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563. Did you ever attend to draw forage for the horses ?—No. 564. Were you ever on guard in the camp? —No ; I was sentry on the picket-lines. 565. Were your horses moved from the picket-lines ?—-Yes. 566. And your tents also ?—Yes. 567. Did you see the arrangements made for cooking?— Yes. 568. What did you think of them ?—They were very bad indeed for the number of men there. 569. In what respect were they bad ?—There did not seem to be enough cooks. There was not enough meat and potatoes cooked, because if you were not down amongst the first you had to wait until more was cooked or go without. 570. Were the cooking-places covered in ?—-No ; and there was mud all round them. 571. Did that interfere with the cooking ?—Yes. In my opinion, nothing could be cleaned, because there was no hot water to wash the dishes in. 572. What facilities had you for watering the horses ? —-We had to take them out to a trough in Newtown. 573. Why did you not water them in camp ?—Because there was no water there. 574. Why did you not take them to the lake or dam in the park ?—I did not care to. It was muddy water there. 575. And what was the state of the mud in the camp?—lt was terrible. 576. How long have you been a Volunteer? —I have been in my present company since last year. I was in the Napier Navals for four or five years. 577. Have you been in camps before?— Yes. 578. Any large camp?—-Yes; at Palmerston, about ten years ago. 579. Were you at the Wanganui camp the year before last ?—No. 580. What did you think was the matter with the camp here ?—lnsufficient food, and not properly cooked, and the state of the camp as to mud. 581. Do you think it was a proper place for a camp? —No, although the weather was against it. Ido not know what it is like when the weather is dry; but by putting that number of horses into it it soon got into a bad state on account of the mud. 582. You do not think there was enough room for that number of horses ?—No. 583. Did you see anything of the procession ?—No. I was down town, and went into a hotel to get my tea. When I came out again I was told about it. 584. Do you know any of those who took part in it ?—No, I do not "know any one who took part in it. 585. Were you present at the camp when Colonel Penton came up the next day?— Yes. 586. And you heard his address to the men ?—Yes. 587. Did he make use of the expression " cowardly curs," or something like that ?—Yes. 588. To whom did you understand he applied that expression ?—lt seemed to me that he said when he was in the army if anybody had acted in such a manner he would have exposed them. He thought the men should inform of those who had done it, and when he found that nobody would he said he would have to place us all on the same footing with regard to it. 589. Can you remember what his words were?'—No ; I was a long distance away—about the furthest away from him. 590. That is what you made out of what you heard ?—Yes. 591. Did he say anything about those taking part in it being curs and cowards for not coming forward and owning up to what they had done ? —I cannot say whether he referred to those or to the whole lot. All the captains went down the camp and asked the men individually whether they were in the procession, and, of course, they said "No." The officers then reported to the colonel, and from his remarks afterwards I thought he placed us all on the same footing. 592. Major Hawkins.] Did you make one of the ration party any time during the camp?— Yes ; to go for the rations. 593. Will you tell us just what was done from the time you fell in until you received the rations? —From the time we fell in there was not very good order kept owing to the mud and Water where we had to get the food, and the men could not keep a proper line. I myself was going up the bank when I fell, and the pans went in all directions. I slipped owing to the state of the mud. 594. Was there any pushing or scrambling, or did you take your proper turns by companies ? —There was no pushing or scrambling, but there was no company order properly. After the first day the thing seemed to tumble all to pieces. 595. Did you go up with your camp-utensils and draw rations for the number of men in your tent ?—A sergeant was told off to call over the men in each tent, and each man in the tent answered. That was the first day ; but after the Monday it was a late dinner, and at tea-time we went down for tea, and were told there was none. 596. Was there any regularity in the watering of the horses ? —There could not be, because there was no water. 597. The accommodation was very limited ?—Yes ; and the horses could not drink the muddy water. 598. Were the men allowed to move the horses from the lines at any time and take them to water, or did they water them by divisions in the usual way ? —When the men thought the horses wanted watering. 599. Personally, did you feel hurt at the remarks made by Colonel Penton?—Not individually. 600. Have you heard any of the men talking about it since, apparently dissatisfied with the colonel for making those remarks about the Volunteers ?—Yes. 601. You say you did not feel personally hurt, but that you heard other men making statements that would lead you to believe they felt hurt by what he said ?—Yes.

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