PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 123 



to be met with in Asia Minor. We had to consult the height of our 

 decks, which were only seven feet five inches between the planks. 

 The " Tulu" purchased was rutting at the time, and was in conse- 

 quence very thin ; he measured, however, seven feet four inches in 

 height, ten feet two inches in length, with head erect, and eight feet 

 ten inches around the body; when in fair order he will weigh over 

 two thousand pounds. The weight carried by a " Tulu" on a journey 

 is twelve hundred English pounds, and he will make eighteen miles 

 a day with this load for many consecutive days. Their food is one 

 dough-ball of four pounds while travelling, with the herbage they 

 can pick up at resting times. The " Maya," or female issue of the 

 Bactrian and Arabian female, is also a very powerful animal, but can- 

 not carry such heavy weights as the "Tulu." Most novices who 

 went to purchase camels would be much struck with the " Tulu" and 

 "Maya," and, if they had no experience, would likely purchase all 

 of that kind ; but that course would not have answered in our case, 

 for if it should so happen that this was to be the last attempt to im- 

 port camels, we will, at all events, be prov.ided with the means of 

 raising a number hereafter from the limited stock on hand, although 

 it will take some years to produce any great results from so small a 

 number. If the experiment is only to ascertain whether they will 

 carry heavy loads and suit the climate of Texas, that could have been 

 found out at Smyrna without the trouble of bringing any over, for it 

 is well known that the " Kurdistan" mountains, " Akabzik," "Mount 

 Ararat," and the mountains from Erzroun to " Tabrees" are all 

 covered with deep snow until late in the spring, and large caravans 

 of these are passing constantly over them. To import the "Tulu" 

 and "Maya" would be a slow process of accumulating them. They 

 take up a great deal of room on board ship, (as much as two ordinary 

 camels,) and I think it altogether more advisable to import the male 

 Bactrian camel and breed them in the United States. 



The only difficulty now is to find out whether the "Bactrian" will 

 stand the heat of Texas. Having passed through the heat of the tropics, 

 I think I can safely predict that he will survive the heat of Texas. 

 They are a very hardy animal and give very little trouble on board 

 ship, provided they are kindly treated, but they wont bear harsh 

 treatment, and will fret under it. In getting the Bactrian on board 

 great care must be observed not to let his humps touch anywhere, 

 as the animal is very tender about those parts ; the best plan is to keep 

 his knees tied around securely with ropes, and let him walk on them 

 (which he can easily do) to the place he is to stand in between the 

 beams. I was obliged to cut away part of the deck for one of the 

 Bactrians ; he could not stand under it without rubbing the top of his 

 humps ; he was seven feet five inches high, ten feet long, and nine feet 

 nine inches around the body, including his fore hump. 



The Bactrian "Bohoor," or male, can always be procured in "Ana- 

 dolia" and "Karamania," although they are not numerous, and cost 

 from three to four hundred dollars ; if the eastern war was over they 

 could be purchased in the Crimea at low prices ; but the trouble of 

 going there would be great. If they are wanted in the United States 

 hereafter, to any extent, Arnour or Seghalien river in Russia is the 



