114 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOE MILITARY PURPOSES. 



of the country to supply the wants of the eastern war, he passed a 

 law "^that no animal of any kind should be permitted to go out of 

 his territory." The law was a general one, and not made with any 

 allusion to camels or dromedaries, and I think it can be set aside 

 with a little management on the part of our consul. If objections are 

 made, we can still get them, by having them shipped from some port 

 outside of the Egyptian boundaries — Acre, Jaffa, or Beirout, for 

 instance ; and by going to Iskenderoon, in the territory of Aleppo, 

 a person would be within six days' journey of " Haleb," or city of 

 Aleppo, where dromedaries of as good a breed as those of Egypt are 

 to be found. Fine dromedaries can also be purchased in upper 

 Egypt, at moderate prices, and driven down, or sent down in Nile 

 boats, as far as Cairo, from thence, in a short time, they can be sent 

 to "Palestine," which is outside of the viceroy's dominions, and 

 shipped at one of the above mentioned ports. 



If the importation of camels or dromedaries into the United States 

 is to be continued, the plan adopted on this occasion (of having the 

 ship to wait while the animals are sought for) is a bad one, as far 

 as expense is concerned^ and I will take this occasion to make a 

 recommendation, which I think will expedite the business and save 

 the expense of the ship lying idle, besides doing away with the risk 

 of having sickness among the crew while lying in a sickly port. 



I would propose that some person of experience be employed to 

 purchase the camels or dromedaries, while the ship is on her way 

 home with those already purchased. If the animals are to be bought 

 in Egypt, the purchaser should be in Cairo about the first of October, 

 to start up the Nile as soon as possible and go by boat as far as the 

 first cataract, stopping at '"Minich," "Syout," "Gergeh," and other 

 places on the route where markets are held. Dromedaries are brought 

 from " Kordofan" and Dorfoor ; " Syout" and " Esneh" are the two 

 principle markets for countries in the interior west of the Nile. At 

 Assuan there is a market for dromedaries from " Ababdeh" and 

 "Beshareh," which lie between the Nile and Red sea. The Ababdeh 

 and Beshareh are considered by many persons to be superior to the 

 dromedaries of Oman, I think they will suit our climate better. 



To procure a number of animals would require about three months, 

 the course will then be to Suez (travelling on the purcliased dromeda- 

 ries) across Palestine, and stopping at such port as is designated for 

 the ship to go to ; if the viceroy of Egypt consents to let the animals 

 go out through his territory, (which he has promised to do,) then Alex- 

 andria will be the port to embark from ; if he does not consent, then 

 "Jappa," "Acre" or "Beirout" will be the places. The ship 

 should be at the point designated on the first of May. A moment's 

 reflection will show you that this plan is not only cheaper, but more 

 expeditious than any other, to say nothing of the opportunities thus 

 offered of picking up the best kind of stock in the interior of Egypt, 

 Syria, &c., where they are to be found in quantities. I got Mr. 

 Heap to make inquiries while in Egypt, and the above is the result 

 which I have quoted. The limits of this communication will not 

 permit me to go into all the details of this proposed plan, but I shall 

 be happy to extend my observations on the subject if you desire it. 



