598 Documents relative to the application of [July, 



In the event of a Company requiring a Camel establishment of their 

 own, the agents must not be allowed to purchase the village Camels 

 that are to be found in the neighbourhood of Cairo. Such animals, al- 

 though very heavy, appear to have lost somewhat of their natural habi- 

 tudes, and to be less fitted for the desert than those of the Bedouin 

 breed. It would be necessary to send persons of competent knowledge 

 to the Bisharee desert or the Sennaar, where Camels are good, plentiful, 

 and cheap. Some losses in bringing them down would be unavoidable, 

 and it is but safe to calculate a good stud of well chosen, strong, heavy 

 Camels as averaging not less than 15/. a head. 



{Signed) ALFRED S. WALNE. 



Memorandum on Camel Draught and Harness. By Captain Taylor, 

 late Agent for Post Office Inquiries. 



The recent discovery of the efficiency of the Camel in draught, is a 

 point of singular moment in respect to overland communication. Mr. 

 Bird, the able and intelligent senior member of the Board of Revenue at 

 Allahabad, has recently made the tour of Upper India in a carriage 

 drawn by two, three, or four Camels, as circumstances rendered their pow- 

 er necessary. The more usual number in harness, was three. The car- 

 riage was a light britska on four wheels, each of five feet diameter, with 

 a dickey fore and aft, and a well for baggage. The carriage conveyed 

 Mr. Bird and his lady, and four servants, and baggage consisting of beds, 

 tables, portable chairs, crockery, cooking utensils, wines, &c, and clothes, 

 writing apparatus, and official documents. They travelled at from 

 thirty-six to forty miles per day, going half the above distance in the 

 morning, and half in the afternoon. Either half was usually perform- 

 ed in from three to four hours ; the pace averaging about six miles per 

 hour, when the road was good ; and about four and a half, or five miles 

 per hour, when the road was indifferent. In deep sand, the pace would 

 of course be less ; but in sand, such as the desert is represented between 

 Suez and Cairo, I should think five miles per hour might be easily 

 obtained. I made some experiments myself while in Upper India, in 

 respect to the Camel in draught, which I here take the opportunity to 

 mention. 



First, in respect to conveyance of baggage. Secondly, in respect 

 to conveyance of men. 



A small frame composed of strong bamboos was placed on a pair of 

 wheels, and balanced much in the same manner as the ekkas in the 

 North- West Provinces, On this was placed a large stout tin box, 



