18 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



Paris, France, July 4, 1855. 



Sir : I have the honor to enclose herewith my account current of the 

 appropriation for introducing the camel into the United States, for the 

 quarter ending June 30, 1855, and to report the result of my re- 

 searches in Eng]and. 



As mentioned in my letter of the T'th ultimo, from London, I re- 

 ceived from Professor Owen, F. R. S., the most gratifying encourage- 

 ment in my mission, and, through his introduction to the secretary of 

 the Zoological Society, Mr. D. W. Mitchell, free access to the gardens 

 of that society. To this latter gentleman I am indebted not only for 

 official courtesies and facilities, but for much i)ersonal attention and 

 companionship in the prosecution of my examination and inquiries. 



In the Zoological Garden are two very fine specimens of the Egyp- 

 tian camel of burden, male and female, presented by the Pasha of 

 Egypt. They have been in the garden five years, have never been 

 seriously unwell, and have bred two calves since their arrival in Eng- 

 land. The first birth was still-born; the second died some months 

 after birth, from an injury to its back. Five camels have been born 

 in the garden, and three reared, within the memory of those connected 

 with it. One imported camel, after being twenty years in the garden 

 in London, was sent thence, three years ago, to the Zoological Oarden 

 at Ghent, where he was still living, and well, at the last accounts. 



To the stables for the camels — for they are kept separately, though 

 adjacent — are small paved courts, supplied with water, to which they 

 have access at will, except in very severe weather in winter. Then 

 they are confined in their stables, and let out only during sunny hours. 

 Their keeper told me, however, that, on going into the stables in the 

 morning in winter, he not unfrequently found the water left for them 

 frozen over, and that, twice last winter, it was frozen quite solid, yet 

 tlie camels did not seem to be at all distressed or affected by the cold. 

 During the summer they eat, each, pei- day, about fifteen pounds of 

 coarse hay, (the coarser and more inferior the quality, the more they 

 like it,) taking occasionally a bite of the oat straw that makes their 

 litter. In winter they receive, each, in addition, per day, two quarts 

 of grain, oats, ground oats, barley, or bran. To a question as to the com- 

 parative delicacy of the camel and the horse, and the care necessary to 

 preserve the one and the other, the attendant, who has been connected 

 with this branch of zoology in the garden for some years, replied that 

 he considered the camel to be a very hardy animal, and requiring less 

 care than the coach horse. With regard to the diseases of the animal, 

 I could learn nothing, as none of the camels, within the recollection 

 of the attendants, had ever required medical treatment. As to the 

 difficulty of managing the camel, and the assertion that none but an 

 Arab could do it, the attendants stated that they had never found any 

 difficulty in doing so, and, to satisfy me on that point, the male 

 was led out upon the lawn, where the attendant manoeuvred liim in 

 walking, pacing, kneeling down, and getting up, with facility, using 

 no severity, and the animal obeying with readiness, and exhibiting no 

 apprehensions. 



Mr. Mitchell assured me that no ])articuhir care was taken of the 



