NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 209 



nomenclature and classification in my official Report, and would respectfully 

 submit it to the consideration of the Academy. The two varieties dill'er as the 

 horse and ass ; the product of the two being a hybrid, deficient in power for 

 the continuance of the race, and if producing at all, giving life to a poor, un- 

 dersized, worthless animal. The cross of the double-humped or Bactrian male 

 upon the single-humped or Arabian female is known as a Tinlu or Booydec, and 

 is the useful animal of the caravan, uniting as it does the strength of its 

 paternity with the quicker movements of its maternal stock. It is classed with 

 the one-humped, though a slight rising in rear of its hump, in many instances 

 hardly discernible, marks its double descent. These animals will lift for short 

 distances from 1,000 to 1,500, even 1,800 pounds, and carry on journeys from 

 700 to 800, making from 18 to 25 miles, according to the character of the 

 country travelled over. For the creation of this useful cross, double-humped 

 males are kept throughout Asia as stallions are with us. I did not see a cross 

 of a single-humped male on the double-humped female, nor did I gather any- 

 thing in relation to it. 



Collecting my animals principally in Asia Minor, including two Bactrians, a 

 Tinlu or hybrid, and Arabian males and females, with a few burthen camels 

 and dromedaries from Egypt, we started for the United States from Smyrna, on 

 the 15th of February, 1856, and landed the Camels on the shores of Texas on 

 the 14th of May, 185G, afier an unusually rough voyage. We sailed from Asia 

 with 33 animals on board, and landed with 34, having lost but one of the original 

 stock embarked, and having had some births on the way. The success of the 

 first importation induced a second; and on the 10th of February, 1857, forty- 

 one more camels out of forty -three embarked were delivered in Texas, making 

 in all 75 safely landed in America. 



So far the results have realized our sanguine expectations. But two of the 

 whole lot, the Bactrians, have fallen victims to acclimatory disease. The others 

 seem to be as much at home as on their native soil, and have been used with 

 convincing proof of their usefulness and advantage. Our ordinary means of 

 transportation in our great inland territory are pack mules and wagons. A 

 pack mule cannot carry on a journey, on an average, more than 150 pounds — I 

 speak from experience with them in Mexico, — and requires a daily allowance of 

 water. The Camel carries from 350 to 800 pounds, according to quality, and 

 is independent of water for three or four days. The mule travels from 15 to 

 20 miles a day ; the Camel from 18 to 25. The mule and the Camel consume 

 about the same amount of food. If anything, the Camel can do with less. 

 Once fed, the Camel is fed for 24 hours. Browsing as well as grazing, it picks 

 up food where other animals would not live, and eats readily spinous plants. 

 In the hyperbolic language of the East, the Camel finds sustenance where the 

 eye of man cannot detect herbage. On one occasion I carried, on six Camels, 

 3,648 pounds, over the same road and distance travelled by wagons, and gained 

 on them 42i hours in time, the wagons carrying on an average only 1,800 

 pounds, and drawn by six mules each. This comparison was altogether acci- 

 dental. Early in this year thirty-five Camels were sent with a party to the 

 Pacific, and I am fortunate in being able to read to the Society the last report 

 from them. Coming, as this testimony does, from a gentleman, Mr. Beale, in 

 no way connected with the experiment of their introduction, I think it may be 

 regarded as impartial. The Camels were attached to Mr. Beale's expedition, 

 under a competent person, Mr. Heap, who had accompanied me on the first expe- 

 dition, and purchased the animals for the second importation. Mr. Beale 

 writes : — 



(Extract.) 

 •' King's Creek, Sept. 27, 1857, 100 miles east of the Colorado. 

 Hon. J. B. Floyd, Secretary of War: 



Sir — I have the honor to report my arrival at this place, a creek flowing north into 

 the Colorado. **»**,* 



I cannot sufficiently express my admiration of that noble brute, the Camel ; and I look 



1857.] 



