APPENDIX D. 



IMPORTATION OF CAMELS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF 

 THE UNITED STATES. 



Haying been kindly permitted by tlie Hon. JeiFerson 

 Davis, Secretary of War, to examine the official cor- 

 respondence between the War Department and the 

 officers charged with the importation of the camel 

 into the United States, I am enabled to furnish the fol- 

 lowing information on that interesting subject. 



At the second session of the thirty-third Congress, 

 the sum of thirty thousand dollars was appropriated 

 for "importing camels for army transportation, and 

 for other military purposes," with a view of testing 

 their adaptation to our soil and climate, and to the ser- 

 vice of the government as beasts of burden and trans- 

 port. Major Henry C. Wayne, of the United States 

 Army, was assigned to the duty of selection, purchase, 

 and importation of the animals, and Lieut. D. D. 

 Porter, of the Navy, was associated with him in the 

 commission. The valuable services of Mr. Harris 

 Heap, whose familiar acquaintance with the languages 

 and customs of the countries where the camels were to 

 be obtained, enabled him to be of great use to the of- 

 ficers detailed to this duty, were secured, and the store- 

 ship Supply, under command of Lieut. Porter, was 



