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Foreign Missions met at Providence, Rhode Island, in September, and was largely attended. Eight hundred and forty laborers are employed by this society, at home and abroad, and there are nineteen thousand two hundred and thirty-six children in the schools of the mission. Before the convention adjourned Dr. Armstrong read an autograph letter from the Hawaiin king. It was a very well written production, presented the need of a college at the Sandwich Islands, and expressed the hope that the project would be favorably received and liberally aided in this country. The Reformed Dutch Churches formally dissolved their relation to the Board, intending hereafter to conduct their own missionary affairs. The corner stone of the Mar

iner's Harbor Baptist Meeting-house was laid in the city of New York on the 9th of September.... On the same day the corner stone of the new church edifice for the Methodist Episcopal congregation, formerly worshiping in Mulberry-street, was laid, corner of Twenty-Second-street and Fourth Avenue, New York. The church is to be of rough marble, built in the Romanesque style, and, with the ground, when completed, will cost one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. It is intended to accommodate about twelve hundred people... The presentation of General Jackson's gold snuff-box to Major Dyckman did not take place at the time expected; Mr. Jackson declining to permit the relic to pass from him, there being so many remonstrances sent to him denying that the major was New York's bravest son in the Mexican war... The Scott Legion, the remnant of the two Pennsylvanian regiments that served in the late war with Mexico, celebrated last month the anniversary of the entry of the American army into the Hall of the Montezumas, by a procession, after which they were addressed by several individuals, who distinguished themselves on the occasion, among whom was Major Dyckman.. Brigham Young is making the most flery demonstrations against the action of our government in sending out troops and a new governor to keep him and his deluded followers within the bounds of reason. The steamship "Central America" was lost in a terrible hurricane, off Cape Hatteras, on the 12th of September, when upward of four hundred passengers, the Californian mails, and nearly sixteen hundred housand dollars in specie, were lost.

The stern

post of a new flag ship for the Russian navy was raised at the yard of William H. Webb, in this city. There were present a number of distinguished officers and gentlemen, and all paid honor to the Czar for givng to an American mechanic the preference of building what is to be, when completed, the swiftest war steamer in the world.... The Attorney General has given his decision on a point of law submitted to him by the Secretary of the Interior, regarding the payment of pensions to children of deceased revolutionary soldiers. He decided that children had no legal right to pensions granted to deceased parents. The quantity of public land sold by the government during the last fiscal year was nearly 4,143,000 acres, and the amount realized apward of $3,500,000. The Commissioner of the Land Office has decided that railroads are to have no lands set apart until after actual survey and location. General Scott has replied to General Pillow's recent elaborate revelations respecting the alleged bribery of General Santa Anna during the pendency of the war with Mexico. General Scott positively declares that he never gave Santa Anna a dollar... A terrible explosion occurred on the evening of the last day of September, in the Knickerbocker Plaster Works, situated in West-street, New York. The explosion blew to atoms the factory, a three story brick edifice, together with two or three brick dwellings adjoining, occupied by several poor families. A large number of persons were buried beneath the ruins, a few of whom escaped without injury, but the majority were either killed, or so badly wounded that their lives were despaired of... American Sunday-School Union, of Philadelphia, have published a card announcing the defalcation of the Corresponding Secretary, Mr. F. W. Porter, for an amount believed not to exceed ninety thousand dollars. He has issued notes and acceptances at various times to that amount without entering them upon the books of the Society.

The

The Reports of the Harvest from all parts of Eurepe are most encouraging, and an abundant supply of food is promised.. The Divorce Bill was taken up in the House of Lords, last month, and a motion that the Commons amendments be taken into consideration that day six months was rejected by a vote of forty-four to sixty-six. The various clauses of the

bill were then debated with varying results, government in some divisions being left in a minority. The bill was finally passed. . . . The barbarous atrocities perpetrated by the rebels in India continue to fill a large place in our latest English papers. It is said that at Cawnpore, on the 24th of June, in consequence of Sir Hugh Wheeler being mortally wounded, the force had accepted the proffer of safety made by Nena Sahib and the mutineers. Nena allowed them to get into the boats, and then fire was opened upon them from the banks of the river, and all were destroyed. The London Times, after dwelling on this inhuman act, and also upon the brutal manner in which the women were treated at Delhi before they were put to death, says: "It ought to be known, reluctant as we are to tell it, that the women and unmarried girls who fell into the hands of the mutineers and populace of Delhi were carried in procession for hours through the chief thoroughfare of the city, with every horror that could degrade them in the eyes of the people, previous to the last brutalities and cruelties that then, in the sight of thousands, were perpetrated upon them. It was done of settled purpose, to degrade England, to degrade Europe, to degrade a Christian empire, and a Christian queen. Now, we say it after full deliberation, and with a due regard to the objections always forthcoming against any real and effectual policy, that not one stone of that city should be left upon another. Delhi should for the future be only known in history as Sodom and Gomorrah, so that its place shall not be known.". The ratifications of the treaty of amity and commerce between Grest Britain and Honduras, containing the article guaranteeing the Honduras railway, have been exchanged in London. Senor Haran, the Honduras plenipotentiary, had re-opened negotiations on the Bay Island and Mosquito shore contentions, and there was every prospect that the modifications desired by Hondu ras would be at once conceded, in which case these conventions would immediately go into effect. The British Minister to China, Lord Elgin, had explained the Chinese policy of the English government to the people of Hong Kong. The Emperor of China must either disavow the acts of Yeh in Canton, or take the very unpleasant consequences. An American citizen had been convicted of piracy at Hong Kong, and sentenced to transportation for life. The Rev. Dr. Livingston had attended a meeting of the Manchester Cotton Supply Association, Chamber of Commerce, etc., for the purpose of explaining the commercial resources of Africa. He said that country was well adapted for producing cotton, sugars, etc., and he proposed to devote the next few years of his life to special efforts developing these pursuits in Africa. Resolutions were adopted calling on the government to furnish Dr. Livingston with a steamer to ascend the Bambest River, and to enlist the Portuguese government in favor of the enterprise. Letters from Lady Franklin's arctic steamer, Fox, at Baul's River, in Greenland, report the progress of the expedition, and say that it has exceeded expectations, and that the vessel answers admirably. The weather had been very severe, which would have the effect of breaking the ice up, and rendering the head of Baffin's Bay clear..... Advices from Madrid state that Queen Christina had written to her daughter, Queen Isabella, that she should have the greatest pleasure in being with her at the period of her accouchment, but that she neither could nor would go to Spain while the Duke of Valencia was at the head of the govern ment. In Italy things are in a very unsettled state, and must sooner or later result in an outbreak, the success of which will, of course, be determined by the action of the great powers. England has enough on her hands at present to prevent her sttempting any active interference in the political af fairs of the continent. This fact, it was thought in some circles, would operate as a stimulus to Mazzini and his adherents. The French Minister of Marine has issued an order to all captains of ships of war to give every aid to English vessels conveying troops to India, and to take them in tow when be calmed. An English troop ship having put into Algiers in distress, was towed thence to Gibraltar by a French steam frigate.... The Chinese refused to al low the Russian mission to enter the country of Keakhta. It had consequently descended the Amoor in order to present itself at Shanghae. Russia is tak ing active measures to increase her fleet and strengthen her position in the Pacific. A narrative of Prince Napoleon's Voyage in the North Seas will shortly appear, written by a Polish gentleman.

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WHEN

THE CAMELS ARE COMING.

THEN we remember that the camel was among the earliest animals domesticated by man, it seems surprising that we should have remained to the present day so little acquainted with its physiology and habits. In 1855 Congress resolved to make an experiment of introducing camels into the, United States. $36,000 were appropriated to this object, the animals to be employed for military purposes under the War Department. The information acquired during the progress of this experiment is highly interesting, and the trial thus far has exceeded the expectations of success in the undertaking. VOL. XI.-36

To Major Henry C. Wayne, of the United States Army, was assigned the special duty of importing the camels, and Lieutenant D. D. Porter, of the United States Navy, was associated with him in the commission. Porter's orders were to set sail with the storeship "Supply" direct for Spezia, in Genoa; Colonel Wayne took passage for Southampton in May, 1855. Through the politeness of Professor Owen, F. R. S., the Cuvier of England, he was introduced to Mr. Mitchell, the Secretary of the Zoological Society. In its garden the colonel found two fine specimens of the Egyptian

camel of burden, a present from the Pasha of Egypt. They have now been in the garden five years, never seriously unwell, and have bred five calves, two of which died. Mr. Mitchell stated that no particular care was taken of the animals, and he, with Professor Owen, thought that they could be acclimated and bred in the United States.

At Paris Colonel Wayne met General Dumas, who had served long in Africa, of whom he obtained much valuable information, and especially from his pamphlet, "Cheval de Guerre," upon the acclimation of the camel in France. Here he adopted the classification of the camel into two kinds, the Bactrian, or camel with two humps, found in Tartary and Northern Central Asia, and the Arabian, with one hump, of Persia, Asia Minor, Arabia, and India. He regards the term dromedary, as its derivation indicates, the swift courser or racer, in contradistinction to the camel of burden. It is the intention of the American government to domesticate the Arabian camel and the dromedary, and thus introduce a new animal into the heart of our continent where there are neither navigable rivers nor practicable roads. From Spezia Lieutenant Porter visited Florence and Pisa, and found two hundred and fifty camels upon the grand duke's farm, which number was sufficient to perform the work of one thousand horses. They were overworked and supplied with no food, except what they could glean among the pine barrens. Neither were they housed during the winter in this high latitude of 43° 30', where it is severely cold, with a climate much more trying than Texas. The Tuscans force them to carry seventeen hundred pounds, a weight equal to twelve hundred pounds English, and to work from sunrise to sunset.

In July Colonel Wayne joined the lieutenant at Spezia, and immediately sailed for Naples via Tunis. At the former place they purchased their first camel, an ordinary animal, but the Bey of Tunis presented them with two good specimens, one a remarkably fine animal. Thence the expedition visited Malta, Smyrna, and Salonica, reaching Constantinople in the month of October. At Smyrna they learned that the British government had purchased a large number of camels for transportation purposes, besides the hiring of eight thousand more. The prices ranged

from forty to fifty dollars for the choicest females, and seventy-five to a hundred for the males. The three camels shipped, at Tunis were in good condition, and did not suffer from their voyage. They consumed from eight to twelve pounds of hay and six quarts of oats a day, drinking once in three days from two and a half to three buckets of water. When the officers left the United States they particularly desired to visit Persia, but at Constantinople they learned the impracticability of such a journey on account of the disturbed state of that country and the lateness of the season. Hence they left for Balaklava, in the Crimea, and were politely received by the British officers on duty there. From Colonel M'Murdo, in charge of the land transportation service, they obtained useful information. Under General Napier, in the expedition against Scinde, he had used about twenty-five thousand camels, and now had three thousand for the campaign next spring. Their average loads, he stated, were about six hundred pounds, which they carry with ease twenty-five or thirty miles a day. During the expedition against Scinde General Napier organized a most efficient corps of one thousand men upon five hundred dromedaries, two men to each, sitting back to back, armed with rifles and sabers. At the scene of operations the dromedaries were taught to kneel in square; five hundred of the men acted as drivers, the other five were infantry. In case of extremity the square offered a cover for the whole thousand behind the animals, who were prevented from rising by a hobble on their fore legs. From this curious barrier the men used their rifles most effectually. The camel corps could be marched seventy miles in twelve hours, and rendered great service throughout the campaign. General Simpson, in the same service, had procured five or six for his personal use, and with them often traveled seventy miles between sunset and sunrise. Major Delafield, of West Point. then on a visit to the Crimea, inquired whether General Simpson would not have preferred the best English horses to camels; he replied, "No! for packing his baggage on them in light loads, he could move more quickly and continuously." The introduction of this new beast of burden into the heart of our continent,, where there are neither traveled roads nor navi

gable streams, we can readily imagine would be of great political and commercial importance. With such a facility how easily could the roaming tribes of Indians be checked in their predatory and warring expeditions, and how admirably would they be calculated for long journeys over wide tracts of desert where food and water are scarce.

When the expedition reached Constantinople in October the officers were confirmed in their plan of not visiting Persia. Our own dragoman, Mr. Brown, at the Turkish capital, uniting in the same view, they now turned their attention to Egypt. In the meantime the Turkish government resolved to present four camels of the best breed to the United States, and Mr. Brown was authorized to order four of the finest to be found in European Turkey. After waiting twenty days the animals did not arrive, and the expedition was obliged to sail for Alexandria, reaching that port on the 22d of November. Major Wayne proceeded forthwith to Cairo, where he met with unexpected difficulties, the viceroy refusing to allow any more than four camels to be exported. A personal call by the party upon his highness induced him to increase the number to fourteen; four only could be purchased by the time when the vessel was to sail.

The four dromedaries were purchased by Colonel Wayne in Cairo; but, upon their arrival at Alexandria, they were stopped at the Custom House, and Lieutenant Porter treated with so much disrespect that he complained to the American consul, Mr. De Leon, when amende honorable was promptly made, his highness, the Viceroy of Egypt, at the same time informing him that he intended to present the United States government with six of his finest dromedaries. He owned a large number, and at that moment was engaged in drilling a dromedary corps on the Persian system, each to carry two men, armed with carbines. In the meantime Mr. Heap, the draughtsman of the deputation, was dispatched to Smyrna to purchase what camels were required for the vessel to leave that port by March the first on her return to the United States.

Captain Porter was greatly gratified with the promise of receiving six dromedaries from the viceroy's own stock, and expected the very best blood of Omar or Nubia, such as Eastern potentates pride

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themselves in owning. The Governor of Alexandria was to select the animals; but he deputed the next in office, and this one passed the matter to a cavass," or under officer, who would make a handsome profit out of the operation. After a week's delay the dromedaries made their appearance; but they were such wretched looking creatures and so diseased that the Americans would not receive them. In fact, they were not dromedaries at all, but the ill-used common street camel of Alexandria, and Captain Porter communicated to the viceroy the trickery of his subordinates. The imposition was forthwith corrected, and six selected, two males and four females, out of a lot from the interior. These were not the far-famed dromedaries of the desert, but the ordinary "Mount Sinai" breed, used for the transportation of goods and passengers across the Isthmus of Suez and short journeys. They are strong, and will travel fifty miles a day for seven or eight days in succession. The viceroy doubted whether any of them would stand the voyage to America; but he was mistaken, as they bore the transportation better than the burden camels of Asia Minor.

The dromedaries on board the convoy sailed for Smyrna on the 22d of January, with three natives of the country, to help take care of the animals. Captain Porter thinks that a Bedouin or Egyptian cannot be taught much beyond what they already know; in his opinion an intelligent Yankee in a short time will know more about the treatment of camels than they do. During his voyage not a single accident happened to an animal under the charge of his sailors; but the Egyptians were so treacherous and careless that something wrong occurred with theirs the whole time.

As soon as the dromedaries reached the vessel they were thoroughly cleaned with soap and water, a wine glass of powdered sulphur administered in their drink for three days, and every suspicious looking spot on the bodies rubbed with sulphur and olive oil. At three o'clock each was fed a gallon of oats, or oats and peas, their racks filled with hay, each eating on an average daily ten pounds in good weather. Before feeding they were allowed three gallons of water, and great care was necessary not to increase this allowance except in very warm weather.

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If permitted they would drink twenty gallons. Every morning the animals were curried, their long hair combed with wooden combs, and their leg joints and feet rubbed by hard brushes.

On the 29th of January the convoy anchored in Smyrna. Mr. Heap having purchased all the camels required, and completely equipped with saddles, bridles, and coverings, the men commenced taking them on board in a few days. This was a careful and important process, a very troublesome business. For the purpose of shipping the camels safely a boat or scow had been expressly made, capable of bearing six thousand pounds, with a

camel car attached to it. The animals could not be hoisted on board with slings, as is the case in shipping horses, their weight being too heavy, some reaching two thousand pounds, and then they certainly would injure themselves in struggling to get free. In no instance would they go into the boat willingly. The tackle was hooked on to the harness, and the men with a steady pull soon forced them on board safely, when they were hoisted to the deck of the vessel without fright or danger. See the accompanying sketch taken on the spot.

Thirty camels were shipped in this way, not one having received a bruise of

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