106 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



ments, will carry easily five hundred pounds on a long journey, and 

 is much more graceful in its appearance, approaching nearer to the 

 form of the dromedary. They will suit the climate of Texas, and as 

 appears from experiment, will endure a sea voyage of great length. 

 Our opportunity of seeing camels in the regency of Tunis were small, 

 and my impressions have been formed by seeing those to be found in 

 and about the city of Tunis. In the interior and along the coast 

 they are to be found in a much better condition, and I was told that 

 the Pehlevan, or wrestling camel, (which is kept for a breeder,) is finer 

 even than those of Smyrna or other parts of Asia Minor. " Susa," 

 Sfax, and Gabes on the coast are the best markets where they are to 

 be found. 



I remained at Tunis eight days, and sailed the 9th of August, with 

 three camels on board. I immediately put in operation the plan I 

 had fixed upon for their future treatment. 



Previous to my leaving the United States^ I had the ship fitted with 

 a view to carrying camels, and as the plan adopted has succeeded in 

 every respect, without any change whatever, I beg leave to give you 

 a minute description of it ; it would be dangerous to attempt to trans- 

 port any number of camels without some arrangement of the kind 

 adopted on board the "Supply," although it might be possible to 

 carry five or six on board an ordinary merchant vessel, with a little 

 addition to her usual fittings. 



In the first place, a trunk 60 feet long was raised upon the spar- 

 deck of the " Supply," extending from abaft the foremast aft to the 

 quarter-deck ; this trunk was 12 feet wide, with a large hatch, 11 

 feet 3 inches by 6 feet 8 inches am id-ships, to let the camels down on 

 to the lower deck by ; there was also a hatch at the fore and after 

 end to put windsails down. Along the sides of the trunk were placed 

 port-holes, 2 feet long and 1 foot wide ; 20 of these port-holes were 

 cut on each side of the trunk ; inside they were fitted with glass and 

 frames to let down in cold weather, and outside they were fitted with 

 wooden shutters to keep out the sea in bad weather. The main hatch 

 being so high above the deck could be kept open in the heaviest gale, 

 enabling the camels at all times to get a plentiful supply of fresh air, 

 without which they would soon die between decks in a sliip. In an 

 ordinary vessel, without such trunk as I speak of, the hatches would 

 have to be battened down on the least appearance of bad weather, and 

 the result would be the death of every camel. I have never, on any 

 occasion, known the "between decks" of the "Supply" to be un- 

 comfortably warm ; on the contrary, there was frequently more air 

 thrown down there from the mainsail than was required. 



To get the camels on board safely, I had a boat made expressly for the 

 purpose^ and a camel car (to fit inside the boat) in which the camels were 

 j)laced when hoisted in or out; the boat was made "scow fashion," and 

 tlat-bottomed, to draw but little water, and enable it to run upon a beach. 

 It was 7iV f*^6t wide, 20^ feet long, and capable of bearing a weight of 

 6,000 pounds. The camel car was made of heavy oak, upiight pieces and 

 solid bottom, bolted strongly together and fitted with six small trucks 

 (so as to roll it in and out of the scow if necessary,) and at each end 

 it had a sliding door to ship and unship, and allow the camel to go in 



