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.

Mr.

any kind. Previous to leaving the United States the "Supply" had been admirably fitted to transport the animals. Heap had procured a lot of very good camels at Smyrna, all sound, not one turning out badly; but he had to send some distance into the interior for them. Konich, in Asia Minor, is one of the most famous camel stations, and the great stopping place for caravans between Smyrna and Persia, about seven hundred miles from the former place, and about twentyfive days' travel camel pace. No matter how fine the animal looks, it is always

hazardous to purchase camels about cities, particularly if they have been used in a caravan. Such are almost always diseased.

In the future transportation of camels Captain Porter advises the purchase of young ones, one or two years old; and the former he had on board, the heartiest of the whole lot, and required very little attention. His vessel could carry ninety of this size, but forty only of their mothers. Camels one or two years old are about the size of a twelve month heifer, and would pack close without injury from their weight.

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In Texas, such could be trained for burden or riding camels, and form a corps of mounted dromedaries, sufficient to expel any hostile Indians from the country. On their swiftest horses such foes could not escape the enduring, steady pace of the ship of the desert," which will accomplish one hundred miles in a single day. Dromedaries will go through all kinds of woods and weather, wading through mud where a horse would be stalled. They require but little harness and no shoeing, and meeting an enemy will lie down, forming a rampart with their bodies, and not,

| like horses, subject to a "stampede." If camels should be imported one year old, in two more they could be used with light burdens and fit to be trained for a dromedary with a rider. This seems to be a better plan of introducing them into the United States than the slower process of breeding. Before leaving Smyrna, the officers took on board two Turkish saddlers, one of whom was a professed camel M. D. These native doctors are queer fellows. At Cairo one of them boiled a young sheep in molasses, and forced the dromedary to swallow this dose, half scalding,

for some ordinary complaint. Another prescribed a piece of cheese to cure a slight cold; and an ounce of tea with five grains of gunpowder for a camel with swollen legs. Cauterizing with a hot iron is a favorite remedy, and there is scarcely an animal that does not bear some such marks. On one occasion, when a camel was not able to rise up, a native advised Captain Porter to pour boiling pitch over her loins, and he was sure she would rise. The captain did not doubt the quick efficacy of this application, but tried a more simple remedy; and, rubbing the legs with hard brushes, it rose instantly.

But

The prices of camels vary from fifteen to one thousand dollars. At the time of this expedition their value was much enhanced by the demand for the Crimean war. in war or peace the Frank, whether he deals with Mohammedan, Jew, or Christian in the East, must calculate to pay well for his alienage.

Among the animals purchased were two remarkably handsome ones, a Nomaniah, from Omar, and the other a Sennai, of Nubia. The former is supposed to be the swiftest and the most enduring, and its easy motion is owing to moving its hind and fore legs, on opposite sides, at the same time. A rolling motion characterizes the Becharieh dromedary; and this species is taught to carry its head very high, which gives them a very handsome appearance. Captain Porter recommends the Becharich as best adapted for our climate. No burden camels were obtained in Egypt; still he thinks favorably of importing such from that country. They are generally very large, and will carry six hundred English pounds on a journey, and for short distances, one thousand pounds. The best are from the villages of Lower Egypt, and worth from thirty-five to seventy-five dollars, not including the pay to the dragoman and peasants, which increases the price to almost double the original cost. Mr. Heap succeeded in purchasing two very fine Bactrian males; one had been brought from Persia, and the other picked up near Samos; they were hardy animals, and gave very little trouble on board the ship; one of them was ten feet long and seven feet five inches high, and nine feet nine inches around the body, including his fore hump. Part of the vessel's deck had to be cut away to accommodate the height of one of these Bactrians.

Nature has made a wise provision for this species, in common with all camels, for as soon as the warm weather commences, their thick fur or wool falls off entirely. Before winter arrives, however, the coat is on again, full and luxuriant, and apparently sufficient to protect them against the severest cold.

At Smyrna four fine Loks were purchased, which had been trained as Pehlevans, or Wrestlers. Among the Turks wrestling matches between camels is a favorite amusement. Many gentlemen keep them for no other purpose; and to amuse his wife one person in Smyrna had twenty at once. When quite young, the camels are trained to wrestling. They seem to enjoy much pleasure in the contest, exhibiting great dexterity while throwing each other. There was a young camel on board, only a month old, and, having been born under the American flag, he was named "Uncle Sam," and one of the Turks amused himself on the voyage by making a "Pehlevan" of him. When only six weeks old he was more than a match for his teacher, and often hurt the sailors by throwing them down suddenly on deck.

The female camel produces her young once in twelve months; at four years he is loaded for all purposes; when five, he is in full vigor, continuing so until nine. From this period to thirteen he begins to fail, and at seventeen he is old. If not overdriven the camel will march loaded from sunrise to sunset, stretching his neck from side to side along the road, gathering herbage, and in this way will travel from thirty to forty miles a day. It is necessary to give him rest every sixth day.

The camel is the most gentle and submissive of all animals, and so patient as to travel until completely exhausted; then falling, never to rise again. Its condition can always be known by the size of the hump, which is a greasy substance, not unlike a cow's udder. The re-absorption of this body compensates for the want of food, and during a long march or a famine it gradually diminishes and disappears.

On the 14th of February, the expedition sailed direct for the United States, and reached the mouth of the Mississippi on the 10th of May, where the camels were all safely transferred to the charge of Major Wayne. Thence he proceeded with them by slow daily journeys to San