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 92 THE WINTER TROUBLES. CHAP, which had reached their destined ports, they too ^' often remained on board during lengthened periods ;(^) and apparently it now and then happened that a vessel left the port she had reached without having completely discharged her cargo, yet continued to go on plying, so that stores and munitions long moved to and fro on the waters. In OTie ghastly instance, the body of an Irish officer, despatched for interment at home, was somehow ' mislaid,' like the Prince Consort's furs ; and apparently it must have voyaged, like a troubled spirit, from shore to shore, for the utmost lal)our of official investi- gators proved absolutely unable to trace it.(^) Insufficiency The insufficiency of the steam-vessels at the powel-^fita command of the English proved baneful to the orthe^sup- health of our troops by curtailing their supplies m^t auT of fresh meat and vegetables. For the transport vegetables. ^^ ^^^^j^ things by sca, experience forbade all reliance upon the sLjw, uncertain resource afforded hj sailing-vessels; and indeed it was found that, when committed to the winds of the Black Sea, beasts perished during the voyage in numbers rightly called ' enornious.'(^) Accord- ingly, whilst the Commissary-General laboured hard and successfully to purchase cattle and veg- etables in the countries of the Levant, he was also incessantly striving to obtain for their transport the requisite amount of steam-power. Unable to obtain all he needed, he yet strove to obtain all he could, and for this purpose addressed to the chief a standing request for all the steam-vessels that from time to time could be