Captain of Fleet, Commodore, Inspector-General of Hospitals and Fleets Captain, Chaplain 26 130 Staff Captain, Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals and Secretary to Commodore, Naval Instructor, Assist. Surgeon 1293. Instructions for the Baker. The troops, women, children, and other government passengers embarked are to be supplied with fresh bread four times a week, viz., on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The bread is to be baked every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; but it is not to be issued until the day after, so as not to be eaten new. Baking is not to be done on Sundays. The baker is on each occasion to obtain sufficient flour to produce the required quantity of bread; calculating 4 lbs. of flour for 5 lbs. of bread. Bread is to be made of pure flour and yeast, and a little salt and water; no other ingredients whatever are to be added. The bread is to be baked in tins capable of containing a loaf of 3 lbs. each. The oven is to be heated daily, and when not baking bread, may be used for cooking other food. The space appropriated for the oven, and for baking, is to be kept clear for that purpose. Baking utensils to be kept thoroughly when not in use are to be locked up, and the key retained by the baker. clean; 1294. Horses, Hay, &c. spare stall for every ten horses. Horse ships must be fitted with one oats, 10lbs. hay, half-peck or 24lbs. bran, 6 gallons water, and such quantities of vinegar and nitre as may be required for daily use. When the exigencies of the service may require that hay shipped on government account should be carried on the upper deck, great care is to be taken in protecting it from all danger of ignition, and in frequently examining its condition, so as to ascertain whether there be any symptoms of spontaneous combustion. Smoking in its immediate vicinity is strictly prohibited. In steamers the hay must be placed out of the reach of, and protected from, sparks from the funnel. 1295. Table showing the number of days for which sea-going ships should be provided with mess rations, medical comforts, water, forage, and necessaries for the following voyages: In the foregoing table the sum of the number of days allowed for voyages outward in full-power steamers is 1,602; homeward the number, according to government regulation, 1,628; and out and home 3,041 days. By auxiliary power, out 1,965, home 1,990, and out and home 3,659 days. In sailing vessels, out 2,321, home 2,339, out and home 4,277 days. 1296. In 1855, the Admiralty published instructions for "masters on board H.M. hired Transports, when employed in carrying provisions and victualling stores from one port to another, or for distribution to ships at sea, or in victualling troops or passengers." These instructions say— "You are on no account whatever to suffer rum or other spirituous liquors to be drawn off at any time, or moved from one cask to another, in any place except upon the upper or main deck, and then by daylight only; at all times when lights may be required in the lazaretto, after-hold, or store-rooms, you are to take care that a steady officer attends with good lanterns, strictly forbidding the candles to be taken out; any inattention to these directions-the most rigid compliance with which is so essential to the preservation of the lives and property on board—will subject the ship's freight to a severe mulct, and the offending party will not be allowed to serve in future in any ship chartered by the Lords of the Admiralty. The fires should also be extinguished at a fixed period, as well as the lights, except those that may be absolutely necessary." "You are not at any time to allow either pigs or poultry to be kept below, and no dogs are to be embarked with the troops or kept on board. "The 'tween decks are to be frequently white-washed with wash of a proper consistency, made with unslaked lime, into which is to be put white copperas, at the rate of one pound to each bushel of lime: it is to be laid on while hot, immediately after it shall have been well mixed." "If, on the opening of a cask of salt beef or salt pork for expenditure, it shall be found short of the proper number of pieces by tale, or if. correct by tale, but apparently deficient on the whole number of pieces of the proper weight, you are to inform the agent thereof, when he will issue his order that all casks of salt meat remaining on board (that form part of the same supply) shall be surveyed as opened for expenditure. The following rule is to be observed, viz. : fourteen pieces of beef cut for 8 lb. pieces, or twenty-eight pieces of pork, cut to 4 lb. pieces, taken out of each of the casks as they rise, and the salt shaken off, are to weigh 112 lbs. avoirdupois. It is, however, to be observed that if in carrying out the above rule it shall be found that there is a surplus in weight instead of a deficiency upon the whole of the meat so weighed, you are to take care to debit yourself with such surplus on your own account." 1297. The Army Regulations for Troops (1857), as regards their accommodation in hired transports and freight ships, were as follows: The approximate amount of tonnage required for the conveyance of troops is about 270 tons, n.m., to each 100 men; and it is now established that in taking up ships sufficient space be allotted for all troops to be accommodated below, but the amount of the accommodation will depend on the number of hammocks which can be hung up. As many air tubes are to be fitted from the deck and scuttles through the ship's sides as may be necessary for ventilation. Arm-racks are to be fitted between decks, in the manner most convenient, before the fore hatchway. Spirits. When rum or any other spirit is supplied with the ration, it is to be mixed with at least three parts of water. Should the officer commanding consider it necessary to stop or abate the ration of wine or spirits, it is to be considered as forfeited, and is not to be issued at a subsequent period. Fire Arms. On the embarkation of troops armed with rifled muskets, the sights of which are liable to injury if placed in racks during the voyage, such arms as are not required for use are to be securely packed in cases. Windsails. During voyages in all climates, the most beneficial effects are derived from the use of windsails. The master of the transport is desired to have them made immediately, if not already provided, and they are to be constantly hung up. These sails throw a stream of cold air between decks; and it is not an unusual practice amongst the men near the hatchways to tie up the bottom, by which this salutary purpose is defeated. The serjeant of the watch is to be responsible that this irregularity is never committed. Fumigation. Frequent fumigation is highly material, to prevent mischief from confined air. The following ingredients are required: common salt four ounces, oxide of manganese in powder one ounce, sulphuric acid one fluid ounce, and water two fluid ounces. The water and acid are to be mixed, and then poured over the other ingredients in a basin, which should be placed in a pipkin of hot sand. 1298. The Army Regulations for Horses, published in 1857, with regard to their conveyance on board ship, were as follows: Horses should be kept in a cool state before embarking, and should be put on board rather low in flesh than in too high condition; in which latter state they are more disposed to be fractious and to kick, and are, moreover, more liable to inflammation. Long, slow, steady work is to be given to horses previous to their embarkation. They are to be kept fasting and without water for some hours, as slinging is more likely to prove injurious when their bellies are distended with food: and they will sooner become reconciled to their change of quarters, and take to their feet on board, when they have been kept fasting previously. Captains of troops are to arrange their horses on board in the same order as that in which they have been in the habit of standing in their troop stables. Those horses which know one another will both feed better and stand quieter together; a kicker or a vicious horse, should, if possible, be put in a corner stall. The calkings of the hind shoes are to be removed, as they are not needed on board, and in the event of any kicking, do much injury. Great caution is necessary in slinging; the breech band and breast girth must be securely fastened, or, in his struggles in the air, the horse may slip through. He is to be run up at a rapid rate; and after attaining the necessary height, be steadily and carefully lowered down the hatchway; care being taken to have a guide-rope attached to his head-collar (the ship head-collar being invariably put on before the horse is slung), and two or three careful and active men being stationed between decks to see that his head, legs, and tail are not injured in descending to the lower deck, where a soft bed of straw must be provided for him to alight upon; and three determined and resolute men are to be ready to receive, and to take off his slings, as on first feeling his legs, unless he is firmly and judiciously handled, he not unfrequently plunges and kicks violently. For the first two or three days on board ship, food is to be given rather sparingly, principally bran; but after the horse becomes reconciled, and as his appetite increases (which it will do after he has been at sea a few days), he is to be more liberally fed; but a bran mash, or oats and bran mixed, is to be given him at least every other day. The ship head-collar of canvas is the only safe fastening on board, and there should be two shanks to each collar. The horse's head should be tied rather short than otherwise, and there should be several spare collars on board as well as some good stout canvas for repairs. Horses can be shifted, and cleaned out and rubbed over, and their feet washed every day, weather permitting; the dung being drawn up the hatchway in baskets provided for the purpose and thrown overboard, care being taken not to remove any of the shingle with the dung from the horses. Hand-rubbing the legs is of the greatest consequence, and is to be practised every day, when the weather permits, and whilst the horses are being changed over. The provision of the spare stalls on board will allow of this operation being more speedily effected. Horses are to be slung in smooth weather, and allowed to stand on their legs in rough and stormy weather; they will rest their legs and feet by throwing their whole weight into the slings, and reposing in that position, while the ship's motion is comparatively easy; whereas to sling a horse in rough weather (whereby he is taken off his legs) would only have the effect of knocking him about, as the ship rolls to and fro, and would, moreover, cause him to be severely chafed by the friction of the side bales and the horse hammock. Horses invariably resist the rolling motion, and throw the whole weight of the body when allowed to retain their legs, exactly in the direction contrary to the motion, which, if slung, they would be unable to do. Horses are not, however, to be placed in slings or horse hammocks, until they have been at sea for a week or ten days, as some horses would be only made uneasy at the attempt to do so; and some animals will not allow themselves to be slung during the longest voyage. The sling is to be placed in the centre of the horse's belly, and then the breast-band and breeching fastened to the required length and tightness. The sling should just come up to the height of the animal's belly; but no attempt should be made to raise him off his feet, for when he finds the relief which is afforded by throwing his weight into the slings, he will not be slow in doing so; indeed with some horses it is necessary to use great quickness in making the ropes fast before they throw their whole weight upon the canvas. In the spring mares are generally more troublesome than geldings, and are inclined to kick and rub against the bales, which in such cases are to be well covered with sheepskins, before they have caused injury by rubbing through the skin. Too much attention cannot be paid to the constant trimming of the wind-sails, which must be kept full to the wind; the fore part of the ship is invariably that in which sickness first exhibits itself among horses, and, therefore, the greatest attention must be paid to throwing a stream of fresh air down the fore hatchway by the wind-sails, the lower ends of which should be carried to within a foot or so of the flooring. |