For ordinary weather an officer can make himself very comfortable by means of a small oil-stove, one or two wicks. Have a box in which it fits exactly made for transporting it, and take along a tin of oil.
CAMP COOKING.
A field-kitchen is easily made by digging a long trench for the fire, its width not being sufficient for the kettles, which are placed on it, to drop into it, and covering up between them with stones and clay, that the fire, fed from the windward end, may draw right through. A chimney, formed with the sods cut off the top of the trench, can be built at the other end to increase the draught.
Three such trenches meeting under one chimney form a broad-arrow kitchen. The centre trench is traced in the direction from which the wind is blowing, the other two making angles of 40 to 45 degrees with it. The width of the trenches is 9 inches, reduced to 6 inches when they pass under the base of the chimney, and widened at their mouths to produce a draught. The depth is one foot at the base of chimney and 14 inches at the other end, or one foot throughout if the ground falls at the mouth of the trench. A field-kitchen is easily made of two logs rolled nearly together in the direction of the wind, and the fire kindled between them.
The Buzzacott field-oven is excellent, as is also the ordinary Dutch oven. They are furnished on requisition by the Quartermaster's Department.
To Make Field-ovens.—Take any barrel (the more iron hoops on it the better), the head being out; lay it on its side, having scraped away the ground a little in the centre to make a bed for it; or if there is a bank near excavate a place for it, taking care that the front end of the barrel is at least 6 inches back from the foot of the bank. Cover it with a coating of about 6 or 8 inches of wet earth or thick mud, except at the open end, which is to be the mouth of the oven. Pile up some sand or earth to the thickness of about 6 inches over the mud, arranging for an opening 3 inches in diameter being left as a flue (to increase the draught) to lead from the upper side of the barrel, at the far end, through the mud and earth. This flue is only left open when the fire for heating is burning; when bread is put in, it should be covered over. Form an even surface of well-kneaded mud at the bottom within the barrel to form a flooring to place the bread on. Light a fire within the barrel and keep it up until the staves are burnt, and the oven is then completed. When required for use, heat it as if it were an ordinary oven; draw out ashes; put in bread, and close the mouth with pieces of board, tin, or iron.
The Subsistence Department issues an excellent pamphlet on army cooking.
DRINKING-WATER.
The water should be well tested, and persons living near by questioned about it.