74 MANUAL OF THE nIlAGIRI DISTEICT. 



CHAP. IV, the west of the married quarters, and with a garrison of the 



PART III. strength of the depot, and a Resident Chaplain, it is to be hoped 



Wellington. *^^^* Government will in time be able to erect a proper place of 



Medical worship. The adjoining room in this upper barrack is used for 



Climate &c. ^ recreation and reading room, coffee shop, and theatre. The 



out-houses are situated on the flanks to the west, north, and 



south, and are covered buildings, well constructed and suitable 

 for the purposes they are required for. The cook-houses, as 

 stated before, are situated at the end and on the lower story of the 

 building. They are provided with a range, and the cooking, which 

 is conducted by the soldiers under a master-cook, is well carried 

 out: variety is obtained, and the food supplied is liked by the men. 



The married quarters are to the north and west of the plateau 

 on which the soldiers' barracks are built. They are placed on a 

 plateau formed by the hillside being scarped out, and consist of 

 four ranges of double-storied buildings containing accommo- 

 dation for 107 persons, allowing each family a front and back 

 room. They are well raised, fairly ventilated, and well suited to 

 the purpose, the only objection being the fire-place in the front 

 room, which is required to be used for cooking purposes, and 

 which occasionally smokes. The out-houses which are situated at 

 the back, reached by covered ways, are very good and suitable. 



The drainage of the barracks throughout is conducted by 

 open masonry channels, which communicate with deeper trapped 

 drains, and empty themselves on the slopes. These require to 

 be frequently flushed, but answer well. The married quarters are 

 drained by open masonry drains, which have not answered well, 

 as the slope is hardly sufficient, but this state of things has lately 

 been improved by keeping a stream of water constantly flowing 

 into them, and by their being carefully and frequently swept by 

 hand. 



The hospital is to the north about 70 feet lower than the 

 barracks on the summit of a hill, which renders it dry, and permits 

 it to be drained easily and effectually. It consists of two single- 

 storied masonry buildings, enclosing a parallelogram, with the 

 west end composed of out-houses, and store rooms, and the east 

 end free, or rather having the Meteorological Observatory shed 

 facing to the north. The accommodation is (commencing with the 

 building to the west and south) the Hospital Sergeant's quarters, 

 two special wards, surgery and store rooms for medicines, two 

 large wards, one known as the " non-commissioned officers' 

 ward," which is capable of accommodating 12, and the one 

 adjoining it of accommodating 15 men, with an enclosed verandah 

 running the full length and facing to the square. At the west end 

 is a small special ward for isolating serious cases. Facing out- 

 wards are open verandahs, which are used for smoking. The other 



