Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/483

This page needs to be proofread.

APPENDIX. 439 Note 13. — See chap. vi. p. 119. The normal ration of the French soldier is shown ante, pp. 430, 431. Note 14. — ' Le pain fit longtemps defaut. ' — Fay, p. 172. General Bosquet, writing on the 27th December, speaks of bread as a thing ' -which the 1st Division has not touched since Decem- ' ber began, except on the 7th, 12th, and 16th, and which since ' the same date the 2d Division has not touched even once.' — ' Journal de la Deuzi6me Division. ' Note 15. — The medical chief of the French army reported that it ' re9evait bien de temps en temps de la viande de bceuf ou de ' mouton tu6s en Crun^e, mais ces animaux 6taient maigres, man- ' quaient de nourriture, et ne donnaient qu'une viande de trfes ' pauvi-e quality, et peu reparatrice. ' — 'Rapport,' p. 84. Note 16. — ' Absence absolue de v6g6taux frais.' — ' Rapport,' p. 81. Note 17. — Extra Allowances of Food and Drink to the French Soldier. — October 11th, a glass of brandy to each man who icorked in the trenches — Ordre General, No. 115. This extended, 18th October, to the guards of the trenches — Ordre General, No. 122. 25th October, an ounce of rice (30 grammes) to each soldier. Also to each soldier a glass of wine twice a- week — Ordre General, No. 129. 3d November, 3-| ounces (100 grammes) extra of biscuit to each soldier — Ordre Gmeral, No. 131. November 24, the grant of a glass of wine twice a-week superseded by the daily alloM-ance of a glass of wine, or a glass of brandy or of rum — Ordre G6neral, No. 139. What I have called a ' glass ' is the 16th part of a litre, and the litre, expressed decimally in pint measure, is 1.7607. The French ' gi-anune ' in the decimal frac- tion of the pound avoirdupois = 0. 002204. There was, besides, on the 25th of October, for the assigned piu-pose of enabling the soldier to buy a little brandy to mix with water, a grant of tivo ceMimes to each man — Ordre General, No. 128. The value of the two centimes together was less than one farthing. For his 30 grammes of rice the soldier was to pay by 'stoppage,' but the other extra allowances he was to have gratis. Note 18. — ' Rapport,' p. 81. I put this assertion in a positive form because its truth is established by the outbreak of the ter- rible malady which always results from the want of suificing and appropriate food. Note 19. — Of course there were great numbers of soldiers who had never made a campaign in Africa ; but even those