RAWAL PINDI DIVISION.

145

on the trench system were in use, while at the hospital the dry-earth system
was in force. The hospital was found to be clean and tidy, and was generally
complete in its equipment. Mr. Allen further reports that he was quite satisfied
with the hospital arrangements which were most efficient.

23rd (Punjab) Regiment Native Infantry.—Jhelum.

     I. Medical Officers. —Surgeon-Major E. Taylor, by whom this report has
been compiled, held charge
of the regiment throughout
the year. Surgeon Thomp-
son, A. M. D., held charge of
the detachment at Attock
from 1st January to 25th
April, and Surgeon Mac-
donald, 26th Regiment
Native Infantry, held charge
of the Detachment at Meean
Meer from 1st November to
31st December.

Medical
Officers.

     II. Location and move-
ments. —The head-quarters of the
regiment was at Jhelum from
1st January to 15th October: marched to Meean Meer to relieve the 25th Regiment Native
Infantry; left detachment there, and marched to Delhi to the Imperial assemblage, arriving
on the 30th of November, and remained in camp there until the 31st of December.
Detachment, average strength 129.46, was at Attock from 1st of January to 25th of April.
A detachment, average strength, 137.48, was at Meean Meer from 1st of November to
31st of December.

Location and
movements.

     III. Topography and physical geography. —The topography of Jhelum, &c., has been
described in previous reports, and I have had no opportunity of making myself acquainted
with the topography of the station of Meean Meer.

Topography,
&c.

     V. Lines, &c. —The lines at Jhelum were described in the report for 1875 and previous reports.
I have had no opportunity of making myself sufficiently acquainted with the lines at Meean
Meer, but from what I did see of them, I was not favourably impressed by them, and the
huts and barracks appeared kennels in comparison with those at Jhelum.

Lines, &c.

     VII. Conservancy, &c .—The conservancy arrangements at Jhelum were fully described in
the last and previous reports. At the Camp, Delhi, trenches were used; these were surrounded
by matting and were under the most careful supervision; one conservancy cart and two air-
tight vessels were supplied to each native regiment, and all due care was excercised towards
keeping the camp clean.

Conservancy,
&c.

     X. Clothing. —No change has taken place in the clothing or equipment of the
men of the regiment since last report. Recruits and men with families have hitherto had some
difficulty in providing themselves with a sufficiency of undress clothing, but this difficulty should
now no longer remain, as a very material improvement has taken place in the pay and prospects
of the native soldier since the 1st of January. Both ammunition boots and native shoes are in
use in the regiment. During the first part of the march from Jhelum to Delhi, native shoes were
worn until the men's feet became hardened, then ammunition boots came into use, and during
this rather long march the men suffered very little from sore feet.

Clothing.

     XIII. Marches, service, &c .—A detachment of the regiment marched from Attock to join
head-quarters at Jhelum in April. The head-quarters of the regiment marched from Jhelum
towards Meean Meer and Delhi on the 16th of October and arrived at Delhi on the 30th of
November. The weather during the first part of the march was very hot during the day, and the
men who were sickly felt it a good deal. The encamping grounds between Jhelum and Delhi were
as a rule, in good order; that at Gujrat was in the worst state; it had shortly before been flooded
and was then a swamp. Water and supplies were fairly good and plentiful at all the encamp-
ing grounds, some rain fell two marches north of Lahore. The weather, which was at first
hot, then moderate, became sharply cold by the time the regiment reached Delhi.

Marches.
service, &c.

     XIV Hospital. —The hospital at Jhelum is in fair repair and affords ample accommo-
dation; houses for hospital servants were built during the year. The hospital at Meean Meer
is commodious.

Hospital.

     XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment—

Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.

M 1