26 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



one. We liave them now on board, and find that they give us very 

 little trouble, very much less than a horse would. They apparently 

 seem as comfortable as if they were on shore. 



I find no reason to change any one of the arrangements I have 

 made on board the ship. They suit admirably. Our purpose is to 

 keep these camels on board as long as possible, study their habits and 

 diseases, and be ready to treat those that may hereafter come under 

 our hands. When we have fully satisfied ourselves, we can dispose 

 of two of them, and keep the fine one. No doubt we will derive more 

 experience from practical observation than by reading a dozen books 

 on the subject. 



The climate of Tunis is colder in winter and hotter in summer than 

 Texas, and camels ought not to suffer by the change. We stopped in 

 here to fill up with water, and see if we could negotiate bills of ex- 

 change on favorable terms, and sail to-morrow morning for Salonica, 

 Smyrna, &e., &c,, from whence I shall advise you. 



I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, &c., &c , 



DAVID D, PORTER, 

 Lieutenant Commanding. 



Hon. Jefferson Davis, 



Secretary of War. 



United States Storeship Supply, 



Constantinople, October 5, 1855. 



Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith my quarterly account 

 current of expenditures on account of the camel appropriation for the 

 third quarter of 1855, and my returns of quartermaster's and ord- 

 nance stores in my charge for the same period. 



My last report was dated at the Goletta, off Tunis, on the 10th of 

 August, 1855, Since then we have visited Malta, Smyrna and Sa- 

 lonica, and arrived here yesterday evening. From the time of our 

 entrance into the Archipelago we have encountered heavy head gales, 

 causing us much delay and retarding our arrival at this place beyond 

 the time I had calculated upon. 



At Malta I took on board ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in silver, 

 as I found that our money arrangements could be made there on better 

 terms than elsewhere to the east of it. 



At Smyrna we saw several varieties of the camel, and among them 

 many fine specimens, but no dromedaries. From our consul, Mi'. 

 Ofiley, who gave us every facility for the prosecution of our inquiries, 

 we learned that the price of the animal was at present somewhat 

 higher than usual, owing in a measure to the general effect of the 

 war, but particularly to the demand for the animal as a means of 

 military transportation, the British government having recently con- 

 tracted for the hiring of eight thousand of them, in addition to the 

 numbers purchased and procured by it during the past year. As far 

 as Mr. Ofiley could ascertain, the prices now ranged from forty to fifty 



