75

H.—l9a

times that I wondered why there was not a proper cookhouse erected. Of course, the men could not cook out in the open rain. 35. Did any of the officers or yourself inspect the food during meal-times?—l did not do any inspection myself, but my subaltern did. I think there were only four officers in my battalionCaptain Liardet (who I think resided mostly out of the camp), Mr. Matthews, Mr. Morgan, and Acting-Lieutenant Pearson, acting under Captain Liardet. Mr. Morgan remained in command of my own company, and proper company orders were issued by him every day. 36. You mean mess orders ?—Yes ; for mess, stables, and guards. 37. Did any of your officers make any report to you as to the condition of the men's tents ?— I think the whole of my battalion was on the hill. My own company was there, also the Wairoas and the Haweras. 38. Had you any opportunity of seeing the condition of the men's tents on the flat ?—I never went into the tents on the flat. Ido not know what the condition of them was. The tents on the hill were dry. 39. Do you know whether many of the men had their meals out of camp?—l could not say. 40. Did you see anything of the procession ? —I did not know there had been one until the next morning, when I heard that Colonel Penton was coming up to the camp. 41. Did you see any similar demonstration in the camp the day before—some provisions hanging on a line?— There were some provisions hanging on a line at the rear of my tent, and my subaltern ordered them to be taken down. 42. Which subaltern was that?— Mr. Morgan. 43. Colonel Davies.] You say you were camped on the hill :on which side going in at the gate ?—Straight across to the left. 44. Did you camp there from the first?— Yes. We were the only corps there at the start. 45. When did the other corps go up there ?—I think it was before Wednesday. 46. You say they had a 400-gallon tank for boiling things in: did they boil the meat in that?—l could not say. 47. A good deal of the meat was boiled, not roasted? —The officers had a lot of boiled meat. I do not know what the men had. 48. You said you were in command one day: can you tell us what day it was ?—I was in command when Colonel Sommerville was absent. If I found he was out of camp I assumed command, and when he came back I handed the command over. 49. Was he out a day and a night? —I do not know how long he would be out. 50. Would he not tell you?— Not always. I found myself in command. 51. Then, you might be in command and not know it?— Quite so. I think I was in command on the Wednesday, the day after the Royal reception. 52. That was the day the horses were moved, and the day the medals were issued ?—Yes ; the medals were issued on the Wednesday. 53. Orders were given to break camp on the Wednesday?— Not proper orders. 54. The horses were taken out to the Hutt that day ?—I do not know when the orders came to break camp, but I think it was the day of the reception at Government House, when it was so very wet. I was in command of the camp that day. I remember a very heavyfshower in the afternoon, and seeing the horses sweeping round to it. It was a howling gale, and the horses swerved round all at once. Captain Dunk, I heard, tried to find out what they were to do. He rang up Colonel Newall, and, not being able to get him, rang up Mr. Seddon, who told him that they could break camp. 55. You say you used to be left in command of the camp without being notified of it?— Colonel Sommerville did not tell me when he was going or when he would be back. He would go away, and I found myself in command. If any complaints were made I had to attend to them, and that was how I knew I was in command. 56. And not knowing that Colonel Sommerville had gone away you might have gone away too, and they might have had to hunt about for the next senior without you knowing anything about it ?—Quite possibly. When the order came up from Mr. Seddon that we were to break camp, I told Mr. Morgan that I did not care about the order, because it had nothing to do with me unless it came from Colonel Sommerville. One of my subalterns came to me and told me the Manawatu Rifles were leaving camp. I asked him by whose orders, and said, "If you have Colonel Sommerville's orders you can leave camp." Ido not know where they went to. Next day I saw Captain Dunk, who told me he had rung up Mr. Seddon, who had told him he could leave camp. I told Captain Dunk that the subaltern had said it was by Colonel Somerville's orders the company was leaving, and that he had made a lucky mistake, because the corps would not have gone otherwise without Colonel Sommerville's orders. There was not a stable in Wellington where one could put a horse, and we could hardly get a meal in town ourselves. 57. How many companies had you in your battalion? —I was given instructions, before proceeding to the camp, that I should have command of six companies ; but half of these companies I found afterwards proceeded to Wellington on foot, and did not go to Newtown Park at all. The only companies I had under command were my own, the Wairoas, and Haweras. Captain Howie was in command of a battalion himself. 58. Were any orders issued about leave ?—No. 59. Were officers and men allowed to sleep in or out of camp as they thought fit ?—I did not understand so. 60. You say Captain Liardet was mostly out of camp : who gave him permission ?—I do not know that as a fact, and perhaps should not have said so ; but I was under the impression that, during the latter part of the camp, he resided in Wellington rather than stay in canip. I would not like to swear that he did go out of camp at night, but I am under the impression that he did.