

YK11TEBEATA. 



I may speak for every man in our party, when I say there is not one of them who would not pre- 

 the most indifferent of our camels to four of our best mules, and I look forward hopefully to 

 the time when they will be in general use in all parts of our country." 



This report contains an interesting account of the admirable manner in which these animals 

 swam the Colorado River, thus removing all doubt as to their capacity for this species of service. 

 I.icut.nant Beale arrive! at San Francisco, and the editor of a leading journal of that city says: 

 ••The experiment of the camels and dromedaries has proved a triumphant success. In opposition 



the opinions of many United States officers, they have shown themselves admirably adapted 

 for traversing the wastes of Western America. In some instances these wonderful animals went 

 a week, and in one ten days, without water — not because it did not exist on the route, but from 

 a lack <>f desire for it; and on the tenth day the animal drank with comparative indifference. 

 They could go, if required, over two weeks without tasting vvater. Their food is of the simplest 

 and coarsesl description; they eat, as they progress, whatever grows on the way-side, bending 

 their long necks and thrusting their heads alike into the narrowest crevices, for the cactus or the 

 stunted verdure, or cropping the leaves from the boughs of the trees, without in the least retard- 

 ing their speed. Truly they may be called the ships of the desert, and, w r hen taken in compari- 

 uith mules, horses, or cattle, which require food almost as regularly as man, they seem 

 adapted by nature to tic novel task to which our government has now applied them."* 



THE DEAD CAMEL AND THE VULTURES. 



In the autumn of 185S the United States storeship Supply, under command of Lieutenant Porter, was sent to 



the Mediterranean to obtain camels to be taken to Texas and tried, so as to ascertain whether they were suited to 



that climate, and t<> that of New Mexico and California. Thirty-three were procured, mostly in Egypt and Smyrna; 



two being of the Bactrian and thirty-one of the Arabian species; one was a cross called Booghdee or Tuilu. With 



ailed, and after a rough passage arrived and landed them all safely at Indianola, Texas, May 14, 



u-crc born on the passage; all, however, died but one. The correspondence with thi 



rent of Major Wayne, who accompanied Lieutenant Porter, and was chiefly charged with the purchase of the 



n< I-. baa been published, and is exceedingly interesting, not only on account of the details of his operations, but 



linnte information he gives respecting the camel in the countries where it has been in use for ages. 



■tier .,1 Lieutenant Porter*! to 'he War Department, giving an account of the expedition, has also been published, 



ei I i, alike valuable and interesting. 



ide another successful trip to the Mediterranean for camels in 1S56-7, but we have not the 

 official details. In lsOS, oue hundred camels were imported into New Orleans on private speculation. 



