Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-02-07
NUMBER Y.
Smithsonian Lectures.
KKpoRrED FOR THE AMERICAN ORGAN.
THE CAMEL.
BY THE HoS. Gro. p. MAasn.

THE CAMEL.
BY THE Hon. Gro p MARSH
Mr.. NJ. commenced by saying that man bad not
| yet subdued all animals, as he was commanded at
the time of the creation. Tho camel Is one of the
most useful Of animals man has yet used, and he
has found him Of use, as yet but in one part of the
| world.
The camel Is naturally an animal Of the tropcs but
can endure any climate that a horse can. They
are Of two kmds--the camel dromedaries, or one
bumped camel Of Arabia and Africa and the cam
q Bactranus, or the two-humped camel Of Asia.
The dromedary may be Of either Of these kinds,
as they are chosen for their swiftness.
4 The general anatomy the camel Is the same as
that OF other ruminants; but the hump, the hori-
zontal posture Of the head, the direction Of the
eye, the power Of closing the nostri the calositics
on the breast and legs the spreading and cushioned
FOOT and above all the curious structure Of the sto
mach, TO which he owes the power Of long absti-
nence from water, distinguish him from Ill other
| quadrupeds., a84
The hump is simply feshy or fatty protube-
rance, unsupported by bone. When the camel ia
well fed and moderately worked, this hump b very
plump, but when il-fed and over-worked, II is re-
duced to nothing but the skin. II tseems to be a
reservoir for nutriment and the absorption Of its
substance into the general system appears to be
one Of the special arrangements by which the camel
is fitted for q life of prvation.
4 From the position Of the eye, which projects,
and Is sheltered by high bony arch, the sight Of
/ the animal is directed to the ground on which he
Is about to tread rather than to the distance This
| is one reason of he's sure-footedness.
The nostrils are fringed with long hairs, and IL
provided with spinters which enable the animal to
close them thus keeping out the dust and insects
The foot IL adapted to rocks a. well as sand. II
- divided into two broad toes united by and rest
ing upona an elastic cushion, with tough and horny
sole. The foot spreads on touching the ground,
and he therefore sinks but little in the sand still
he avoids sand and prefers any other surface, ex-
\ cept mud loose rolling pebbles and sharp pointed
4 rocks. The sole, though of horny texture, is suE
icienty yielding to accommodate itself to the ine-
4 qualities Of rocks
He now gave minute account Of the structure
of the camel's stomach by the formation Of which
he can for several days do without food or water.
He now spoke of the different breeds, of the intro
duction Of camels into Tuscany and the Crimea
| for draught; the power of the Bactrian camel to
endure cold, and the Arabian to endure heat the
simplicity Of harness. and the ease with which they
are managed.
The average travel of the burden camel on a
long journey, with all the varieties Of road is about
two and one-third miles per hour and the caravans
frequently travel twelve fourteen hours per day.
though when pushed, with light loads, they can
increase both the pace and the length of time. 1t
is stated by good authorities that the ordinary days
journey Of the loaded Bactrian camel Is about forty
miles, and, without burden, from fifty to sixty-fve
miles per day; also that, over a good dry road, a
pair Of Bactrian camels will draw load Of four or
five thousand pounds fifty miles, without halting.
| The dromedary can easily accomplish fifty or sixty
miles per day under the saddle but, when pressed,
L hraa to into srra
horse in speed. The burden Of the camel varies
with his breed size, and age, from four hundred to
fifteen hundred pounds.
| The training of the camel is very simple. His
| period of service commences sooner than that OF
the horse, and usually lasts much longer. His lon
| gevity varies with the country.in which he Is EN-.
| ployed In Algeria, he never attains greater age
than thirty years; but in Syria and Asia Minor his
life is ten years longer while, in the Crimea, the
camel often lives one hundred years, and on an
average, to the age OF sixty seventy -fve years
He now spoke fthe great service camels would
be to our troops the western frontiers and adj
vocated the formation Of dromedary corps like,
that Of the French in Algeria also the introduc-
| ton into the comniissariaf department of the
army. He spoke of the use of dromedaries In the
ancient wars and the great service they to the
French In Algeria, where, in march from Al
giers TO the interior, the baggage and equipage
Of an army OF $4,000 men was all carried by cam
els. He also spoke Of the great speed of the drom
edary, and the great difference between breeds.
| He thought the Bactian camel best suited 10 our
purposes, as he could not only endure cold, but
could bear his load over frozen ground, and also
ice and snow.
Among the reasons for the Introduction Of the
canal into the army, are the economy of his
original cost, compared with that Of the horse or
mule when fairly domesticated; the cheapness and
simplicity of his saddle, which each soldier can
manufacture to suit himself; the exemption from
the trouble and expense Of providing for his gus
tcnsnce, dressing, sheltering, and shoeing, all Of
which he does without, or finds for himself; his
general freedom from disease; his longevity; the
magnitude Of his burden the great celebrity Of his
movements; his courage, thus preventing the loss
by stampedes the safety Of bis rider from falls,
from yiciousncss ON the part Of the animal; the
economical value of his flesh; the applicability to
many military purposes Of his skin and hair; the
resources which, in extremity, the milk might fur
nish; and finally, his great powers Of abstinence
c-zx,,. C,ela fnk