232 AfcMY UNIFORMS t*A&T AND PRESENT 



describes how his regiment landed at Cape Town (after 

 a voyage from England of two months !) wearing their 

 ordinary clothing, and it was not until they had 

 marched far into the interior that 'our bonnets and 

 plaids were replaced by a costume more suitable for 

 the bush viz., a short dark canvas blouse; in addition 

 to which feldt-schoen and lighter pouches, made of 

 untanned leather, were issued to the men, and broad 

 leather peaks affixed to their forage-caps.' l 



Captain King's narrative is illustrated by lithographs 

 from his own excellent drawings, which show his men, 

 heavily accoutred with pack and pouch, and with no 

 protection against the sun except the aforesaid peak to 

 the forage-cap, severely handicapped in fighting nearly 

 naked blacks armed with rifles. No wonder the 74th 

 lost heavily, their commander, Colonel Fordyce, falling 

 at their head in a bush fight, together with some of his 

 best officers. 



It is not only in matters of dress and equipment 

 that we have learnt consideration for our troops on 

 foreign service. The splendid organisation of the 

 Royal Army Medical Corps has been severely tested 

 in coping with the requirements of such a force as it 

 was never contemplated Great Britain would or could 

 put in the field ; but the test was most nobly met ; 

 the latest discoveries in science were employed to 

 avert disease and mortality from wounds, thereby 

 saving soldiers and their families and friends from 

 an incalculable amount of misery. The Transport 

 Service not only met the extraordinary demand 



1 Campaigning in Kaffirland, by Capt. W. R. King, 1853, p. 27. 



