§ VISCOUNT LEWISHAMasked the Secretary of State for War, If his attention has been called to the letter published by their Cairo correspondent in The Standard of May 5th, from an officer in the camp at Kurot, near Debbeh; and, if the statements therein made, that the huts will not be completed till August, that seven men have died of enteric fever in the last twelve days, that, although the camp was only begun to be formed five weeks ago, there are already 150 sick, are correct; if so, and it is determined to keep the troops in that pestilential climate, if nothing can be done to alleviate their sufferings?
COLONEL DAWNAYasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether his attention has been called to the following extract from the letter of an officer in the camp at Kurot, near Debbeh, on the Upper Nile, in The Standard, of Tuesday, May 5th:—
We are all in miserable bell tents, the huts cannot be finished till August. The temperature is now 120 degrees:Every day is 24 hours of physical torture:Seven of our men have died of enteric fever in the last twelve days, and although we only began to form our camp here five weeks ago, we have already 150 sick. It is a disgrace to keep us in such a fiendish country; nothing can excuse it:The food is bad, we are still in rags, as no clothing has come up yet:If they keep the troops here all the summer none will be left worth a straw:Now the correspondents are gone everything is concealed, and there is no one to say a word for the soldier;and, whether, considering that Lord Wolseley has left that country before the real hot season commenced, the British force on the Nile will be brought back, or is it decided to retain them there under the condititions above stated?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONI have asked Sir Redvers Buller for information on this matter, and, by a tele- 1843 gram, dated from Dongola, this morning, he reports as follows: —
Hutting not yet finished at Kurot, Tani, or Merawi; should be this week. But troops have had day shelter for more than three weeks. Principal medical officer reports percentage sick, 71. Health of troops not so good, but not materially worse than at the date of last returns—viz., loth April. Doctors report health at Dongola, Abu Gus, Tani, Merawi as good; at Shabadood, Kurot, and Fatmeh as fair.With regard to the latter part of the noble Viscount's Question, I can only say that the statements made in Parliament have been sent to Lord Wolseley. We have been since that time in communication with him as to the measures to be taken upon them; and I expect that in the course of a very short time— probably in a day or two—I shall be in a position to inform the House that orders have been issued in accordance with the intentions stated to the House.
COLONEL DAWNAYAre we to understand from the noble Marquess that the troops are still living in bell tents on the Upper Nile?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONI presume that, at stations where the hutting has not been completed, they are; but, as stated by Sir Redvers Buller, day shelter during the great heat has been provided in all those stations for the troops for a considerable time.
§ VISCOUNT LEWISHAMCan the noble Marquess tell us what kind of hutting it is?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONNo, Sir; I cannot describe it accurately; but I presume it is in the nature of shedding.
§ MR. O'KELLYasked upon whose authority the noble Marquess made the statement that the troops were hutted? Last year the noble Marquess made a statement in that House that the troops were hutted on the Nile at a time when all the troops in the Valley of the Nile were living under canvas.
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONI have already stated that what I have said is on the authority of Sir Redvers Buller, who is the officer commanding at Dongola.