PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 29 



11. What varieties known in are particularly preferred, and 



for what reason ? 



12. Is the dromedary, or swift camel, known in as well as the 



camel of burden ; if so, what is its speed and endurance ; is it regard- 

 ed as the same or a different species of camel, and does its treatment 

 differ (if so, in what) from that of the camel of burden ? 



13. Is the "fighting camel" known in ; if so, what are its 



peculiarities, and is it used for burden, or only kept for breeding? 



14. Any other information not included in the answers to these 

 questions, and that you may think advantageous. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servants, 



HENRY C. WAYNE, 



Major Unite.d States Army. 

 DAVID D. PORTER, 



Lieut. United States Navy. 

 To . 



United States Ship "Supply," 



Constantinople, October 11, 1855. 



Sir: Enclosed is the duplicate of a letter that I forwarded to you on 

 the 6th inst., with the papers referred to in it, by a vessel bound to 

 Boston, the postage upon the package being too high to warrant its 

 transmittal by mail. Since its date we have been making inquiries 

 as to the feasibility of visiting Persia, as I had particularly desired 

 when leaving the United States; but I regret to say that so far the in- 

 formation we have received is against the attempt, on account of the 

 disturbed state of the country from the war in part, but especially on 

 account of the lateness of the season, the snows commencing about 

 the latter part of this month, and blocking up the roads so as to ren- 

 der them impassable until the month of April. We might reach 

 Teheran, but the difficulty, it is said, will be to return. To-day, 

 however, we are to have an interview with the Persian ambassador, 

 accompanied by our secretary of legation, Mr. Brown, in relation to 

 the journey, and to procure facilities for the prosecution of our duties, 

 should we, upon further inquiry, determine to make it. To-morrow 

 we leave for Balaklava, where we are informed that camels, Bactrian 

 and Arabian, are in use by the allies for both burden and draught. 



The Crimea is the only place where we shall have an opportunity of 

 seeing the Bactrian camel, and perhaps of procuring a stallion, should 

 we upon observation think it worth while to carry one home, for the 

 purpose of crossing upon the Arabian female, as is done in Persia, to 

 the improvement of the stock for burdens. 



Here there are, it may be said, no camels, the caravans being di- 

 verted from trade by the war ; but yesterday we heard of the arrival 

 of a number of dromedaries for the French army, and saddled for 

 riding one or more men. Inquiries as to the truth of the report, and 

 if true, the place where they may be seen, are now being made by 

 Mr. Heap. 



