118 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



finally falls into the " Noraanieh"' pace ; whenever he gets out of it 

 the noose is tightened. After a good deal of training he learns what 

 is required of him. When he is pretty well broken in, in this way, 

 a saddle is placed upon his back, with which alone he is drilled for 

 some time longer, and finally, when he is strong enough, he is made 

 to kneel and rise with a rider, who carries on the same system until 

 the dromedary is willing to go without a man in advance of him ; this 

 they soon do, as they are an intelligent animal and learn fast, as I 

 have seen them easily taught several things while on the voyage. 



The " Becharieh gait is more universal in Egyp't than that of the 

 Nomanieh," and is natural to the dromedary, though not quite so 

 pleasant a motion as the other ; it makes the breaking in of a drome- 

 dary a more simple business. The '' Becharieh" is taught to carry its 

 head very high by reining it up, which gives them a very handsome 

 appearance. The dromedary of " Oman" is not common in and about 

 "Cairo" or Alexandria, they are sometimes brought from Mecca by 

 the returning pilgrims^ who purchase them from other pilgrims from 

 "Oman;" but they command high prices, and would not, in my 

 opinion, suit our climate as well as the " Becharieh." I have found 

 the " Nomanieh" female to be the most delicate of those obtained in 

 Egypt, while the " Sennaar " proved to be the most hardy animals on 

 board. I would, therefore, recommend the "Becharieh" as best 

 adapted for our climate. I think they will thrive there, and stand 

 the transportation well. 



All the dromedaries taken on board were rutting at the time, and 

 the females that required it were covered by the males on board ship 

 before leaving Alexandria, and every day after we sailed until we 

 reached Smyrna. So that it is likely all the females, except the 

 "Nomanieh," will have young ones next February; sterility is 

 scarcely known amongst the I'emales, and the males being very vigor- 

 ous and not allowed to run to excesses, the result of a connexion is 

 almost sure to be a young one at the end of the year. 



The same system was put in operation with the dromedaries that I 

 had used with the Tunisian camel so successfully ; in the first place, 

 I had them thoroughly cleaned with soap and water, gave them .1 wine 

 glass of powdered sulphur in their drink for three days to purify them ; 

 and had every sus[)icious looking spot on their bodies rubbed with sul- 

 phur and olive oil mixed together ; if they had any itch about them, 

 it was perfectly eradicated. 



The system I adopted for feeding them was to commence at three 

 o'clock every day, and give each one a gallon of oats, or oats and peas 

 mixed ; their hay racks were always kept filled, and each animal ate 

 on an average ten pounds of hay a day in good weather. 



They were watered every day before feeding them, and were allowed 

 one ship's bucket full of water, or three gallons, each time ; those that 

 had young were watered twice every day and fed with a gallon of oats 

 in the morning, besides their evening feed ; this amount of water I 

 found was quite enough for them, except in very warm weather, when 

 I had their allowance increased ; great care must be taken not to give 

 them more water than the above allowance, which is ample ; if per- 

 mitted, they would drink twenty gallons, and that would do them 



