PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 97 



against any further attempts there, in which decision, as far as my 

 judgment in such matters permitted, I heartily concurred, and I there- 

 fore requested Lieutenant Porter to run for the Balize, as the nearest 

 best point for my purpose, and wrote to Captain Van Bokkelen, as- 

 sistant quartermaster at Indianola, to direct Captain Baker to follow 

 me there. My reason for preferring the Balize to the inside of Ship 

 island, the nearest smooth water, was to secure a sufficiency of coal 

 for the Fashion to run back to Powder Horn, and any other supplies 

 that she might require for the trip, none of which could be obtained, 

 as I was informed, at Ship island. We are now, to-day at 12 m., 

 within one hundred and forty-five miles of the Balize, and I hope to 

 find the Fashion there, -and to be able soon after to report to you the 

 safe landing of the camels on the shore of Texas. 



The passage out from Smyrna was an uncommonly rough one, and 

 much of it boisterous. Three gales, two of them severe ones, and the 

 ceaseless rolling of the vessel, except for the short time that she was 

 ''on a wind," have amply demonstrated, not only the feasibility of 

 transporting camels in numbers across the sea, but the fact that they 

 are more easily carried and bear transportation better than horses or 

 mules. I do not think the same number of horses or mules could 

 have been brought across as safely and with such little trouble. This 

 comparison is made from an observation of the transportation of the 

 latter animals duiing the war with Mexico. 



On the 15th February, a male camel was born on board, and on the 

 19th, a female. Both of these calves died on the 25th of the same 

 month from the want of nourishment ; their dams refusing, during a 

 gale which lasted for three days, to rise and suckle them. They had 

 apparently lost, through fear, all solicitude for their young. Every 

 effort was made to get them up on their feet without injuring them, 

 but in vain ; and resort was had to thin gruel, preserved milk, and 

 such other aliments as Lieutenant Porter's stores supplied, to keep the 

 little ones alive. Nothing that could be had on board though, furnished 

 the sustenance necessary to maintain life. 



On the 27th February, another fiemale calf was born^ which is alive 

 and thriving. 



On the 19th March, another male camel was born, which died on 

 the 26th of April, from fits, produced, it was thought, by teething. 



On the 30th March, one of the original stock, an " Arvana," taken 

 in at Smyrna, died in calving, from a ruptured vagina. On the same 

 day, another male calf was born, which is alive and well. 



On the 1st April, another male calf was born, which died on the 

 5th of the same month, from being laid upon and crushed by one of 

 the large camels. 



To recapitulate our gains and losses. Sailed from Smyrna with 

 thirty-three camels, of which one died in calving. Six calves born on 

 the passage, of which four died. Number of camels now on hand, 

 thirty-four ; being one more than we started with. 



This successful transportation of the animals is due to the excellent 



and ingenious arrangements of Lieutenant Porter for securing them 



in rough weather, and to his indefatigable personal supervision and 



attention to them. In this connexion I cannot omit to mention the 



Ex. Doc. 62 7 



