MILITARY USES OF THE CAMEL. 193 



out of peculiarities of our soil, climate, habits, 

 or institutions ; and, on the other hand, the differ- 

 ent character and circumstances of the hostile 

 Indians, who are without, and could not procure 

 the animal, form a new argument in favor of 

 the project. Another argument upon the same 

 side is the fact that the distances over which he 

 would be used are far greater, and the country 

 to be traversed more inadequately supplied with 

 the necessaries required to satisfy the wants of 

 other animals of transport, than is the case in 

 the territory where the camel has operated in 

 Algeria. 



The expense of a full and fair trial would be 

 a sum very insignificant in comparison with the 

 probable results. The experiment now trying 

 under the small appropriation made at the last 

 session of congress, if successful, is of course 

 decisive, but if not, it is to be hoped that it may 

 be repeated on a larger scale, and with a greater 

 variety of animals. 



An objection which ought to be noticed is the 

 difficulty of accustoming horses and other do- 

 mestic animals to the sight of the camel. The 

 objection is as old as Herodotus and Xenophon, 

 and Pliny supposes that this animal has a nat- 

 ural antipathy to the horse. In most countries 

 where they are bred together, one hears of no 

 difficulty on this score ; but it is said that the 

 fears of the one animal or the antipathies of the 



