H.—6c.

13

CAPT. K. C. M. LEWIN.I

427. Can you give us also the dace they were returned ill ?—No, I could not without getting the hospital recurns, and they have gone on the boat. 428. You can give us the complaints they were suffering from?— Yes. 429. But you cannot give us the date they were taken ill?—No, only the complaints. 430. Will you please furnish us with a list of names and complaints ?—Yes, sir. [See Exhibit B.] 431. Mr. Millar.] I think you said you had some previous experience at sea?— Yes. 432. Was that in a passenger-vessel ?—Yes. 433. Troops or ordinary passengers? —Ordinary passengers. 434. Ordinary passengers of the second class ?—Yes. 435. How does the amount of space allowed them compare with that allowed to troopers ?— They all had cabins. 436. Then, there is no comparison to be drawn between the two ?—I do not know that there is any more space allowed in the cabins. 437. Can you give us any idea as to the number of cubic feet allowed to troopers?—l could not say exactly, but I think it is 50 ft. 438. Do you know the amount that is allowed to seamen ?—No. 439. It is 72 ft. and deck-space in addition: is not that so?—I do not know. 440. Do you consider that the ventilation in the lower decks was ample?— Yes, I think there was plenty of ventilation. 441. Did you take means to take the temperature at night-time?— No. 442. Never taken?— No. 443. So that it was only from casual observation you think the ventilation was sufficient? — Yes. 444. The temperature was not taken by anybody ?—I do not know. 445. Then, you have nothing but your own opinion for saying that the ventilation was sufficient ?—Yes. 446. Colonel Davies.] I want to ask Dr. Pearless how the hospital accommodation on the " Britannic " compared with that on board the " Surrey " ?—There was no comparison. That on the "Surrey" was disgraceful. If there had been as much sickness on board the "Surrey" there would have been a lot of deaths. 447. Mr. Millar.) What hospital accommodation did you have on the " Surrey "?—I had twelve bunks. 448. That is all ?—That is all. 449. What was the condition of it ?—lt was dirty and ill-ventilated. 450. That was on the troopship we sent away ?—Yes. 451. By whom was she inspected before she went away?—l do not know. 452. You do not know the Department of the Government which inspected the ship?— No. I saw the condition myself. 453. Was your attention drawn to the hospital accommodation before you left?—lt was, .and I think it was not sufficient. Captain Kindekslev Camillo Montague Lewin, Captain in the New Zealand Militia, examined. (No. 3.) 454. The Chairman.] What position did you occupy on board the "Britannic"?— Ship's quartermaster. 455. To what corps were you attached in South Africa? —The Eighth New Zealand Con--456. Did you accompany the men from Newcastle to embark at Durban ?—Yes. 457. When did you go on board? —In the afternoon after the men had embarked. 458. The ships lie out in the roads at Durban? —Yes. 459. Was it part of your duty to inspect the accommodation for the men on board ?—Well, I suppose it was ; but I was detained on shore, which prevented my going on board before the men embarked. 460. When did you get on board ?—About 2 o clock in the afternoon. 461. The men having embarked when ?—They came down earlier ; I think, about 11 o'clock. 462. Were you in communication with the transport officer ?—No; with the Ordnance officer. 463. Why with the Ordnance officer ?—I had to collect the blankets and other Government property of that nature. 464. These were the blankets the men had with them ?—Yes. 465. Did you chance to notice these blankets when handed over to you? —I did not inspect them carefully, but some of them were lousy. 486. Were you able to form any impression of the percentage of blankets that were lousy ? —No. 467. Do you think it was very numerous? —I do not think it was very bad. There were a few isolated cases where the men did not take care of themselves. 468. Was it possible on the veldt to avoid being lousy?— With the officers, yes; but with a number of men herded together it was very difficult. 469. Do you know the number of men who were lousy on the veldt.—No. 470. But it was a common complaint ?—Yes. 471. What steps did the men take on the veldt to clean their blankets?— The only way they could clean them was to hang them out in the sun or lay them on anthills. 472. Did the sun clean them ?—lf the blankets were hung out properly the lice would drop off.