| lbs. | ||
| Flour | 979,996 | |
| Preserved Meat | 173,792 | |
| Biscuits | 142,510 | |
| Tea | 23,167 | |
| Coffee | 9,483 | |
| Sugar | 267,699 | |
| Salt | 38,741 | |
| Maize | 3,965,400 | |
| Bran | 923,948 | |
| Oats | 1,270,570 | |
| Hay, &c. | 1,864,223 |
and a large amount of medical comforts, such as spirits, wines, arrowroot, sago, beef tea, &c.
In addition to the above we had rice, ghi, goor, atta, &c., for the natives of the Indian contingent. (Ghi is clarified butter; goor, unrefined sugar; atta is whole meal.)
At the beginning of the siege the scale of rations was as follows:—
Bread, 1-1/4 lb, or biscuit, 1 lb.
Meat (fresh), 1-1/4 lb., or preserved meat, 1 lb.
{ Coffee, 1 oz.,
{ or
{ Tea, 1/2 oz.
Sugar, 3 oz.
Salt, 1/2 oz.
Pepper, 1/36 oz.
{ Vegetables (compressed), 1 oz.,
{ or
{ Potatoes, 1/2 lb.
Cheese, bacon, and jams were frequently issued as an extra, in addition to the above.
REQUISITIONING.
The above quantities of articles, large as they appear, would not have sufficed to supply our wants for the long siege. The military authorities therefore very wisely determined at a very early date to make use of the Requisition. This power of seizing at a certain price from their owners all articles required by the troops has to be used very carefully and tactfully, as otherwise the people hide or bury their goods. A civilian, commanding the confidence of the people, was appointed by the local authorities to fix the prices in co-operation with a military officer, who represented the interests of her Majesty's Government. In this way a large quantity of food, &c., was obtained at a fair price. These quantities were:—
Cattle, 1,511.
Goats and sheep, 1,092.
Mealies or maize, 1,517,996 lbs.
Kaffir corn, or a kind of millet, 68,370 lbs.
Boer meal, or coarse wheat-meal, 108,739 lbs.