76 
THE FRENCH MANCEUVRES OF 1891. 
the sale to the men of all kinds of brandies, liqueurs, &c., was strictly 
forbidden, and a sentry was always placed at the door of every village 
cafe and beer-house, where the men were billetted, both to preserve 
order and to see that the regulations regarding the sale of liquors was 
enforced. The sentries appeared to carry out the order regarding the 
sale of liquors, more in its breach than its observance. If the men 
wished to have ally forbidden liquor they simply entered the inner 
room of the inn, into which it was an understood thing that the sentry 
should not enter. On one occasion it was rather amusing to see a large 
number of the band of one of the regiments, who wished to have a 
drink with a friend* of a somewhat more powerful kind than that 
allowed by regulations, tell the sentry, in the most unabashed manner, 
that he was not to interfere with their small carouse, but to walk about 
in the street; the gates of the inn yard were then closed, and they 
all sat down and the entertainment went on right merrily. Drink¬ 
ing was in most absolute moderation, and a drunken soldier was 
unknown; still, the manner in which the orders were disobeyed, and 
the authority of a sentry set aside in these minor matters, did not speak 
highly for the tone of discipline in small affairs. But the absence of a 
really strict and severe discipline seemed to be the weak point in the 
French army; there does not appear to exist that iron grip over the men 
which is to be found in other armies, the Republican feeling of equality 
is too strongly developed in the nation to allow of it. The system 
of discipline is hard to understand; it is one which is peculiar to the 
French army. It must be found to answer, as under it men accom¬ 
plish the most fatiguing marches in great heat, and without a straggler 
or man falling out. As an example of the heat, it was reported that in 
one regiment four men died in one day from sunstroke. The officers 
looked most thoroughly after the interests of their men, and the men 
who showed signs of footsoreness, or any of the other trivial complaints 
which will rapidly decimate the finest army, were always attended to 
by their non-commissioned officers directly a regiment was broken off. 
Responsibility seemed thoroughly well distributed through every grade, 
officers and non-commissioned officers had each their special task, and 
they seemed to perform it very conscientiously. There was very little 
delay in getting the men into their billets, every house and building 
was marked off carefully for the number of men assigned to it, and 
directly the men were broken off they were at once guided to their 
quarters by the non-commissioned officers; a good spirit and feeling 
seemed to exist between all ranks, and officers were in thorough sym¬ 
pathy with their men, but the distinction between grades was not 
sufficiently marked, and the general bearing too free and easy to fulfil 
the conditions necessary to a really strict discipline. 
The bread and vegetable rations supplied to the men were most 
liberal, but the quantity of meat was small, and the quality would 
have been considered most inferior in England. Bread was always 
issued the evening before the day for which it was required and carried 
by the men in their haversacks, but the meat was not distributed till 
the day for which it was required. In addition to fresh rations, a pro¬ 
portion of the men carried a tin of preserved meat as a reserve, this 
