Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/482

 438 APPENDIX. NoTK 7 — ' Pendant ce mois de Janvier, il n'y en eu pas moins ' de 2500 ' [cas de congelation] ' pour un tiers, suivis de mort, ' pour la plupart de mutilations douloureuses ; on conipterait le ' petit nombre de eeux qui ne demcurdnt pas k jamais estropi^s.* —Ibid., vol. ii. p. 18. yote respecting Frost-bite in the French Army. A statement to the effect that more than 800 French soldiers (a third of 2500) died from frost-bite in the month of January, is one important enough to deserve the privilege of resting upon something better than ' hearsay ' authority ; but the French offi- cial returns are unfortunately in so defective a state that they afford no materials for either affirming or contradicting the asser- tion. They show that 15 men died from frost-bite in the ambul- ances, but make no statement at all of the numbers who died from the same cause in the Bosphorus hospitals. It is curious that in the following winter — the winter of 1855-56 — when no conflict was going on, when the Allies had the whole south side to themselves, and when there had been a long time, a year and three-quarters, for preparation, the Lnperial Govern- ment of France proved unable to protect its troops from frost-bite. In the December, January, and Februai-y of that winter the admissions for frost-bite were 2058. — 'Rapport,' p. 565. Note S. — Rousset, p. 17. Note 9. — ' Les chevaux sans abri mouraient par centaines. La ' cavalerie etait presque demont(ie. L'artillerie et le train des ' equipages perdaient la moititi de leurs attelages. ... II y ' eut des jours oh. I'admuiistration fut hors d'etat de faire une ' soule distribution de fourrage.' — Rousset, vol. ii. p. 17. Note 10.— Ibid. Note 11. — A state nearly as ' desperate,' says Rousset, as the land -transport means of the English. — Ibid., p. 16. Fay, 173, 179 : ' . . . qu'on manque de moyens de transport et que I'^tat ' du sol se refuse d'ailleurs compl6tement a tout mouvement de ' quelque durce. '— Canrobert, letter 28th January 1851, quoted ' Rapport,' p. 74. ' Vers la fin du mois ' [Dec] ' le sol des camps 'circulation et les communications trte dilliciles. ' — 'Rapjjort,' p. 71. Note 12. — ' Le sol est tellement dctrempe ' [in January] ' qu'il a ' souvent fallu transporter d bras les munitions de toutes sortes et • les provisions, les voiturcs nc pouvant circuler.' — 'Rapport,' p. 74.
 * est tellement d6trempu qu'il forme une vase 6paisse qui rend la