that they screamed and struggled and fought. It was a battle for life, in
which the victors moved off unsatisfied, but with sufficient water to
enable them to live until the next scanty supply was issued, while the
vanquished dragged themselves away to die. Thank God this is over now.
There is plenty of water for all. I do not think an animal in this camp
has an insufficiency of water. The trough is long and wide, and the
animals advance on each side and drink as much as they desire. The times
for watering them is from six to eight in the morning, and from four to
six of an evening. A strong fatigue-party are present to pump the water
from the tank into the trough, and to keep order. They are ordered to
leave the trough full when they cease pumping, so that any animal which
may arrive late may not be deprived of its drink.
We have now only to ride along the shore for another 300 yards to arrive
at the commissariat stores on the left of the bunder, from which we
started. Here everything is excellently arranged and managed. The great
piles of stores are covered with tarpaulins and old sails to keep off the
rain; and as it was impossible to procure stones to form a foundation for
the sacks, and to keep them clear of the damp, broken-up packing-cases
were laid down first on the sand, then empty sacks, and then bales of hay
from Bombay, which is much more bulky and less valuable than the
compressed hay from England. No damage of any great extent can therefore
ensue from the heaviest flood. There are two very large wooden stores, in
which articles readily damageable by rain are housed; and there are two
very large framework buildings erected, which only require the corrugated
iron-plates.
Nearly opposite the commissariat a long wooden jetty is in course of
erection. It is already completed for a considerable distance; but the
water is so shallow, that it will have to be carried very much further out
before boats can come alongside to load.
We have now completed our circular ride round the camp; and I must leave
the camps and dépôts lying in the interior of the circle until another
occasion, for I have not yet touched upon the immediate news of the day.
General Napier landed yesterday morning at half-past seven. A guard of
honour of the 4th regiment was drawn up at the end of the pier, and the
various generals here, with their staffs, and the heads of the different
departments, received him. I had heard that he was going to land earlier,
and went down to the waterside just at daylight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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