204 PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 



soldiers armed with lances and javelins. Therefore, I shall not treat 

 of its actual use in facilitating the march of troops. A still more 

 important duty has been assigned to it within a century — that 

 of transporting the thunderbolts of war. It was Persia which first so 

 used it ; and this light artillery has never since ceased to render to it 

 important services in its expeditions. Though I have aimed at brevity 

 in my narrative, I have found it impossible to omit some particulars 

 relative to a nation whose genius and customs differ so much from our 

 own. 



Within a few years the dromedary artillery has had to sustain a 

 rivalry with field artillery, in consequence of the introduction of the 

 European system into Persia. As in all similar cases, it was tempo- 

 rarily supplanted by the novelty ; but the excitement over, it was 

 perceived that the continual difiiculties which were encountered in an 

 arid country, unprovided with roads, rendered the use of the drome- 

 dary highly important, and the artillery of the zemboureks was re- 

 organized. It is of this reorganization that I shall treat, describing 

 the attempts made by the reigning family to introduce the European 

 military system into Persia*, and concluding with a few general reflec- 

 tions upon the result of such efibrts in Musselman countries. 



PARTICULARITIES OF THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DROMEDARY. 



There is but one species of camel indigenous to Persia ; it is the 

 dromedary with one hump. It is commonly known under the two 

 denominations of Deveh and of Choutour. The first is afarsi (Persian) 

 word used among the tribes speaking the Tartar language, and is de- 

 rived from the Persian word der or deviden, (to run, to make haste.) 

 The second, Choutour, is used by the Persians who speak the farsi, 

 and is derived from the Zend word. Aster, Oustour, or Choutour.-\ 



The Choutour-bad don Kouhe, or camel with two humps, is not in- 

 digenous, and has always been brought into Persia, either from 

 Tartary, Georgia, or other countries. | 



Following a due north and south line, we find these animals dis- 

 tributed as follows : From Orenburg to the southern shore of Lake 



* Omitted, as it does not bear upon our immediate purpose. H. C. W. 



t The wealth of the caravans of dromedaries loaded with merchandise which arrive from 

 Khiva at Asterabad, has given to the latter town the name it bears: Aster, dromedary; ahad, 

 town. 



\ A number of camels with two humps are brought from Trans-Oxana (Touran) into Persia, 

 and yet they are never seen employed in the transportation of merchandise. The reason 

 for this i understand is, that they arc kept only for breeding, and that their issue takes 

 always after the mother, which is selected from the females of the Persian dromedaries. 

 Indeed, either by the influence of a warmer climate, or from a change in diet, the camels 

 brought from Trans-Oxana, after being some time in Persia, lose gradually one of their 

 humps. This agrees with the anatomical observation of Buffon, who distinguishes two kinds, 

 and not two species ; the one with one hump, which he calls the dromedary ; the other with 

 two humps, which he designates the camel. 



There is sculptured on the first flight of the great staircase at Persepolis, a man in foreign 

 costume, leading a camel with two humps by a cord through the nose, with no other trap- 

 pings than a collar, to which is attached a small bell. This camel driver is one of those 

 coming to present to the great king as oflfering the products of their native countries. A 

 certain indication that the camel with two humps was of foreign origin. 



