PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOE MILITARY PURPOSES. 101 



At Assouan is a market for dromedaries from Ababdeli and Besha- 

 reh, countries situated between the Nile and Red Sea, The Beshareeh 

 and Ababdeeah breeds are considered by many quite equal to the 

 dromedaries from Oman and Muscat. A few might be purchased at 

 Assouan, or, if none found to suit, a sufficient number can be hired 

 to go into the Ababdeh and Beshareh countries, where ten or fifteen 

 of the best can be procured, and with these return to Cairo, This 

 will occupy about three months, so that a departure from Cairo can be 

 made about the middle of January. 



The course will then be to Suez, travelling on the animals pur- 

 chased in Upper Egypt, which will also carry all the baggage, dis- 

 tributed in light loads so as to move rapidly. 



From Cairo to Suez, then to Tor, on the Red Sea, Mount Sinai, 

 Akaba, Petra ; then by the eastern or western shore of the Dead Sea, 

 according to circumstances, to Damascus, Aleppo, and Scanderoon. 



At Akaba, situated at the head of the Gulf of Akaba, to penetrate 

 into the Hedjaz, as far as ciicumstances and the native tribes will 

 permit. 



Along the whole of this route good dromedaries of various breeds 

 are found, and a careful selection of the best can be made, so that 

 thirty or thirty-six will be procured by the time we reach Scanderoon, 

 which will be about the first of May, The vessel will be in waiting 

 to ship them as soon as they arrive, and will sail at once for the 

 United States. 



Scanderoon (Alexandretta) is a good port, and much the best on 

 the coast of Syria. 



While the ship is on her way to the United States and back to the 

 Mediterranean, the agent will have ample time to purchase the num- 

 ber of burden camels required for a load. 



There are two routes, by either of which burden camels of a supe- 

 rior quality will be found. The first route is as follows, and will 

 occupy about six months : To Aleppo, Mardin, Mossoul, Ourmiah, 

 in Persia, Van, Erzeroom, and Trebizonde or Samsoon, 



Should the war in the east or other causes render this route im- 

 practicable, there is another one, viz : Aleppo, Anitab, Casarieh, 

 Koniah_, Kutaya, to Smyrna. This will occupy about three months ; 

 and by either route those provinces will be visited which produce the 

 largest, strongest, and hardiest animals for burden ; and they ofi'er 

 also every variety of soil and climate, as, by either, numerous ranges 

 of mountains are crossed, which, in winter, are covered with snow, so 

 that there will be a certainty of getting animals inured to a cold cli- 

 mate and rough country. 



It is seen that, according to this plan, the winter will be spent in 

 the south purchasing dromedaries, and the summer in the north pur- 

 chasing burden camels, and that two shiploads will be landed in the 

 United States by the same ship in less than twelve months. 



Besides time^ there will be found a saving of money by going into 

 the countries where the animals are bred, instead of purchasing them 

 in cities along the coast, where they are neither as abundant, as good, 

 nor as cheap. Dromedaries, indeed, are scarce in the towns, more 

 especially those of a finer quality. A wealthy citizen may keep a 



