48

19a.

Captain Julian Llewellyn Dove examined. (No. 24.) 320. The Chairman.] You are captain of what corps ?-The Hunterville Mounted Eiflefl. 321. Did you attend the encampment at Newtown Park in June last m command of that corps ?—Yes. tt . . ~ , 322 What strength had you in camp?—We came in sixty-eight strong. 323' Had you sufficient tent accommodation for your men ?—Yes ;we had eight m a tent. 324. Had they sufficient straw ?—Yes. , 325 What were the rations like ?—The quality of the meat was not, on the whole, good but in going'round the tents of my own company at meal-times I only once received a complaint trom one tent that the rations were unsuitable. 326 Were the tents visited after each meal?— During each meal. 327. By yourself or your subaltern ?—Either by myself or by one of my subalterns. 328. You saw some of the meat that was cooked ?—Yes. 329. What was the condition of the cooking ?—I think the actual cooking was satisfactory. 330 Was it done ?—I think it was done, and well done. . 331. Did that apply to the joints or larger pieces of meat ?-I do not remember seeing any ioints. They were mostly comparatively small hunks. 332 Are you speaking of the officers' mess ?—No ;I am speaking only of the men 333 Had the men sausages or chops ?—Yes ; either sausages or chops for breakfast. 334. Were they properly cooked?— Yes, so far as my knowledge goes. _ 335 Were the rations sufficient in quantity for the men ?-On the whole I should say they were, unless their orderlies happened to be last. I could not answer for the last orderlies. 336 What about the bread ?—The bread and butter were both good and plentiful. 337. And the potatoes ?-The men had them on one day only, and then they were not well CO ° k 33B. What was the tea or coffee !ike?-The men reported to me subsequently-they did not renort it at the time—that they could not drink the tea. . - . , 339. Did you see it ?-I did, but lam sorry I did not taste it. I tasted similar stuff in the officers' mess, and can corroborate what the men said. _ ' 340 Was any formal complaint made to you by any of your men as to the food supplied to them ?—No, with the exception of those in the one tent I have mentioned. 341 D d you make any formal complaint to any superior officer ?-No; for the reason that I saw that those things that needed remedy most were under the colonel s own eye. I believe if wis the morning subsequent to the one on which I received the complaint from my men that he colonel was at the receiving place to inquire into the quality and quantity of the rations. 342 What was wrong, in your opinion?-The want of vegetables and the bad quality of the meat 343 Do you know what day it was the colonel was there ?-No ; I have no note of it 344. How about the forage for the horses: was that sufficient in quantity?-Yes; but not always obtainable at the right time. 345. What was the quality of it?— Satisfactory. _ . 346 Do you know where it was issued from in the camp ?—Yes;; the store-tent. 347 Do you know whether it was always issued from there?— No. . 348. Do you know whether it was ever intercepted by any of the corps before it got there ?- Yes ' '349. Did that occur on more than one occasion?—l cannot say. tvt^o,, 350. Did the horses of your corps go short at all, or had they sufficient -On the Monday morning the 17th June, there were no oats obtainable m time for our morning feed. We had run out and I sent out for 8 bushels. I have got the receipt with me. That was the morning of the rehearsal, and I had to feed my horses before they went to it. 351. Had you to get any other provisions for your horses or men /—No. 352. Did your officers sleep in camp ?—Yes. 353 How many men did you furnish for a guard ?-A sergeant and three men. 354.' That was your proportion of the guard ?-Yes ; another company had to supply a corporal and three men. , ~, 355 What about the water in the camp?— There was too.muchof it. 356 But the water for drinking and cooking purposes ?-I heard no complaints about it. 357 Could you get water for your horses whenever it was wanted ?—There was one day when the pipe burst and the water-trough ran short; but I rather think that was the day after my horses had ff •Dsed"oTt fe o\ltVour e orders from the Brigade Office regularly ?-When I first went into camp I went into Colonel Sommerville's office and took a copy of the orders he had written out then- and subsequently I issued company orders founded on the orders given to me in camp ; but I canncTsay I saw any other written orders beyond those of the first day. I think, however, so far as my recollection serves me, they were given out in the proper channel through the orderly sergeant. „ „ 359. But then they would be reported to you/—Y-es. ~ . ~ „ „ , , 360 Do you know what staff was appointed by Colonel Sommerville for the camp?-He had Lieutenant Fitzherbert acting as adjutant, I suppose you would call it. 36? Was it not notified to you what Lieutenant Fitzherbert was?-No. And he distinctly Colonel Sommerville beyond those ?-Not that I ever heard of, with the exception of the battalion commandants.