CAPTAIN HECKLEE.]

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85. Did you receive any complaint about the ventilation? —No, I did not—not from my men. 86. Do you consider that the men suffered on board the " Britannic " more than they do on an ordinary transport from want of ventilation ?—Not a bit. 87. You think that their case was no worse than that of a larger body of men packed together? —No, sir. 88. The ventilation was not so good as the " Drayton Grange " ?—Well, there was not so much difference, with the exception of the troop-deck I spoke about. There was perhaps one troopdeck a little worse. 89. Was the " Drayton Grange " as crowded when you went on board her as the " Britannic " was when you returned ?—Just about the same. 90. You told us that a good many of the men were lousy at Newcastle ? —Yes, sir. 91. What number out of a hundred do you think would have been lousy at Newcastle?—l could not say. 92. Was every second, third, or fourth man ?—-Perhaps ; I could not say so much as that. 93. Can you give us an idea : how many do you think ?—I could not say ; I know some of them were. 94. Was it a discredit to a man ?—Not the slightest. 95. Did some men take it more freely than others?— Fair people were the worst—worse than the dark ; that was my experience. 96. Do you know anything about the issue of blankets at Durban ?—My men had their own blankets, and they had blankets issued on board. They brought all New Zealand blankets back with them. 97. Those blankets may have been lousy ?—Yes, air. 98. Did you see the blankets served out on the "Britannic"?— Yes; Quartermaster Lewin got my blankets for my men. 99. Did you see them yourself with your own eyes? —Yes, some of them. . They were white blankets. I ordered the men to keep their own blankets, which was done. 100. What order were the blankets in? —Fairly good. 101. Did they look clean? —Yes, they looked clean, sir. 102. Did they look as if any effort had been made to clean them ?—They looked fairly clean —-they were rolled. 103. Then, they had been put away properly apparently after being previously used ?—Yes, sir. 104. How soon after embarkation did you hear complaints of lice ?—I could not say, sir, how soon it was. I know several complaints were made about being lousy. 105. Do you think it was a day after or a week after?— Perhaps a week after ; I could not really say. 106. What was the condition of the water supplied for washing when you were a trooper ?— When I went over in the " Monowai "it was very poor. In the " Drayton Grange "it was very good. 107. On board the " Drayton Grange " it was better than the " Monowai " ?—Yes, sir. 108. What were the regulations on the "Drayton Grange"?— There was a certain amount given ; some one stood over you and you took a certain amount. 109. At what hours?—lo to 5. 110. For washing? —Yes, sir. It was half-past 9or 10 after we finished stables. 111. You did not get your water until after 10 o'clock?—No, not on board the " Drayton Grange." 112. And you had it from 10 to 5 ?—Some used to abuse it and take water for all sorts of things. You were allowed a certain amount. 113. Water was available for washing from 10 to s?—Yes, sir. 114. What hours was it available for washing on board the " Britannic " : was it from 6 till 8 in the morning ?—Yes, sir. 115. Was there any other time when the men could get a wash on board the " Britannic "?— I had no complaints about shortage of water from my men. 116. Do you think if men bustled about they could get a wash every day ? —Yes, sir. If they cared to wash they could get it every day. 117. When you were officer of the day was it part of your business ever to attend the issue of uncooked meat ?—No, sir. The veterinary officer and medical men generally did. It rested with the officer of the day whether he cared to doit or not. 118. Who was present on behalf of the men when the meat was issued of a morning?— The quartermaster and the veterinary officer. 119. Not the officer of the day ? —Not necessarily. 120. Nor his subaltern ?—No, sir, not necessarily. 121. Was it customary on the other ships?—We did not do it on the " Drayton Grange." 122. Then, you cannot give us reliable information as to the issue of raw meat to the men ?—■ No, sir. 123. Mr. McNab.] You were on duty as officer of the day about one day in six ?—About that; I could not say from memory. I was officer of the day for about four times, 1 think, on the journey. 124. That would be practically one-seventh of the time you were on duty ?—Yes. 125. During that time you only received one complaint about bad cooking ?—That is all, sir. 126. Did you receive any complaints about not sufficient food ? —Well, my men complained, just as I told you, to Colonel Davies one day. One man spoke up, and he said that he had not had enough since he had been on the boat. The colonel then asked me if the man had complained to me.

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