CHAPTER XII._Shifts and expedients of camp life, travel & exploration

HINTS ON HYGEENS AND CAMELS.

The following directions to purchasers of these animals are given by

Linant Bey, engineer-in-chief of dykes and bridges to the Viceroy of

Egypt, and were translated for the information of the President of the

United States of America.

{Points in the dromedary.}

"To avoid deception in the choice of a dromedary one must be very much

of a connoisseur of the animal, for I think it is more difficult to be

skilled in dromedaries than in horses. One must have lived with Arabs

and their dromedaries to appreciate either the one or the other. It

may be conceived, then, how difficult it is to designate clearly what

constitutes a good dromedary.

"A dromedary should not be too tall, nor its legs too long, which would

give it a gaunt appearance; nor should the chest be too wide nor too

heavy.

"The fore-legs should not touch the callosity upon the breast. The two

rowels or mullets (_molettes_) of the fore-feet should be far from

touching each other when the animal walks.

"The belly should be round, without being puffy; and the hump should

not be too big.

"The neck should be rather wide than narrow, the head well set on, the

eye large, and the lips closed.

"In walking the animal should show suppleness in the neck, and have a

wavy movement of the head. The more suppleness there is in this motion

the easier will be the gait.

"To be highly esteemed a dromedary should not cry when touched; and,

when bridled, haltered, or saddled, it should give utterance only to a

low grumbling.

"A dromedary should not be taken that has been seriously hurt

near the shoulders, where the saddle rests, though it does not

indicate disease, but proceeds only from the little care the Arabs

give to keeping their saddles in repair. In a female this is less

objectionable; for, in giving birth, if her wounds have caused any

disease, it is almost always cured. Fine cautery marks on either side

of the callosity, on the breast, or on the belly near the navel,

indicate always internal, incurable disorders.

"The hind-legs should not be too angular, but rather straight. The hump

should not be too much to the front; rather to the rear is better, as

then the saddle is more easily adjusted. The hair should not be too

short, as then the animal is more easily injured.

"The feet should be small, the nails and the hair round them black

rather than white.

"Fawn-coloured dromedaries are more highly prized than those entirely

white.

"When mounted, the dromedary should instantly and quickly rise and

start off.

"When the dromedary moves, it should be with such spirit that the rider

is obliged to hold him in; this supports both. To urge him on kick him

on the shoulder with the foot. It is very difficult to find a dromedary

uniting in itself all these requisite qualities, and very rarely can

such an one, especially if it is a female, be purchased; for the Arabs

love their fine-blooded dromedaries as much as they do their horses,

and it is only as presents, or else at enormous prices, that the

choicest animals can be obtained.

"A first-rate Nomanieh is worth in Cairo from five hundred to six

hundred dollars; but those ordinarily met with there sell from one

hundred to two hundred dollars.

"The Bichariehs sell for less; good ones--that is to say, such as are

for sale--may be had for from sixty to one hundred dollars.

"At nearly for the same prices as for the Bicharieh can be purchased

also the other breeds of the Mahazi, Cawarah, and Ababdi. I will remark

here that the Bicharieh dromedaries do not carry as heavy burdens as

the Nomanieh. These last carry a saddle called 'gabit,' fitted with

pads, and with saddle-bags termed 'krourque,' that hang down on both

sides of the saddle and carry the baggage, provisions, &c., of the

rider and of the dromedary.

"The Bicharieh carries a wooden saddle, laid over two small pads, which

are not fastened to it. This saddle is called 'kyarpah,' 'maraloup,'

&c., &c., according to its shape. Saddle-bags cannot be carried over

it, on account of its form; but behind it a small sack of hide called

'bila,' in which a little luggage can be packed, may be attached after

the manner of a valise or portmanteau.

"Often, in expeditions, a servant or follower rides behind upon the

dromedaries of the two breeds. Both riders carry their arms.

"In a word, the Nomanieh generally carries from 200lb. to 230lb.; the

Bicharieh, 180lb. At the utmost their burdens are 300lb. and 350lb.

A dromedary, well equipped, well ridden, and in good condition, can

easily make in a day over suitable ground, level and a little sandy,

about ninety miles, that is, between morning and evening; but it cannot

keep on at that rate. It can make fifty miles a day for fifteen or

twenty days, and for a long journey can be counted upon for that. I

have myself travelled upon one ninety miles in eleven hours, and gone

twelve miles in forty minutes."

The carrying power of the camel will depend in great measure on the

stock they came of and the climate in which they are employed, the

Central Asiatic camel being, as a rule, more vigorous and enduring than

that of either Africa or India. The loads of camels will vary greatly

with the nature of the work they are employed to perform. Where very

short distances under burden have to be travelled, as for instance from

the depôts of a town to a camp in the immediate vicinity, a powerful

and healthy camel can carry from 1100lb. to 1200lb.; for the march, or

when produce or baggage has to be carried any distance, from 300lb.

to 400lb. will be found quite heavy enough to admit of regular and

continuous performance of carrying duty. We always roughly estimate

our weight of stores and equipments at seven camels to the ton; for

slow ordinary travelling of about twenty miles per day of from eight

to ten hours in duration; for more rapid movements the loads should be

proportionately lightened.

{Camels and their loads.}

The following table of camel burdens made use of in various parts of

the world may prove useful to the traveller in many lands:

COUNTRY. WEIGHT. DESCRIPTION OF ANIMAL.

Algeria, }

Morocco, } From 300lb. to 400lb. Ordinary camels of the

Tunis, } country.

Tripoli, }

Egypt, From 350lb. to 550lb. Camels of the country.

Syria, } { Large-sized bull camels

Asia Minor, } { (_l[=o]ks_, as they

Turkey in Asia, } From 500lb. to 600lb. { called) and hybrids

Persia and Tartary, } { (or _booghdee_).

Beloochistan, }

Cabool, }

Hindoostan, } From 300lb. to 400lb. Ordinary breeds.

Thibet, }

Birmah, }

Mongolia, }

Crim-Tartary and }

the borders of } From 300lb. to 500lb. Bactrian.

Southern Russia, }

{Hints on camels.}

The age of a camel, like that of a horse or mule, may be judged of by

the teeth. It remains without incisor teeth until the termination of

the third year of its life, when it has two; at five years old, it will

have four; at six years old six incisors; and at eight there will be a

full complement--canines and molars.

The condition of the hump is a good index of the general well-doing of

the animal, as that structure is the first to fail or diminish from

want or overwork.

The food of camels may be said to be found everywhere on the earth's

surface where vegetation, of even the most scanty and unattractive

character, is to be found. All is food that comes to tooth with

the camel, and when low trees have been scarce, we have often sent

a native armed with our hatchet or billhook to climb into a large

peepul, neem, or baubul thorn tree, and chop down a cartload or two

of branches. These, when dragged with hook-ended sticks to where the

camels were picketed, were received with cavernous rumblings and grunts

of satisfaction; and the same tree, by the use of the same implement,

yielded not unfrequently the supper for the camels and the fuel to cook

our own evening meal.

The Arabs generally maintain that the camel should not drink more

frequently than once in every three days, although in dry hot

weather we have known them drink much more frequently without being

apparently the worse for the indulgence. We have on many occasions

endeavoured to ascertain the quantity of water taken at each period of

thirst-quenching, and the result of our investigations have led us to

the conclusion that about five gallons should be allowed as a drink to

each camel when he takes in water on the march. The stomachs of the

camel, like those of other ruminating animals, are constructed so as to

admit of a store of both food and water being laid up in them to meet

the demand when other sources of supply fail.

In cases of extreme necessity, and when the preservation of human life

depends on the obtainment of water, the supply to be found in the

stomach of the camel should not be overlooked or forgotten.

During the Algerian campaign the French made some investigations in

order to find out the quantity of water a dead camel's stomach would

contain, and the result was that about 15 pints was the average arrived

at. This water, although green and turbid, had no offensive smell; and

it was at the time asserted by the Arabs that water of this character

required three days to clear itself. This period, however, could

rarely, if ever, be allowed to elapse, as three days would probably

close the scene of suffering, exhaust the patience of the distressed

traveller, or lead him to more natural sources from which to obtain the

precious fluid.

In a case of emergency, we should simply pass the water through our

pocket filter, which will be described under the head "Water, and the

Sap of Plants," and drink it at once.

{Camels, to embark.}

The regular purchase, collection, embarkation, and transport of camels

has rarely been so carefully and successfully conducted as by the

officers appointed by the Government of the United States of America,

and the report forwarded to Congress by the officer in charge of the

embarkation department will not fail to be of interest and value. He

says: "In the first place, the ship is anchored as close as possible

to the place of embarkation to save time. The camel boat with the car

in it is rowed on shore, and a force of about ten men sent to get the

camels in. There is also sent on shore in the boat a good tackle (not

very large), a camel harness complete, spare plank, hammer and nails,

and about 50 fathoms of 2in. rope, all of which will be of use.

[Illustration: EMBARKATION TACKLE.]

"It is requisite to select a place for the boat where she will lie with

her bow on a level with the wharf. If this cannot be done, and it is

necessary to 'beach' her, then a strong bridge made of stout plank,

and about 8ft. wide, will have to be constructed, strong enough to

bear not only the camel's weight, but to stand their struggling. This

I was obliged to do. The bow of the boat being secured firmly to the

wharf or bridge, the harness is placed on the camel, which is led up

as close as it will go. If it will walk right into the car, one end of

which is placed on the gunwale of the boat, so much the better (in no

instance did we find them willing to go without force), but if it will

not go in then hook on the tackle to the breaststrap of the harness on

the camel; let the men keep a steady pull upon it, and the camel will

go in without a hurt, no matter how much he may resist. Four men guide

the camel, and keep it in the centre of the planks, and one man leads

it by the halter into the car, through which the tackle is led, one

block being hooked to the other end of the boat. After the camel is in

it is made to lie down, the knees tied round with ropes, a rope across

the neck and made fast to the knees, and two or three ropes across the

back to keep it down. It is then hoisted on to the camel deck without

fright or excitement of any kind."

The opposite illustration will serve to show how the ropes and tackle

are arranged for the purpose of urging a reluctant camel onwards.

[Illustration: PREPARED FOR ROUGH WEATHER.]

When the camels were all on board the report goes on as follows:--

"Having taken in all the camels, two days we occupied in fitting to

each one its proper harness (for almost every one of them differed in

size and form), marking their numbers on the harness, and fitting out

each one with brush and currycomb--all of which it is necessary to be

done before going to sea. Hayracks, made of large open network, were

fitted amidships, extending the whole length of the camel deck. Large

bags filled with hay were also placed against the ship's sides for

their haunches to rest against, and two ropes fitted for securing to

the harness on each camel." The above engraving will show the manner

in which the camels were secured when a gale of wind or a heavy sea

prevailed.

"To enable the camel guard to efficiently watch their charge at night,

four large lanterns with reflectors were put up, and lighted every

evening at sunset; and, in case of accidents from fire, two large water

tubs were kept always full."

{Camel journal.}

The American camel journal kept on board the United States ship

_Supply_ is so thoroughly practical and useful, that we insert a

specimen of its form of construction for the guidance of travellers

who may have to perform a voyage with camels newly purchased for an

expedition or campaign.

CAMEL JOURNAL.

-------+------+------+-----+------+-----+----------+-------------------

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18 .|Bales.|Galls.|Bags.|Galls.| lb. | lb. |

Jan. 21|280lb.| 30 | 2 | -- | -- |¼ sulphur |Received on board

| | | | | | |

" 22|220lb.| 40 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |Fitted the harness

| | | | | | |

" 23|1 bale| 40 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |Refilled the net-

-------+------+------+-----+------+-----+----------+-------------------

The treatment of camels when suffering from disease or accident will be

given under the head "Veterinary Surgery."