PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 45 



Smyrna, January 31, 1856. 



Sir : In my letter of the 3d instant I stated that we would leave 

 Alexandria for Smyrna as soon as the dromedaries bought in Cairo 

 should be embarked. Our departure, however, was subsequently 

 delayed, at the request of our consul general, to receive six dromeda- 

 ries presented by the viceroy of Egypt, through him, to our govern- 

 ment in furtherance of its experiment. The animals were received 

 on board on the afternoon of the 21st of January, and on the succeed- 

 ing morning (the 2'2d) we sailed for this place, where we arrived 

 yesterday morning. 



The dromedaries presented by the viceroy are all of the common 

 stock, but they seem to be young, sound and healthy. Their riding 

 qualities we had not an opportunity of testing. 



Two of those purchased by me in Cairo having, unfortunately, ex- 

 hibited evidences of the itch after' their arrival in Alexandria, though 

 but slightly, I determind to part with them rather than run the risk 

 of contaminating the other animals and of conveying so loathsome a 

 disease with them to our country. We left Alexandria, then, with 

 nine dromedaries and the Tunis camel — in all, ten animals. Of the 

 dromedaries, two of those I bought in Cairo are of fine blood ; one a 

 female from Muscat, the other a male from Sennaar. Both are of 

 good descent, and are reputed to be remarkable for speed and endur- 

 ance. The other seven are of common stock, and are said to have 

 come : one (bought at Cairo) from Mount Sinai, the remaining six 

 (presented by the viceroy) from Siout, up the Nile. 



I also engaged the services of three Arabs to accompany me to 

 America, and to serve with the camels for one year. These, with 

 four others (Americans) hired for the purpose, will attend to the ani- 

 mals under the direction immediately of wagon and forage master 

 Albert Eay, well known to the army during and subsequent to the 

 war with Mexico, and who, upon application to me before I left 

 Washington, enlisted with Lieutenant Porter expressly for the pur- 

 pose. To his particular knowledge of horses and general acquaintance 

 with animals, their habits, and diseases, he has, during the voyage, 

 added some useful information about the camel, acquired by observa- 

 tion and care of those we have had on board, and from the books I 

 have treating of them. 



Mr. Heap, I find, has been very active in the duty here that I as- 

 signed to him, and has procured four Arabian males, one cross of the 

 Bactrian upon the Arabian, fifteen females, and a fine Bactrian that 

 accidentally came into this part of the country. The purchase of this 

 last was not contemplated in my instructions to him, but I approve it, 

 as it will enable us to carry to America one of that species without 

 difiiculty, though it will a little complicate the experiment, not, how- 

 ever, to any very objectionable degree. 



The requisite number of animals is now completed, and as soon as 

 the pack-saddles and covers for the animals are finished, which will 

 require perhaps a fortnight, we will leave for Texas, touching at the 

 Canary islands to examine the camels there. 



Among the females are some procured, according to my instructions, 

 pregnant, and one with her young by her side. A few nights since 



