178 THE CAMEL. 



a beast of burden ; the other, his value as an 

 animal of war. But even if it is conceded, 

 which I by no means admit, that the organiza- 

 tion of a proper mounted dromedary corps is 

 impracticable or inexpedient, it does not, by any 

 means, follow that the camel may not be of 

 great value in the commissariat, and in all that 

 belongs to the mere movement of bodies of men, 

 as well as in the independent transportation of 

 military stores and all the munitions of war. 



The first point to be discussed is the adapta- 

 tion of any variety of either species to the climate 

 and soil of any portion of our territory. So far 

 as mere extremes of temperature are concerned, 

 it is quite certain that we have nowhere, west of 

 the Mississippi, fiercer or more long-continued 

 heats, more parched deserts, or wastes more 

 destitute of vegetation, than those of the regions 

 where the Arabian camel is found in his highest 

 perfection ; and the Bactrian thrives in climates 

 as severe as even the coldest portion of our 

 northeastern territory. 



There is, however, it must be admitted, one 

 point of difference between our general climate 

 and that of the eastern continent, which has an 

 unfavorable bearing on the question. I refer to 

 the greater moisture of our atmosphere and the 

 greater frequency of rains during the summer 

 season. In general, the countries where the 



