150 ANIMALS USED IN WAR. 



been applied to Artillery draught, and in certain districts, as in 

 Karachi and Western India, it is no uncommon sight to see 

 them yoked to low wheeled carts, performing carrying duty. 

 Napoleon employed them for mounted infantry purposes in 

 Egypt and Palestine, Napier in India, and we ourselves in 

 Egypt, with marked success in properly organised Corps for 

 mounted infantry purposes. In Persia, in early times, they 

 were used for light Artillery (Zemboureks) a small gun being 

 mounted on a wooden saddle. 



Eiding camels are quite distinct animals, differing from 

 baggage camels as race horses do from other breeds of horses. 

 There are certain breeds that are specially suitable for riding 

 purposes — the Bikanir and Eajputana, famous all over India for 

 their swiftness, the Hejeen of Arabia (Oman), and the Bishareen 

 of the Soudan. 



The paces of riding camels are the amble and trot, the former 

 being 4 to 4^ miles an hour, and the latter 7 to 8 miles an 

 hour. The gallop is seldom required, and is very unpleasant. 

 Instances are quoted of long distances covered, such as 100 

 miles in 24 hours. Fortune mentions an Arabian camel having 

 accomplished 225 miles in 28 hours, and General Chesney 

 crossed from Basra to Damascus, a distance of 958^ miles, in 

 19 days, a daily rate of 50 miles. The capability of a body of 

 riding camels, each with a man and his kit, weighing in all 

 400 lb, nevertheless must not be considered to exceed 25 miles 

 a day, with a halt once a week. 



The real importance of camels from a military standpoint is, 

 however, as baggage or pack transport animals, and it is in this 

 respect that my remarks will specially apply. Questions of 

 structural peculiarities, constitution, idiosyncrasy, management, 

 disease, are common to all breeds and classes. 



There is no more useful animal in existence than the baggage 

 camel, and for military purposes under certain circumstances 

 he is absolutely indispensable. His merits are that he can, as 

 as an individual, carry heavier loads than other transport 

 animals, perform work under circumstances or situations 

 unsuitable for other forms of transport, and his cost on purchase 

 and for maintenance, on their face values, is reasonable. His 

 temperament is peculiar at times, due in a greaf measure to 



