130 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



preaching maturity, and being desirous to secure at least one of those 

 born on board, I undertook the direction of the affair myself, the 

 Bedouin acting as practitioner. No force whatever was used, but 

 nature allowed to have her way ; the result was, that everything 

 turned out well, and the young one stood on its legs one hour after it 

 was born ; it was then presented to the mother ibr recognition, and 

 she testified much affection for it, not being shocked by the sight of 

 the unsightly clothes by which the others had been so disguised, that 

 the mothers did not recognize them as their own offspring ; in two 

 hours after birth, this young one was sucking heartily at its mother's 

 teats ; after a hearty meal it was rubbed in the joints, made to stand 

 up every hour, and in four days was running about among the camels. 

 In a week the young one was frisking about the deck as lively as a 

 young lamb,, generously permitting the young camel, " Uncle Sam," 

 to draw from the same fount, that precocious animal, having discovered 

 that the mother had a superabundance of milk, w^as frequently caught 

 poaching, to which the female in no way objected. Suffice it to say 

 that the above mentioned system was carried out with all the young 

 ones, and never failed. Young camels are very little trouble on board 

 after they are ten days old ; having been born at sea they are perfectly 

 steady on their legs, even in the heaviest weather, and when a sailor 

 even has to hold on they can balance themselves and not fall. In 

 gales they go about the deck without danger ; at the age of one 

 month they eat heartily of oats and dough-ball, and drink their water, 

 it seems to agree with them, and they grov/ rapidly from that moment. 

 On board ship they suck indiscriminately from each other's mother, 

 (which I presume would not be allowed on shore,) and it was no un- 

 common thing to see three sucking at one female at the same time. 

 The plan I adopted for introducing the young ones into the world 

 :seems the most natural one, notwithstanding Turkish precedents ; it 

 is, I believe, tlie Egyptian way of doing ; at the least, the Bedouin 

 •approved of it, and he moreover told me that in the desert the young 

 ones were put out in the rain without receiving any injury from it. 



I have endeavored to get some reliable information relative to the 

 diseases to which camels are liable, and which, I am told, are numer- 

 ous. I cannot, however, find that they are liable to any disease not 

 ■ engendered by filth and negligent treatment; the most common 

 •complaint is the itch, with which the Turks and Egyptians take 

 very little trouble beyond smearing the animal with tar, when it is 

 nearly eaten up with sores, and which, perhaps, eventuates a cure 

 when the camel is brought to a pretty low condition. The itch, as I 

 have already mentioned, can be cured in four days, by rubbing sul- 

 phur and olive oil mixed together on the part affected, and giving the 

 animal a handful of flour of sulphur every day, (for ten days,) in its 

 oats. Both camels and dromedaries are subject to colds, particularly 

 the latter. I had seven cases on hand at one time; the animals 

 coughed painfully, and had a running at the nose, and also seemed to 

 have a difficulty in swallowing hay. I gave to each one a half pint 

 •of olive oil for two days, (stopped the use of hay,) and gave them a 

 wine glass of olive oil, night and morning, until they were cured, 



