hospital visiting. 232. You were not there as a patient ?—No. 233. Mr. McNab.] Although you say you saw some whisky, you did not see any drunkenness? Not by the whisky. The drunkenness was caused through the beer. 234. The men who did not take the beer gave their allowance to the others ?—Yes, sir. 235. Colonel Davies.] Did you see much drunkenness on board ?—No, I did not. 236. About half a dozen cases during the voyage or not ?—Well, perhaps of a dinner-time you would see a man a bit muddled —you could tell through his speech. 237. You never saw a man rolling about the decks ?—No, certainly not. 238. You would have reported it at once if you had ?—Yes, sir, if he had been one of my own troops. 239. You never came back in a troopship before ?—No, sir. 240. You say that men are more contented going over when they have got horses to look after ? —Yes. 241. You think that is quite natural ? — Yes. 242. Do you think it would make them more contented if their officers went out of their way to make work for them ?—No, it would not. 243. That is a different thing?— Yes. 244. They realised that they had to look after horses, and they were contented ? —Yes, sir. 245. If they were paraded and put through work in a limited space for the sake of giving them work you do not think that would tend to make them contented?—l do not think I would like it myself. I would sooner have my own exercises.

13— H. 6c.