Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/165

 STATE BEFOKIi THK HURRICANE. 121 sary to authorise a partial withdrawal of the chap. extra half-pound of meat ; (^) and in the winter, L_ for want of land-transport, the issue of rice was for some weeks suspended. In October, when the work in the trenches proved trying. Lord Kaglan ordered an extra ration of rum for the troops, and a third portion also for those who were on duty at night, either as guards, or on picket, or with working parties.(^) He after- wards ordered that the issue of rice should be resumed. ('') Subject only to those brief, though still dis- tressing delays which will be afterwards men- tioned, the provisions thus destined for our troops were punctually issued to them, and in general were very good of their kind ; but with the approach of winter, and the simultaneous exhaustion of the supplies of cattle obtained at Eupatoria, the issues of fresh meat became necessarily less and less frequent, because the means of sea-transport were wanting.C") The coffee was issued by the Commissariat in a green state, and at first with advantage and satisfaction to the soldier, for he had no difficulty in roasting and pounding it ; (^) but when the winter set in, the trouble of obtaining fuel be- came much greater than before ; and to men cruelly overworked, as they then were, and weakened too by their sufferings, a ration of coffee already roasted would have been infinitely more welcome than the green berries. So early as the 24th of October, Lord Raglan began his endeavours to obtain fresh vegetables