Sutherland and the Reay country

246 SUTHERLAND AND THE REAY COUNTRY.
during the first winter, the regiment suffered severely.
" Only those who lived through those dreary days," wrote
Dr. Munro, "know what it was to be without proper
shelter and clothing, and without sufficient food and fuel,
while cold keen winds blew, and rain and snow beat down
upon the earth, converting it into a sea of mud, through
which we had to wade with half shod feet. . . . The
tents afforded poor protection against the piercing cold, the
boisterous wind, and the rain ; and our clothes, of which at
one time we had not even a change, became so worn and
filthy" that it was almost impossible to wear them. Until
the 30th November many officers and men had only the
clothes they had on when they landed on the 14th September.
The daily dole of salt beef and pork was left untasted,
because the men would not, or could not eat, or because
they had no fuel, or did not know how to cook so as to
make the food palatable. . . The consequence was that
numbers of them became ill and many died of dysentry.
It was not till February, 1855, that anything was done to
remedy this miserable state of affairs. The men were then
hutted, and the health of the regiment materially improved.
The second winter the health of the men was good, except-
ing for a short time in December, when cholera re-appeared.
But in March, 1856, peace was proclaimed, and on the 16th
June the 93rd embarked for England. The regiment
landed at Portsmouth on the 15th July, and proceeded to
Aldershot, where, on the following day it was reviewed by
Her Majesty. It was then moved to Dover, and was joined
there by the depots from Malta and Dundee.
The red doublets of the pipers were at this time
exchanged for green.