78 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FuR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



injury ; nor do I learn, in answer to question 4, of any particular 

 eflect upon their feet from their long journeys, even over rocky ground ; 

 but am told, in answer to question 6, that camel drivers are in the 

 habit of carrying with them wooden shovels to make stepping places 

 for their animals in mud or snow, when passing up or down steep hills. 

 They also carry axes to break or roughen ice to enable the camels to 

 pass without slipping. 



Answer to question 5. When there is no snow on the ground, the 

 camels are turned out^ after their day's journey is finished, to find 

 their own food from grass, leaves, tender twigs, &c. If there is not 

 a sufficiency of this kind of food, cut straw is given in addition ; and 

 when snow covers the ground they are fed entirely with straw and 

 barley meal wet with water, of which wet meal or dough two or three 

 pounds are given to each camel at evening. Camels are watered once 

 or twice a day if convenient, but can do without water two or three 

 days if necessary. They are never stabled on their journeys ; but are 

 at home put under a roof (open at the sides) in the winter. When 

 journeying through snow their camping ground is cleared with a 

 shovel. 



Answer to question 6. I hear of no precautions to be taken in 

 loading or unloading a camel, except to confine the amount of the load 

 to the strength of the animal. Camels, as is well known, are taught 

 to kneel to receive and deposit their loads. This is done when young, 

 by raising one of the fore feet, and, binding the leg in a bent position, 

 the halter is jerked down ; this brings the animal on his knees, when 

 the other leg is bound, and he is thus compelled to sit. The driver 

 accompanies this jerking, or bearing down of the halter, with a pecu- 

 liar sound of " khrr," " khrr," " khrr," and, after a few lessons, the 

 camel learns always to kneel when he hears the " khrr" or feels the 

 jerk. 



Answer to question 7. Camels rut in January. In preparation 

 for this time, the Bouhoun, two months before, say early in Novem- 

 ber, is fed for fifteen or twenty days with wheat at the rate of one 

 peck a day, and for the remainder of the two months with barley, at 

 the rate of half a peck per day. In January he is brought to the 

 "Arvanas/' (four or five each day,) who receive him sitting, iSteril- 

 ity is not common among the "Arvanas" (one in one thousand.) The 

 Mayas or cross breed camels are always sterile, or, if they have pro- 

 geny, it is useless. The "Arvana" carries her young twelve months 

 or a little more, and should not be heavily loaded for eight to nine 

 months before or for the month after time of giving birth. 



Answer to question 8. Calves, after birth, are bolstered up on 

 both sides, to teach them to sit camel-fashion. They are fed for one 

 or two days with a little butter, and for three days must be put to the 

 mother's teats and be taught to suckle. After this, no further care is 

 needed. They run by their mothers sides for ten to eleven months 

 and then wean themselves. When two to three years old they begin 

 to carry light loads, and will do service for twenty-five to thirty years. 

 (For remainder of answer to question 8, see under question 6.) 



Answer to question 9. I do not hear of any plants or food as hurt- 

 ful to camels, nor of any diseases to which they are particularly sub- 



