Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/211

 SUFFERINGS OF THE AliMIES. 167 to last throughout a hard winter-time, and that ceiap numbers of things which in other campaigns L. might fairly be counted as ' luxuries/ were, in this one, essential to life. Considering the enormous difificulties of the land-transport it will probably be judged that the deficiencies occurring in the issue of provi- sions to our troops were surprisingly small ;(^^) but it must be remembered that in the mo- mentous business of supplying food to our army before Sebastopol, mere delay, although not long protracted, was calculated to imperil health, and the more so because, as we saw, it too often prevented our men from having their meat- rations cooked before the evening hour when they had to march ofi' for the trenches. If the deficiencies that occurred in the issue of rations were upon the whole very small, they also, we know, were partial, there being some regiments, nay, even some brigades, nay, even again, some divisions, which received their pro- visions in full ; and the truth indeed is that the deficiencies, when they occurred, did not gener- ally result altogether from default of the hand undertaking to furnish supplies, but rather from failure of the arm — the wearied, overtasked arm — which did not stretch out to receive them. It is upon the exertions of the men themselves that the task of providing for their wants must always in part depend. 'Fleets of vessels may ' be freighted, and thousands of animals laden ' with supplies, but it is the labour of the soldier ' applied to fatigue duty or extra work which