76 purchase of camels for military purposes. 



Yeni Kapoo, Constantinople, 



November 7, 1855. 



Deak Sir : After roy interview with you on board your ship, I pre- 

 pared several copies of a circular, based upon the letter of inquiry* 

 you handed me respecting camels, and sent them in different direc- 

 tions to our missionaries in every part of the Turkish empire and in 

 Persia. 



I hope to hear from all these persons in due time, and if you have 

 the purpose of leaving here, I shall be glad to know how I am to get 

 the replies into your hands. 



Mr. Powers, of Trebizond, has already written to me, and he says : 

 " We have no camels here. No camels_, storks, magpies, or buffaloes, 

 inhabit this region. Once or twice I have seen, in Trebizond, a few 

 camels, but only once or twice. The last time, I think, was in the 

 fall of 1849, when some half a dozen were seen here^ and the next 

 summer I passed their bones, by the road side in the mountains, the 

 second day from here, when I was on my way to Erzroun. They 

 undertook to cross the mountains when it was rather late, suffered 

 from cold and want of food, and perished." 



I presume I shall have much more satisfactory answers to your 

 questions from other parts, though, in one view, the above intelli- 

 gence must also be satisfactory, as it must be as desirable to you to 

 know where camels are not to be found as where they are. 



Since I had the pleasure of seeing you, I have been to Nicomedia, 

 and I could not but regret that you were not with me there. I saw 

 large numbers of camels there, and some of them were really splendid 

 fellows. They are now bringing grain to Nicomedia in large quan- 

 tities from various parts of the interior^ and large caravans of camels 

 are constantly coming in. 



A steamer leaves this place every Saturday morning for Nicomedia, 

 and returns early on Sunday. You could easily go there with your ship 

 if you were so disposed, as vessels of the largest class go up the Nico- 

 media gulf. I saw an Egyptian two-decker lying there three weeks 

 ago ; and the Turkish government has a navy yard there, at which 

 the largest sized ships-of-war are built. 



I am sorry we have not had the pleasure of seeing you at our house. 

 I remain, very truly, yours, 



H. a. 0. DWIGHT. 



Captain D. Porter, 



United States Ship Supply. 



Marsovan, November 15, 1855. 



My Dear Brother D wight : Your circular of October 27 reached me 

 two weeks ago. I took note of the request not to detain, but of neces- 

 sity kept it over one post (one week,) as must be done wherever it 



*The circular leUer of inquiry, of which a copy was enclosed to the department in my 

 communication of the 5th October, 1855. H. C, W. 



