PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES- 77 



stops. But to facilitate the business I made another copy, and sent 

 it direct to Sivas, to go thence to Ceserea, while the original went to 

 Tocat, to go thence direct to Kharsish, thus making a gain of " one 

 half" in time. 



Camels are not raised in Marsovan, but in a region called Bozouk, 

 sixty or eighty miles south of us, of which Yorgat may be regarded 

 as a centre. They pass, however, in great numbers here, on their 

 way to and from JSamsoum. Their owners are Turcomen. I have 

 proposed your questions to various breeders and drivers of camels 

 amongst these Turcomen, whom I have found here, and have received 

 the following statements, which I give as I received, having no per- 

 sonal acquaintance with the matter : Answer to question 1. The va- 

 rieties of camels furnished here are " first " male camels with " two 

 humps," called Bouhoun ; single camels of this variety are brought 

 to Bozouk from Erzroun and the regions beyond, and also from the 

 Crimea, but solely for the purpose of breeding. They are never used 

 for burden. The "two-humped" female is not found here. " Second 

 variety" single-humped camels of both sexes, coming originally from 

 Arabia, but raised to some extent in Bozouk ; the males are called 

 "Lok," the females " Arvana." 



Then, by a cross between the "Bouhoun," or two-humped male, 

 and the " Arvana," or one-humped female, we have a tbird variety, 

 single-humped, as useless as mules for breeding, but, like them, of 

 great value as burden bearers. 



The females of this cross breed are, then, of course, natives of 

 Bozouk, and are called "Maya." The males are almost always cas- 

 trated, or rather their stones are destroyed by twisting or crushing, 

 and then they are called " Khadin " or eunuchs. A camel driver, 

 however, usually leaves one of his cross-breed males intact, and makes 

 of him a leader for his company of camels. This leader must himself 

 be led by the halter to keep him out of mischief; the rest will follow 

 him whether they are led or not. 



Answer to question 2. Bouhouns are never loaded ; are kept only 

 for breeding, as above ; loks are sometimes loaded, but are principally 

 used for breeding, particularly to procure " Arvanas " in order to 

 cross with the Bouhouns. The camels almost universally used for 

 loads are these "Arvanas," and the cross-breed Mayas, and the Kha- 

 dins. A common load for an " Arvana" is 400 to 500 pounds ; for 

 a cross-breed (a Maya or Khadin) 600 pounds. There is no limit to 

 the number of consecutive days these camels will travel with their 

 burdens, provided they are driven no more than their usual distance 

 of 18 miles a day, and are allowed eight to ten hours to make these 

 18 miles. During this eight to ten hours, which should commence 

 early enough in the morning to terminate soon after noon, camels 

 are "never eased of their burdens." After unloading, it is customary 

 to take off the pack-saddle for a little to rub the camel with the 

 hand, and to examine the state of the back. 



Answer to question 3. Camels descend from the table-lands of cen- 

 tral Asia Minor (6,000 feet above the sea) to the shores of the Black 

 and Mediterranean seas, and return, through every variety of climate, 

 crossing mountains and plains, over roads rocky and sandy, without 



