CO885-5 — Page 537

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885/5

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Measures for

issuing food.

26

provided for the purpose, and bring it to the main batch, where I have the meals served; the Sirdars, Bandharries, and Topazes and men doing regular work being first served and getting a little extra food; and, after they have finished, the people come up, the men on one side and the women and children on the other; the bandharries serving out the food, one sirdar being placed at the foot of each ladder to prevent them from crushing, and other sirdars to direct them in regular order to the different articles of food, and to the tanks for water, and then pass the men forward and the women and children aft to eat their breakfasts.

Some measure should be used, and I have found the most con- venient to be, for rice, one of the preserved meat tins cut down about three fingers breadth from the bottom for the men and rather lower for the women, the half adults getting less and less in proportion to their ages; for the dal, one of the ladles about two-thirds full for the men and half full for the women, and for the meat and curry one of the large spoons issued to the bandharries full. The dal when properly cooked should be smooth like well cooked pea-soup and at least as thin, and too much attention cannot be paid to see that each grain is thoroughly cooked and breaks down under the finger without any dry floury part in the centre, as dál issued half cooked is sure to cause colic if not more serious bowel complaint; if there is any doubt send it back to the boilers for half an hour and inspect it again. When the people have finished and washed their plates, they should be sent below to allow the Topazes to sweep down and otherwise clean the upper deck. There will be a good deal drinking water. of trouble at first with the people using all their allowance of fresh water in washing their plates after meals from being accustomed to an unlimited supply on shore, and also from their taking their lotahs to the closets instead of using the sea water in the tubs provided for that purpose, and it is not a bad plan to place some of the empty meat tins in the cloects, and let the topazes warn them not to take their lotahs there, but with some people all such provisions are useless, and the only way is to let them suffer a little if they will not take warning, for fresh water must be carefully husbanded for the sake of all, and unless wasted in either of the above ways, a lotah two-thirds full at breakfast and the same quantity at dinner should amply suffice, except in very hot weather when a little extra may be issued, but the same quantity should be issued of this as of every article of food, &c. as they are very jealous of one getting more than another, and no favouritism in issuing should be allowed, as it is sure to lead to bickering and quarrels. When the

Waste of

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27

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upper or main deck is clean and dry, the 'tween decks should be cleared and a gang of men sent down under the supervision of the second compounder to clean the coolic deck, and when this is done the Surgeon Superintendent should go down and see that it has been thoroughly done, that the people's bundles of blankets, &c. are rolled up and tied to the bamboos along the centre of the deck, no bundles should be allowed on or below the platforms as they harbour dirt), and if there is any bad smell from them they should be sprinkled with carbolic acid, or, if the weather permits, taken on deck, thoroughly shaken to leeward, hung in the rigging till well aired, then sprinkled and sent below--look to the state of the ventilation, and take the readings of the thermometers hung in convenient places aft, amidships, and forward, out of the draught from the hatches or air shafts. Sirdars should be present at this as at all visits of the Surgeon Superintendent, and be held accountable for the state of their allotted divisions as will be mentioned after under the head of "Discipline" (duties of Sirdars). After this, the people should be kept on deck, in fiue weather, till the dinners are ready, when the same routine should be followed as at breakfast. I leave as long an interval as possible between breakfast and dinner as these are the only incals served; for instance, breakfast at 8 to 8.30 a.m., and dinner at 3 to 3.30 p.m. After dinner, in hot weather, I Washing down have the main deck washed down, two lines of men being main deck. formed from the pump facing each other, or facing inwards

as soldiers would say, one to pass full buckets from and the other to return empty buckets to the pump-men to dash water on the deck-the Topazes with their brooms to scrub the deck and sweep the water into the channels, men with squeejees to follow; and last of all a set of men with swabs to dry off the deck. In this way the deck can be wa-hed down from the front of the poop to the forecastle in a few minutes, and cooled down after the sun has been beating upon it all day. When this is finished, and the bandharries have thoroughly cleaned out the galley and the boilers, and the Surgeon Superintendent should satisfy himself by constant inspections that not a grain of rice, dâl, &c. is left in or beneath the boilers, and fresh water has been put in these for next day's cooking, the galley should be locked up, and the key landed over by the head bandharrie to the third mate; the sirdars, bandharries, and topazes should be inspected by the Surgeon Superintendent on the quarter deck-the Sirdars to be told off for duty for the night and next day-the Bandbarries for cleanliness of their persons and of their knives, rice and dál ladles, and buckets-the

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भट्ट

PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

W

8855 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO