Feb. 24. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



141 



notice might be interesting to some, I have for- 

 warded it to « N. & Q." J. S. D. 

 Pembroke College, Oxford. 



CBIM£AN REQDIB£MENTS. 



" Every person in this counlri/ has a duty to perform at 

 this moment." — The marquis of Lansdowne, Feb. 8. 



It is about fifty years since I read a clever little 

 book entitled The arts of life. It consists of 

 essays on food, clothing, and shelter. With such 

 a help to the light of nature I have always be- 

 lieved that food, clothing, and shelter are the in- 

 dispensable requirements of man. 



After this exordium, need I announce the subject 

 in hand ? We cannot reflect on the necessities of 

 life without also reflecting on the consequences of 

 want and exposure — without being transported, 

 by the irresistible power of associated ideas, to 

 the camp before Sebastopol ! 



The question as to food and clothing may be 

 despatched in ten lines. Every man knows what 

 are his own requirements, and with such data 

 arithmetic would teach what are the requirements 

 of thirty thousand men. Common sense, and a 

 decent share of ofiicial activity, would have ob- 

 viated all complaints with regard to those articles. 

 More might be said, but it would be useless to 

 dwell on circumstances which all vividly remem- 

 ber and many must ever lament. 



The necessity of shelter is as obvious as that of 

 food and clothing; but on the nature of the shelter 

 best adapted to a winter encampment, there is 

 scope for variety of opinion. It is the point which 

 I now propose to discuss. 



When it was announced that wooden huts were 

 to be provided for our troops in the Crimea, I 

 doubted the wisdom of the measure ; and when it 

 was reported that carpenters had been engaged to 

 set them up, I uttered an exclamation which would 

 not bear repetition. 



With entire approval of the object in view — 

 the diminution of human sufferings — I objected 

 to the plan adopted on the score of its incongruity. 



One of the elements of success in war is rapidity 

 of movement ; and assuming, with regard to two 

 hostile armies, an equality in other respects — it 

 may be called the prime element of success. 



Now, admitting that the huts could be set up as 

 required, what is to become of an army with such 

 a mass of additional camp-equipage? How are 

 the huts to be taken to pieces at short warning? 

 How can the means of transport be provided ? It 

 is certain that an army so encumbered, and re- 

 quired to advance or retire with rapidity, must 

 either burn its costly huts, or abandon them to 

 the enemy. 



In illustration of this argument I must have re- 

 course to the logic of figures. It is required to 



provide shelter for an army of 30,000 men. Now, 

 according to major James, the old circular tent, 

 which accommodated 12 men, weighed 431b. ; and 

 according to field-marshal Raglan the wooden 

 huts, which may accommodate about 24 men, 

 weigh each 56001b. The number of tents required 

 would therefore be 2500, and the entire weight 

 would be 107,5001b. The number of huts required 

 would be 1250, and the entire weight would be 

 7,000,000lb. Therefore, the weight of the tents 

 compared with that of the huts would be in the 

 proportion of 1 to 65 ! 



The description of the tents may be seen in 

 the Military dictionary, 1805. The weight of the 

 huts is given in the despatch of which an extract 

 follows : — 



" Before Sebastopol, Jan. 13. 



"Every effort is making, and with tolerable success, in 

 landing and putting up the huts; their great weight 

 (2^ tons each) is a serious obstacle to their conveyance 

 to "the camp, with our limited transport. Each hut re- 

 quires three stripped artillery waggons, with from eight 

 to ten horses each, or 180 men. Much sickness continues 

 to prevail. — Raglan." 



The tents, we are assured, afford a very insuf- 

 ficient shelter. I am quite sensible of it, and 

 might have made no objection to the huts had I 

 not devised a substitute. Without any apology, 

 here follows my project. 



I propose the same tents with stouter tent-poles, 

 stouter tent-pins, and thicker ropes — so as to 

 ensure stability in tempestuous weather. I also 

 propose an additional covering of some water- 

 proof material, whether painted canvas, or felt, or 

 otherwise, and a floor-cloth of the same or other 

 similar material. Even plain canvas might an- 

 swer the purpose. The apex of the covering should 

 be fixed. The rest of the covering might be at- 

 tached thereto by hooks or lacings ; and might be 

 removed in summer, or be added at night, or on 

 the approach of cold or wet weather. Each tent 

 should also be furnished with a spade or iron scoop. 

 It would be useful in case of snow, and would 

 serve to make trenches to carry ofi" the water, or 

 for other sanitary precautions, I have suggested 

 felt as a material for the tent-coverings, because 

 there is a manufactory of that article at Eupatoria. 

 So says M. Anatole de Demidofl*. 



As the additions to each tent would scarcely 

 double its weight, the whole weight of the camp- 

 equipage would still be less than a thirtieth part of 

 that of the huts ! 



Those who have occasion to visit foreign coun- 

 tries should inquire into the practices and habits 

 of the natives. In so doing they would benefit by 

 the experience of successive generations. Now! 

 can prove, by a short extract, that the nomadic 

 tribes of Crimean Tartars protected themselves 

 against cold and wet by means very similar to 

 those which I have proposed : — 



