206 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

besides finding room among the packages for their rifles and all the other necessities of their journey. It was found practicable even to take a punt in each boat, as originally ordered. To the conveniences previously provided were also added a charcoal stove for cooking. Three nets were supplied, with line and hooks, to be in charge of the Canadian boatmen. Special stores were provided for the use of the boatmen. Forty-five of the boats were to act as outlying pickets, serving such offices as videttes do in the advance of an army, some leading and feeling the way, while others guard the rear. These 45 boats were to carry red lanterns, the remainder having white lights. The force was to advance in half battalions of 500 soldiers and 100 sailors in 50 boats, each half battalion being as far as practicable one day in advance of the next.

It is remarkably suggestive of the provision made for a modern armed force to note the particulars of the millions of rations and other stores supplied : corned beef (about 500,000 lbs. from Chicago lorming the chief supply), preserved fresh meat, bacon, boiled mutton, cheese, navy and cabin biscuit, flour, baking-powder, tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, compressed vegetables, jam (for extra rations), lime-juice, marmalade, erbswurst (preserved soup), cocoa and milk, pickles, vinegar, rice, oatmeal, tobacco, yellow soap, embolic soap, matches, extractum carnis, Tarragona wine, preserved potatoes, brandy, rum in quantities for regular rations, a small quantity of ale and stout and a little champagne in pints, for hospital use, and tins of condensed milk. No intoxicants, except those belonging to medical comforts, were to be carried in the boats, and the tobacco was to be issued by the noncommissioned officers in charge of the stores at a charge of sixteen pence a pound. Corned beef was to be the ration for dinner four days per week; preserved fresh meat, boiled mutton, bacon, and erbswurst being served out on the other three. The pickles were to be given with the corned beef, and the jam and marmalade to relish the daily pound of biscuit or the substituted dumpling on flour days, but only at the rate of 3 oz. per man per week. The rearrangement of the rations was, however, left to the discretion of the commanding officer, who might also, if the supply were