PUECHASE OF CAMELS FOE MILITAEY PUEPOSES. 105 



management of them, they are still in fair order, have not de- 

 teriorated, and would, with ordinary care, be kept in much better 

 condition than the camels of the East. Taking their treatment into 

 consideration, it is wonderful to me that the Tuscans have succeeded 

 in propagating the species at all. I attribute their success more to 

 the wonderful endurance of the camel than to any management on 

 their part. I anticipate much better results from our experiment, for 

 the intelligence of our people, and their keen perception of what is 

 for their own interest, will, I am convinced, bring the breeding of 

 camels to a high state of perfection ; and we may hereafter be export- 

 ing the improved breed back to the shores from whence they originally 

 come. I regret that I have nothing more interesting to communicate 

 on this subject. 



I sailed from Spezzia the day after the arrival of Major Wayne, 

 and Tunis being directly in our route, I stopped there, with the inten- 

 tion of taking on board a camel of that country, to keep during the 

 cruise, and try experiments with it ; ascertain the best mode of man- 

 agement at sea, and the amount of time the camel will endure con- 

 finement on board ship, in reference to future shipments. An ordinary 

 camel was accordingly purchased, which we afterwards regretted, as 

 the Bey of Tunis presented the United States government with two 

 good specimens through Mr, Chandler, our consul general. One of 

 the camels was a remarkable fine one, has performed the whole voyage 

 through the Mediterranean in the ship, without having been landed; 

 has never been sick a day, or '' ofi" his feed," and is now, after a con- 

 finement of nine months, in better condition than any camel on 

 board. So well satisfied am I with my experience with the Tunisian 

 camel_, that I would not hesitate. to procure stock from that regency, 

 being well satisfied that they will suit the climate of Texas. The 

 climate of Tunis is much more variable than that of Texas, being 

 colder in winter and hotter in summer, neither of which is exactly 

 suitable for the camel, which delights in temperate weather, and 

 thrives best in an equable clime ; it suffers most the changes from 

 heat to cold and from cold to heat, although from my own observa- 

 tions, I should conclude that they were indifferent to heat, cold, 

 hunger, or thirst, and seem to be a machine only, capable of enduring 

 every kind of hardship. I have seen them in Europe, Asia, and 

 Africa, exposed to all kinds of temperature, and subjected to very bad 

 treatment. 



I invariably found them the same enduring, obedient, and uncom- 

 plaining animals ; they labor on from day to day, under the care of 

 brutal drivers, and kneel down at night, after a hard day's work (the 

 picture of meekness) to chew their small allowance of food ; always 

 ready to start again at a moment's notice, and scarcely ever exhibit 

 anything like fatigue. 



The camels of Tunis are not generally so robust in appearance as 

 those of Asia Minor, although the female is a larger and handsomer 

 animal ; neither can they carry such heavy burdens. The camel of 

 Asia Minor has become more hardy by the change to a colder climate, 

 and its frame and limbs are much larger than those of the more 

 southern latitudes, but the Tunisian camel is more rapid in its move- 



