PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 159 



men in their management, and in packing, that they may be used 

 on scouts and in expressing. 



Will you send me the treatise on the "Zembourek" or "dromedary 

 artillery," either the original French or my translation ; the original 

 French I would prefer, as I had not time to make with my transla- 

 tion copies of all the drawings. 



With much respect, I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



HENRY C. WAYNE, 



Major United States Army. 

 Hon. Jefferson Davis, 



Secretary of War, Washington City. 



Camp Verde, Texas, November 5, 1856. 



Sir : In my letter of the 24th of September last I wrote you that 

 another test of the advantage of the camel was before me, in a trial 

 of them over a straight road hence to San Antonio, by which some 

 miles in distance are saved, but which, lying over the mountains, is, 

 from its ruggedness, impracticable for wagons. 



On the 1st of October a caravan of twelve camels left this for San 

 Antonio, under my clerk and overseer, Mr. Ray, with instructions to 

 take, going and returning, the straight road before mentioned. It 

 did so ; but on going down, after following it for some miles, its 

 indistinctness induced Mr. Ray to turn aside, and it was not until 

 the caravan had proceeded ten miles that hei discovered his error and 

 retraced his steps back to the point of deviation. Notwithstanding 

 this increased journey, the caravan arrived in San Antonio on the 

 3d of October, (Friday,) in good condition, having accomplished the 

 distance easily in two days. 



On Saturday night (October 4) and Sunday morning it rained 

 in San Antonio heavily, wetting the roads deeply, and making them 

 muddy and boggy. Wagoning through such mud is labor lost ; 

 for the viscidity of this soil is such that it packs firmly on the wheel, 

 and as with each revolution a new layer is taken up, the tire and 

 felloes soon become encased in a thick, firm coating ol pressed earth, 

 rendering traction slow and painfnl. Travelling in such roads with 

 anything like a load in a wagon is out of the question. This con- 

 dition of the roads offered an opportunity for another test, the 

 travelling of the camel in muddy weather, not contemplated by 

 me when the caravan left, but which the information and sagacity 

 of Mr. Ray at once embraced. 



Packing light loads upon the camels, averaging about three hun- 

 dred and twenty-five pounds to each, he took advantage of a tem- 

 porary cessation of rain between 12 m. and 1 p. m. on Sunday (the 

 5th of October) and commenced his return to camp. The rain con- 

 tinued with slight intermissions, but generally coming down in 

 torrents throughout Sunday night and the succeeding Monday and 

 Tuesday. On Tuesday evening (October 7) the caravan reached 

 camp at 7 p. m., and delivered 3,800 pounds of oats, and a few mis- 



