The winter was long and tedious but, whenever the weather permitted, Terence set his men at work; taking them twice a week for long marches, so as to keep their powers in that direction unabated.

The sandals turned out a great success.

The men had no greatcoats, but they supplied the want by cutting a slit in the centre of their black blankets and passing the head through it.
This answered all the purposes, and hid the shabby condition of their uniforms.
General Hill occasionally rode over to inspect this and the other Portuguese regiments encamped near them.
"That is a very good plan of yours, Colonel O'Connor," he said, the first time the whole regiment turned out in their sandals.

"It is a much more sensible footgear than the boots." "I should not have adopted them, General, if the men had had any boots to put on; but those they had became absolutely unwearable.
Some of the soles were completely off, the upper leathers were so cut and worn that they were literally of no use and, in many cases.
they were falling to pieces.

The men like the sandals much better, and certainly march with greater ease.