H.—6c.

50

TROOPER SILBET.

13. Why did they want that bully beef ?—Because they had not got sufficient to eat. 14. Have you any idea how much food was issued to the men ?—I could not exactly say, but I saw it in the dish myself. I should imagine that it would not last sixteen men—it would be a very small allowance. They would only be able to have two small potatoes and a very little piece of meat. 15. Do you think the men got a pound of meat a day ?—No, I would not say that. 16. They did not get a pound of meat ?—No. 17. Then, if we get evidence that a pound of meat was issued it is false evidence?—l would not like to swear about it. I would not like to say. 18. You have taken your oath, remember, so please be accurate in your statements. You will swear that a pound of meat was not issued to the men ?—By looking at it in the dish it was not a pound of meat. 19. Was complaint made about the fish?— Yes, complaint was made about it. 20. Was any notice taken of the complaint ?—Yes, there was notice taken of it. 21. It was remedied ?—lt was all thrown overboard. •22. Did the men have to go empty on that occasion ?—They were given bully beef instead. 23. Then, when complaint was made about the fish it was thrown overboard, and the men were given something in its place ?—Yes. 24. On that occasion the men had to wait a little, perhaps, but they did not go empty ?—They did not go empty. 25. Tell us any information about the fish ?—The fish was cooked with the scales on it and its inside in it. Groper, I think, it would be. 26. Did you see the fish with the entrails left in it ?—Yes, sir; I saw it in the troopers' galley. I was called in by a trooper. 27. What was his name?— That I could not say. 28. Was he a New-Zealander?—Yes, sir. 29. Do you remember which regiment?—A South Island man. 30. Do you know which squadron he belonged to?—I could not say, sir. I did not know many of the South Island men. 31. And you, being employed in the capacity of cook, took no notice of it?—No, sir; I had nothing to do with it. 32. Did you recommend the troopers to do anything ?—I recommended a trooper to take it once to the orderly officer. 33. And did he do so ?—I heard he had done so, but I could not say so. 34. Were there enough vegetables put in the soup ?—No, there were not. 35. You say they were not cooked ?—No ; they were hard. 36. Were they not sufficiently long in the soup, or was the vegetable bad of its kind?—lt was not bad of its kind, but there was not sufficient time given to make an essence of the vegetables. Supposing you put in parsnips and turnips to make a flavour, you have to boil it for half an hour for the essence to come out to make soup. • 37. How long were they cooked? —I should say they were only in about three or four minutes. 38. How often did you go down to the mess-dinner ?— I used to go very nearly every afternoon. 39. Did you go down to dinner ? —No, sir. 40. How often did you go down to dinner ?—Never once. 41. Then, were you down during the time they were at dinner? —No, sir. 42. Then, how did you know about the food supplied? —I would see it supplied from the galley. 43. You were in the officers' galley ?—ln the saloon galley. 44. The coffee you say was very poor ?—Very poor coffee. It had been boiled at night, and then left overnight and boiled up again in the morning. 45. Are you accustomed to cooking—that is, do you know whether that is a common or uncommon thing to do with coffee ?—You would not boil it overnight. A good cook would not boil it twice. 46. You say that the boilers were not clean before the coffee was made ?—They were not. 47. Did you examine them yourself ?—I did, sir. 48. What was done in the way of cleaning the boiler before the coffee was made ?—They would get a dipper and dip the soup or the water the meat had been boiled in out, and then wipe it round with a dirty cloth. 49. A dirty cloth ? —Yes, a dirty towel. 50. There was never an attempt made to clean the copper properly ?—Not to clean it properly. 51. Was boiling water put in it ? —Cold water was put in. 52. Was the water brought to the boil at all before putting in the coffee?— Yes. 53. It was more or less washed with boiling water ?■—Yes. 54. Then, there was something more than a greasy cloth put in after the soup was taken out ? —That was all I saw. 55. Was it simply emptied and wiped with a greasy cloth, or was there a pretence of washing it with boiling water?—No pretence. They put in cold water after wiping with a cloth. 56. The fragments of the potatoes left from the soup in the boiler would be there, and the coffee was put into that ?—Yes, sir. 57. You say there was no notice taken of complaints at first ?—Not at first. 58. What was the nature of the complaints?— The complaints were that they did not have sufficient rations served out to them.