146 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



what disgusted, Wayne started to leave Egypt, but the viceroy notified 

 him that he would present six camels to the United States government. 

 After delay the animals came. Porter after looking at them wrote an 

 indignant letter refusing to accept the gift. They were " worthless 

 and diseased/' he said, and " I can not conscientiously receive them." 

 The attempt of the Egjrptian officials, he said " fraudulently to force 

 a present on us " was a " discourtesy " to the United States which he 

 would not tolerate. The viceroy laid the blame upon his servants and 

 finally six good dromedaries were secured. Only three others were 

 taken on board here, and the Supply sailed for Smyrna to complete 

 the cargo. 



The loading of the camels was done under Porter's supervision. 

 Before leaving the United States he had prepared a " camel deck " or 

 stable on the lower deck and had cut through the upper deck to secure 

 a constant supply of fresh air for the animals. To get them on board 

 he constructed a long flat-bottomed boat which could be run ashore. 

 On this was a strong car with wheels which could be pulled out on 

 land to receive the camels who often had to be dragged into it, and 

 then the car was rolled back on the boat. From the boat the car holding 

 the camel was hoisted into the ship and let down to the " camel deck." 



While in Alexandria waiting for the viceroy to act, Mr. 0. H. Heap, 

 an American who had lived in Tunis and who accompanied the expe- 

 dition, was sent on ahead to purchase other camels and equipments. 

 When the Supply reached Smyrna, on January 30, 1856, Heap had 

 the camels, saddles and other supplies ready. They were taken on 

 board and on February 15 the Supply was turned toward America. 

 The cargo consisted of thirty-three camels: nine dromedaries (Arabi- 

 ans) from Egypt; twenty Arabian burden camels; one young Arabian 

 camel; two Bactrian (two humped) males; one Booghdee or Tuilu, 

 the offspring of a Bactrian male and an Arabian female, having one 

 hump. 



Before leaving Smyi-na the females that were not already with 

 young were covered by the males, since it was the rutting season, and 

 it was desired to increase the herd as fast as possible. To take care 

 of them four Americans, two Turks and three Arabs were brought 

 along — all under the supervision of Albert Eay, an army wagon master. 



During the return trip, which lasted three months, the weather was 

 rough. Wayne and Porter had been requested by Davis to stop at the 

 Canaries^ to see the camels there, but they were prevented by heavy 

 winds. Wayne occupied himself in writing a long report to the secre- 

 tary of war and in translating French works relating to camels. He 

 wrote Davis that the information furnished by the letter had been gen- 

 erally accurate. The report gave a detailed history of the camel, an 



* See Leonard, p. 13. 



