36
"Tourmaline at Bombay,
the 22nd of March 1883.
SIR,
In answer to your letter of the 5th instant (No. 53, 1883,) I have the honour to inform
you that the rations supplied to men in the Royal Navy while serving on the East Indian
station are precisely the same as on the Home station, in accordance with the following
scale :-
In Harbour. 
Fresh Meat   
Lb. 1 daily.

Vegetables    
" 1/2 "

*Soft Bread   
" 1 1/4 "
 
At Sea. 
Salt Pork   
 " 1 "

with Split Peas  
" 1/3 "

Celery Seed   
As requisite

alternately with-


Salt Beef    
Lb. 1 daily.

with Flour   
 Ozs. 9 "

Suet    
" 3/4 "

Raisins    
" 1 1/2 "
except on every fourth day, when the following is issued :-

Preserved Meat 
 Lb. 3/4 daily.

with preserved Potatoes or Rice 
 Oz. 4 "
Both at Sea
and in Harbour. 
Rum 
Pt. 1/8 "

Sugar 
Ozs. 2 "

Cocoa 
" 1 "

Tea 
" 1/4 "

Mustard 
" 1/2 weekly.

Pepper 
" 1/4 "

Vinegar 
Pt. 1/4 "
* The same quantity of biscuit in lieu at sea.
When men are engaged on special duty, an extra ration of chocolate, or occasionally
rum, is issued.
On the recommendation of the Medical Officer, lime juice, oz. 2, is issued daily at sea.
The following are the meal hours: -
Breakfast (Bread and Cocoa)
6.45 A.M.
Dinner (Meat and Vegetables, &c.)
Noon.
Supper (Bread and Tea)
4.30 P.M.
N.B.-It is customary for men to save something from dinner to eat privately at a later hour.
(2). With regard to alteration, I would recommend that an extra ration of soluble
chocolate (which can be rapidly prepared) should be issued every morning, soon after the
men turn out (usually 5 A.M.), that the breakfast hour should be 8 A.M. instead of 6-45, that
supper should be at 6 P.M. instead of 4-30. The day would then be more equally divided.
At present the interval between the 4-30 supper hour and the following breakfast is more
than 14 hours, which is much too great.
The new hours would be thus: -
Early chocolate
5 A.M.
Breakfast
8 "
Dinner
1 P.M.
Supper
6 "

I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
(Signed) CHARLES L. RIDOUT,
Staff Surgeon, R. N."