t, should be vested in the General
Officers commanding.

[Sidenote: Shoes.]

30. The scale of clothing authorized by Government for Native troops
and followers was found, even in the rigorous climate of Afghanistan,
to be most liberal, except that during the very coldest weather a
second blanket was required. This want I was able to meet from stock
in hand, and as the weather became milder these extra blankets were
withdrawn and returned into store. Warm stockings, too, are very
necessary in a climate where frostbite is not uncommon; fortunately,
some thousands were procured locally and issued to followers. The
ordinary Native shoe of India, as provided by the Commissariat
Department, is utterly unfitted for a country such as Afghanistan.
Major Badcock will send to Peshawar (where they can easily be made up)
a pattern Kabali shoe, which I am convinced would be found admirably
suited for Native troops and followers crossing the frontier. We are
now almost entirely dependent on the local market for our shoes.

[Sidenote: Ammunition boots.]

A large supply of English-made ammunition boots should always
accompany a force in the field, in order to allow those Natives who
use them, and who are often crippled by wearing other descriptions of
shoe, to obtain them on payment at the moderate rate now fixed, viz.,
Rs. 4 per pair.

[Sidenote: Waterproof sheets.]

The country-made waterproof sheets, though slightly heavier, have
proved themselves quite as serviceable, if not more so, than the
English-made ones.

At the close of the campaign, I would very strongly recommend that an
intelligent committee should be required to go thoroughly into
these questions of clothing for troops, British and Native, and for
followers. I would also suggest that when a decision is arrived at,
sealed patterns of every article approved should be deposited at all
manufacturing centres and in all the large jails, so that when certain
articles are required they need only be called for, and precious time
(often wasted in reference and correspondence) saved.

[Sidenote: Doolie-bearers.]

31. The number of doolie-bearers with the two divisions of the Kabul
Field Force now at Kabul is 3,536, with the very moderate sick report
of 35, or 1 per cent. of strength.

Doolies and dandies are distributed as follows:

British troops {doolies, 3 per cent.
{dandies, 2 per cent.

Native troops {doolies, 2