Private Journal of Henry Francis Brooke: Late Brigadier-General Commanding 2nd Infantry Brigade, Kandahar Field Force, Southern Afghanistan, from April 22nd to August 16th, 1880Brooke, Henry Francis
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Private Journal of Henry Francis Brooke: Late Brigadier-General Commanding 2nd Infantry Brigade, Kandahar Field Force, Southern Afghanistan, from April 22nd to August 16th, 1880
Brooke, Henry Francis
Afghan Wars; Brooke, Henry Francis, 1836-1880
was leading him, and got a very bad cut on his hind leg from some wire
paling, but fortunately both got better much more quickly than I hoped,
and seem very happy and comfortable in their stalls on board this ship
to-day (S.S. "Umballa," at sea March 28th). The next thing to do was to
find servants, and in this I think I have been fortunate, having got a
quiet Portuguese as general servant, to take care of my clothes, cook,
and make himself generally useful. He is to get 25 rupees a month, his
clothes and food. Each horse has its groom, and they seem good sort of
men, but there is not much choice, as one has to take pretty much what
can be got, as there is not much desire among this class of men to see
foreign parts. They
[Sidenote: Preparations for Kandahar.]
each get 15 rupees a month, and their clothes and food. After the
horses and servants were procured the next consideration was how to
get all the things I wanted to take with me into the limit of weight
allowed us by the Regulations. I have, of course, considerably more
than other officers, but even so I find it quite impossible to manage
all I should like to do, so I have brought about 100 lbs. over my
weight, as I can easily take any quantity I like as far as the railway
goes (_i.e._, to Sibi), and I am told beyond that I shall perhaps be
able to hire some private carriage to take the extra quantity on to
Kandahar, and certainly to Quetta, where it can be left, and sent on
after me to Kandahar, when the press of sending up troops is over.
Even with this extra weight I have been obliged, of course, to limit
greatly my desires and wants, but I hope I have got together a fairly
compact kit with nothing but what is absolutely necessary in it. First
of all I have two very small trunks, which contain my clothes (all of
which are uniform), shirts, &c., &c. I have, as a great treat, brought
two white shirts, to be worn on high days and holidays, as a change
from the coloured flannel shirts which, though useful and appropriate
for the occasion, are articles of dress I dislike very much. As the
cold season is now past, and it is heat rather than cold we shall
suffer from, it has not been necessary to bring up warm clothing,
although, of course, I have a few warm things in case of meeting sudden
changes of temperature which is quite possible. General Hogg, the
Quartermaster-General, presented me with an excellent breech-loading
revolver, and I have purchased a sword belt of the kind called the "Sam
Browne Belt" (having been invented by General Sir Sam Browne), as it is
so arranged that without inconvenience the pistol and ammunition can be
carried on it, and the sword itself can be arranged according to one's
pleasure, for riding or walking, which is a great convenience. The
Government carry for me 200 lbs. weight of tents (for other officers
only 100 lbs.), so I have purchased two tents, one for myself and the
other
[Sidenote: Service kit for Kandahar.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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