23

H.—6c.

LANCE-COEP. DONAUGHEY.]

841. You knew it had been issued ? —I never heard it from an officer. I only heard it from a trooper, and he tried to upset my tea. 842. You did it because you did.not have it put in orders, and simply because you heard of it?—l bought all my food because I could not eat the other. 843. And you would not complain to a non-commissioned officer about the food?—I never made a complaint on the boat. 844. Mr. Millar.] Therefore your evidence is as to other men, and not as to complaint of your own ?—I never made any complaint. 845. Do yon know the names of any of the men who made complaints to an officer?— There was Trooper Brett, but I believe he is an Australian ; Trooper Wallace, of Southbridge; Trooper Jones, of Lyttelton. Ido not know of any more. There were so many complaints to the orderly officer that one could not remember them. 846. Mr. McNab.] Could you tell us who was the orderly officer to whom these troopers made complaints?—l could not. 847. Mr. MillarJ. I think your whole complaint is more as to the cooking than as to the quality of the meat, except the mutton? —Yes, that is right. It was the mutton and the fish; the beef was all right. 848. The cooking was bad?— Yes. 849. Was that through inefficiency of the cooks, or want of accommodation for cooking?— I think the accommodation was small, but I think if they had better men cooking they could cook the food better, even with that accommodation. If they had beef to boil, as long as they could put it in the boiler they could have boiled it properly. 850. The Chairman.] Who sold you the food ?—I think it was the head cook in the officers' galley. 851. Colonel Dairies.] You said that Captain Fookes said he would do what he could ?—Yes. 852. Then you said the trooper threw the meat overboard? —Yes. Captain Fookes was standing at the door, and said he would do what he could, and then he turned round and walked inside. 853. You remember when that fish was lying on the deck when the grating broke it fell on the deck and then into the scupper?— The fish I speak of was put on the deck ; it was not lying in the scupper. 854. You will remember when they brought up this fish ?—Yes. 855. They got the issue for three weeks ?—Yes. This fish I saw the dogs make water on was not lying in the scupper. 856. Dr. Pearless.] Did a man with venereal disease use the ordinary latrines ?—Yes. 857. You know there was an order that they were not to use them?— They were using them for a week before that order came out. 858. There was an order? —Yes. 859. Captain Lewin.] Did you always get your food at the galley ?—Never. H6O. How, then, do you know the quality of the food?— Because on six days out of seven 1 was down below at meal-time. 861. Are you aware that there was an order that the cooks were not to issue any food to men on payment ? —The only order I am aware of I got from the troopers. It was simply a trooper standing at the door when I went for it, and he said there was an order that if any one was found with food which they had paid for they could take it from them. 862. You know the cooks were threatened with punishment if they sold food?— They took their risk. I paid the cooks £2 for the trip when I came on board. 863. Mr. McNab.] Therefore you made arrangements for feeding before you knew of the food served out being inferior? —Yes. 864. Then, when you made an arrangement to get your food in this way for the voyage it is no reflection upon the quality of the food served out to others?—lt was done before I knew what the food served out was like ; but you can generally form an opinion of what that food is. 865. The Chairman.] Do you mean it was all bad ?—No. 866. What do you mean ?—Men do not expect to get first-class tucker on a troopship, and I was not feeling very well. 867. You think "that the "Britannic" was worse than other transports?—As between the " Cornwall " and " Britannic," I would sooner be on the " Cornwall" for three weeks than on the " Britannic " for a week.