tattrg to I4r eititur.
PROYIBTUNS FOR OVR ARMY IN THE CRIMEA-. leeketh .EFoto, .Ambleside, 3d October SIR—The receipt-of a letter from the Crimea,. bearing date the 16th ul- timo, from "Camp," (happily " before SebastoPal" no longer required, as heretofore,) containing enelosed,a.portion of ordinary brown dried bread used by the Russian soldiers, of-which immense quantities in store my friend stater were found in the captured town has turned the course of my thoughts to the provisioning of our troops ;—retecting on what they suffered last winter from negleet on this head, and fearing should they have to go through. another winter campaign in that country, as now seems most probable, they may suffer again from the same cause, especially should the war be carried. on in the open field and at increased distance from oar fleet and naval re- sources.
As this Russian bread has led me to reflect on the subject; I will first de- e cribe it ; and it is a good starting-point for the few remarks I shall venture twoffer in the way of suggestion.
The bread is in the state of coarse powder or grains, the largest. little ex-. ceeding two-tenths of an inch in diameter; is of a brown colour, as if slightly scorched in the drying or baking; and has a alight not unpleasant bitter taste, like bread that has been over-toasted. Under the microscope, It exhibits the appearance of. bread made of flour notdeprived of bran ; and I may add, and it is important, it is free from all mildew, and equally so from any of the iesect depredators which infest ship-biscuit when long kept.
The peculiarities of this bread, then, emits being highly, dried, so as to be slightly scorched, and its granular form.; the one rendering it better fitted for keeping, and probably more wholesome; the other for conveyance- and facility hi using. I find that it loses from thorough drying only six per cent of water ;_ and this, "no doubt, water derived from the.atmosphere- on exposure. My friend informs me that the "seem to eat it usually flopped in water and beaten into a kind of porridge." As to the suggestions I venture to offer, the first is, that bread like this of theRussiane should take the place of the biscuit, such as was served out to our-troops last winter ; secondly, that good fresh meat, prepared after the manner of pemmican, should be substituted for the salt meat which was almost their exclusive food with biscuit at that time; and, thirdly, that ground roasted coffee (very finely ground) or tea should he issued to them,. instead of the unground and green berry which they then had and could make little use of.
- These three—meat, breed, coffee or tee, of good quality each—woulhl con- stitute a wholesome diet; in sufficient quantity, would secure health and strength, so far as they are dependent on.diet ; and in the-form proposed to he supplied, would be easily carried and easily cooked, or, in case of neces- sity interfering with cooking, might be used without, and this without creating a loathing or disgust. It. would be tedioua to enter into minute de- tails, and at present unnecessary : it is to the principle, as regards kind and formythat I am most anxious to call attention. Provisions such as mentioned might be moat easily peeked in Mackintosh covers,—the bread and meat in packages of a pound each, the coffee or tea in proportionally smaller ones. The simplest and lightest cooking-imple- ments would suffice. ' Our men probably by this time have learnt from the Turks how to prepare coffee ; and, by use, like them to relish it without sugar : but atrangsr is wholesome as wales agreeable, a portion might be added (the.requinte quantity) to each allowance of coffee, thoroughly mixed. If economy should be an object, or-if it should be thought desirable for the sake of variety, the pemmican meat and bread might be kept in reserve-so long as good fresh meat and bread are obtainable, or so long as the troops arc in quarters; to be issued these .failing, or on the occasion of taking the field in heavy marching-order.
It would be easy to refine on what I have proposed : as how a compound pemmican might be supplied fermed of bread and meat properly seasoned, which might be useful on particular occasions, as when detachments have to make forced marches;, or other compounds for the use of the sick in hospi- tal, as medical comforts: but these cannot fail of being thought of by those persons concerned in provisioning the army, if competent for their dutiet.. - Perhaps it may be said that these suggestions are theoretical; but they are the contrary. As I have introduced them by an account of the bread
u sed by the Russian soldiers, and which there, is every reason to believe afforded them, so far as bread is concerned, good nourishment, I will conclude with a reference to the remarkable health enjoyed by the parties employed in the Arctic exploring. expeditions,. especially that under the command of Sir John Richardson ; whose food, when undergoing the severest exercise and meet trying exposure, was almost exclusively pemmican, and their drink tea.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, jOHN
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