under-drawers, under-shirt, socks, laced boots and uniform
trousers. My particular private was carrying a double allowance of
socks, handkerchiefs, and underwear. He had a toothbrush and comb.
That is the heavy marching order knapsack. For light marching, which
is the usual manner, the man begins by spreading on the ground his
half-tent, which is about the size of a traveling rug. On this he
spreads his blanket, rolls it up tightly into a long narrow sausage,
having first distributed along its length a pair of socks, a change of
underwear, and the two sticks of his one tent pole. Then he brings the
ends of this canvas roll together, not closely, as in the German army,
but more like the ends of a horse-shoe, held by a rope which at the
same time stops the ends of the roll tightly. When this horse shoe is
slung over the man's shoulder, it does not press uncomfortably upon
his chest. The total weight is distributed in the most convenient
manner for marching.

The packing of the man's things is strictly according to regulation,
excepting only the single pocket in his knapsack, where he may carry
what he chooses, as he chooses. His light canvas haversack is much
like the English one, and his round, rather flat water flask is
covered with canvas. It is made of tin, and the one I inspected was
rusty inside. It would be better if of aluminum. In the haversack is a
pannikin with a hinged handle that may be used as a saucepan. Over
this fits a tin plate, and when the two are covering one another the
handle of the pannikin fits over both by way of handle. It is an
excellent arrangement, but should be of aluminum instead of a metal
liable to rust. The most valuable part of this haversack is a big tin
cup that can be used for a great variety of purposes, including
cooking coffee. It is hung loose at the strap of the haversack. Of
course each man has knife, fork and spoon, each in a leather case.

The cartridge belt contains 100 rounds, which are distributed all the
way around the waist, there being a double row of them. The belt is
remarkably light, being woven all in one operation. It is of cotton
and partly some material which prevents shrinking or loosening. The
belts have stood admirably the test put upon them for the last six
days, when it has rained every day, on top of the ordinary heavy
moisture usual at sea in the tropics. The test is the more interesting
from their having been previously in a very dry country. Officers a