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the men that I was prepared to see that any just complaints were dealt with, buti that they well but thev were looking for their own officer, fc, and that the other men followed toi a lark, on which Y freely forgave them and asked if they were satisfied now. They sa.d they were quite satisfiedd i a 'rn^Son, SgTfiS that all the Eighth Contingent, were fully paid up before arrivaHn WdHng on, and cheques prepared on board for the war gratuities and leave pay. Also discharges and railway and steamer passes were prepared on board, so that there need be no delay on arrivaL R H. Davies, Colonel, O.C. Troops, H.M. Transport " Britannic."

The Principal Medical Officer to the Officer Commanding, H.M. Transport « Britannic." sth August, 1902. I have the honour to report as follows on the hospital and sick men on board the troopstaff, it was thoroughly efficient, and the men were well attended to. Thev of th?eemedical officers in addition to myself, four dispensers, a hospital sergeant Ld y three S hospital orderlies. In addition to this, two orderlies were told off as mess orderlies, and throe men attended alternately from each regiment to clean up the wards. There were thiity-two beds, some of them swing-cots, and as soon as these became full additionaUcc™dation y was made in the adjoining troop-deck : part more cots erected. The accommodation in hospital was ample till the day before we landed, wnen t Vmrl tr, nlace some of the men in hammocks for one night. . . Ue ?ood was good, and plenty of it; and I had not the slightest trouble in obtaining anything „.,. >n ip -hipf steward did everything in his power to assist me. biz ems stits £ toil it IcmaSg Sses were then put o„ tho*tu g alongside and taken over to Some. Wand, """ito .teSgeS/numto, oi men in hospital till w, arrived a. Meltourn. ™ «*«'«*£ Alter that S» to*a "dtol'e t" SVnluC, SonTlToS °t «E nHrT, .toe. Sever, the illness wa, eas.l, coped w.th by the though tney «» Melbourne, so that I did not consider it necessary to call in then ordmary *^l^^™ n *** pneumonia, this being due, in my opinion, to men leaving diw chnlte and ""pen-air life and then coming rather suddenly into a damp and cold 13 The Ses were contracted in South Africa, but till I arrived in Melbourne only about I ; 6 !'may say that I am perfectly satisfied with the way the whole of the medical and hospital staff worked for the good of the patients. a r I am, &c, Walter R. Pearless, P.M.0., Major, Bth N.Z.M.E. Officer Commanding, Eighth New Zealand Mounted Rifles. Approximate Cost of Paper-Preparation, not given; printing (1.200 copies), «1 4s.

By Authority: John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.-1902.

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