Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/214

clothing. 170 THE WINTEli TROUBLES. CHAP. We saw how promptly his efforts to oljtaiu the timber and other materials required for the con- struction of huts, and also great supplies of warm clothing, were rewarded by the arrival and land- ing of the goods he had sought to import ; (^^) but the state of the laud-transport, then perish- ing almost in its efforts to supply each day's food, made it utterly impossible as yet to haul up the loads of timber planks required for giving to our troops the shelter of wooden buildings. Thewarm So far as coucems the warm clothing with which to brave a winter, the condition of things was this : Before the 1st of December, there had been accumulated in the port of Balaclava a great quantity — and indeed it would seem an abun- dance — of not only blankets, but watch-coats and flannels and woollen fabrics already made up into jackets, waistcoats, drawers, stockings, socks, into all the shapes judged to be the best for enabling the soldier to keep himself warm both during his turn of duty and whilst repos- ing in camp ; but, to exert the transport power required for bringing up the treasures thus im- ported from our harbour to our camp — this was more than the hampered Commissariat could for the moment achieve, and it consequently resulted that the power of the regiments to get full possession of the blessings prepared for tliem became dependent upon their will and their power to fetch the gift awaiting them at a distance of several miles. Where it happened that a regiment was under a vigorous command- er, iind had with it a fair number of bat horses