122 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



Mr. Heap had to send some distance into the country for those he 

 purchased. His duties would not permit him to leave Smyrna, as 

 he had to expedite matters so as to he ready for the ship, and he had 

 to employ trusty persons to hunt up camels in the country. 



I would suggest that if any more camels are to be purchased, that 

 a competent person he sent into the interior of "Asia Minor;" starting 

 from Smyrna and going even as far as " Karamania," he can select 

 the animals on the route, and on his return by the same way he can 

 purchase them and add them to the train. "Konieh," in "Kara- 

 mania," is one of the most famous camel stations, and is the great 

 stopping place for caravans between Smyrna and Persia, and other 

 parts of " Anadolia." It is about seven hundred miles from Smyrna 

 in a straight line, and about twenty-five days' travel at caraelpace. 

 In this way the very choicest stock can be procured. I do not think 

 myself that an experiment of this kind can be carried out successfully 

 by the introduction of inferior stock. If it is not considered desirable 

 to undertake so long a journey, there are places nearer to Smyrna 

 where good purchases can be made. Among those known are "Allah 

 Shir," " Ishkel," " Degnish," &c , and many other places on the 

 route to " Karamania." 



There is always a doubt about purchasing a camel in or about a 

 city, no matter how fine looking it may be, particularly if it has been 

 used in a "caravan," for although it may not have the itch at the 

 time it is bought, there is no knowing how soon it may break out. 

 If the camel is bought from a private gentleman, (who has merely 

 used it for his amusement or about his grounds,) and has been kept 

 in a private stable, there is no danger of disease, for it is only in the 

 filthy khans where they contract it. All those bought by Mr. Heap 

 were either from the country or brought from private stables, conse- 

 quently they were all good healthy camels. 



Mr. Heap was fortunate enough to be able to purchase two very 

 fine Bactrian males for breeding purposes ; he heard of their being 

 about six days' journey from Smyrna, and had them brought in ; one 

 of them had been brought from Persia, being marked with a Persian 

 mark or brand, and the other was picked up at " Gheuzel," near 

 Samos. This powerful animal, although a native of northern Asia, 

 is found on the confines of Persia, in the " Kurdistan" country, and 

 is brought in yearly to the southwestern part of Asia Minor to cross 

 with the female Arabian camel, (or Arvanas,) passing through a 

 large extent of country in the rutting season, and returning again in 

 the spring to the northeast, where the weather is temperate and the 

 pasturage abundant. Tlie connexion between the Bactrian male and 

 the Arvana, or female Arabian, produces a cross called " Tulu," gen- 

 erally known as the " Turcoman" camel, large numbers of which are 

 tc be found throughout Asia Minor, and large caravans of them go 

 annually from Smyrna to Persia and the northeast countries of Asia 

 Minor, carrying immense loads. This cross or " Tulu" is a hybrid, 

 and if it does produce at all, the issue -is very small and very inferior ; 

 it is called a "Kokurt;" they are not worth five dollars. We pro- 

 cured only one " Tulu" as a specimen, and though he is a huge and 

 poweriul animal^ he is not to compare with many of the same kind 



