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[Page 41]
PS. A man's full ration from the stores per week, is 8 lb of of flour, or 10 lb of wheat, 3 lb of maize, 7 lb of salted beef, 4 lb of salted pork, and I believe 4 ounces of sugar, but I do not know whether this last extends to all descriptions, however, it is but seldom served; and when it is substituted in lieu of some other article the case is generally the same. A woman's ration is two thirds of a man's, and children in proportion to their age. Though the quantity of sugar is but small, yet when the people were obliged to live much upon Indian meal, the want of it was greatly felt.
I consider the ration but small for a man that is forced to work hard, provided he has no other support, and which is the case with many, particularly in the winter season. A loss and a waste is sustained, in grinding of the grain upon steel or hand mills: the first is giving one pound out of every two for the use of the mill; and the latter is by it not being properly ground, but in a manner cut, whereby a deal of flower is detained in the bran, these and other losses being summed up, make the whole considerably less than what is stated.