Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/473

APPENDIX. 429 3078 tons, or 1026 per month — a quantity largely in excess of all the December shipments (despatch of 13th November), so that under that aspect there would be a renewed deficiency at the time when the cargoes shipped in December should reach the Crimea. However, so far as concerns the period of the hardest trial — i.e., the months of December and January, the instant evil was — not the insufficiency of the December cargoes (which did not reach the Crimea before February) — but the non-arrival of any English hay (whether sent in the ' autumn ' or later) except the 228 tons above mentioned. Note 36. — The quantity he received before February 1855 on account of the 2000 tons demanded on the 13th of September 1854 was only 228 tons (Chelsea Board Rep., p. 866). These 228 tons formed part of the 270 tons despatched in the course of the ' autumn ' — i. e. , in November. The Belgravia having sailed on the 8th of November, and made a very quick passage, arrived at Balaclava with her 180 tons on the 30th of the same month ; and the Esk, too, coming in some time afterwards with her 48 tons, brought up the quantity received before February 1855 to the above amount of 228 tons. At the end of Januaiy 1855 the Helen with her 42 tons was still to come, and so also were all those vessels which were to have been freighted in the course of December with their 633 tons. Note 37. — Chelsea Eep., p. 587. In March, after the change of Government, the shipments made during the month sprang up with a wonderful bound (as though under the effect of Palmer- ston's or perhaps Lord Panmure's volition) to nearly 1700 tons (1698 tons). — Ibid., p. 588. And in every month thenceforth until the close of February 1856 the shipments were great, amounting in that same February to no less than 6,330,592 lb. — i.e., 2326 tons. — Ibid. Note 38. — ' Send copy to Admiralty with letter requesting ' that Mr Filder's suggestion be acted upon with the utmost pos- ' sible despatch. Minute accoi'dingly. ' A few such words as those would have been a sufficient instruction to the clerks. Note 39. — When Pitt — the second Pitt — was First Lord of the Treasury, he used certainly to watch, and even in no stinted measure to transact its Commissariat business. I believe that the Duke of Wellington, when First Lord of the Ti-easury, used to take all his office functions aw strieux — used to come down early, hang up liis greatcoat and his hat, and then travel all round the great table from packet to packet till he had mastered, or thouglit he had mastered, every one of the decisions which were submitted >y subordinate functionaries for the sanction of