36 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOE MILITARY PURPOSES. 



Cairo. The journeys to the points indicated in the deserts by these 

 gentlemen, required, to go and return, from thirty-five to forty days at 

 least, independently of the time necessary for preparation and pur- 

 chase. This being more time than we could, at present, spare, as it 

 would materially delay our return to the United States, besides the 

 expense for so small a number as we required, I determined to pro- 

 cure such riding camels about Cairo and its neighborhood as I could 

 obtain. The viceroy was also in Upper Egypt, and it was necessary 

 to await his return, daily expected, for permission to export such 

 animals as might be procured. In the meantime, as neither the 

 consul general nor vice consul at Cairo anticipated any difficulty 

 about the exportation, Mr. Heap and myself employed ourselves in 

 looking up burden camels and dromedaries, and succeeded in purchas- 

 ing five dromedaries, and in making arrangements for the purchase 

 of five more, and nine burden camels, should we, on reflection, deter- 

 mine to take so many of the latter with us ; they being so fine in size 

 and strength as to make us hesitate between them and those of Smyrna, 

 whence we had previously thought to draw our principal supply of 

 burden camels. 



On the 13th December the consul general accompanied Commodore 

 Breeze to Alexandria, committing me to the care of the vice consul, 

 Mr. C. Kahil. The attention and exertions of Mr. Kahil in further- 

 ing our object have been most zealous and active^ and I beg leave to 

 present him most favorably to your notice. 



The viceroy having returned to Cairo on the 16th December, I re- 

 quested an interview with the minister of finance and confidential 

 secretary^, Zoulfokhar Pacha, to make known to him the purpose of 

 my visit to Egypt, and to request permission to export such animals 

 as I might purchase. On the 22d, the visit was paid in company 

 with Mr. Heap and our vice consul, when the vice consul exj^lained 

 the purpose of my visit, and I preferred my request in the name of our 

 government. The minister replied frankly that there would be diffi- 

 culty in the matter, as the viceroy objected to the exportation of any 

 animals whatever, and if granted in this case it might be used against 

 him by the consuls of other nations as a precedent for demands of a 

 similar nature. He promised, however, to use his best exertions to 

 secure the fulfilment of our wishes. 



The enclosed correspondence, numbered from 1 to 4, will inform 

 you of the result of my application, and of my reason for making it 

 through our vice consul instead of our consul general. It is some- 

 what of a disappointment to me ; but still, four dromedaries landed 

 safely in the United States will enable me to commence so much of 

 the experiment as relates to expresses, to be extended, I hope, by a 

 larger importation next year through Jaffa or Beirout, where there 

 are no restrictions upon exportation, but where we cannot go at this 

 season as they are both open roadsteads affording no secure anchorage. 



To-morrow I shall send down under trusty men the five dromedaries 

 I have purchased, hoping to procure permission to carry out the fifth, 

 and on the next day, the 30th, I shall return to Alexandria. Thence, 

 as soon as the dromedaries are on board, we shall sail for Smyrna, to 

 carry out our original plan, and from that place for the United States, 



