New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-06-14
Mr. Marsh confirms the usual accounts OIL the
temperate habits of the camel-a quality on winch
L.. $500. -at,,. cbi.hv Janan4s

temperate habits of the camel-a quality on winch
his great value chiefly depends
Nv means of the putrim INT derived from the aosorp
ton Of the hump and the fluid preserved IN an pr,
baps also secreted by the water sac be ape 70
seyersl days without any new snppits OF ei,h INC a. ~
drink The period of abstinence depends upo1 Tue
temperare and season the breed, training aui htot'
of tie particular ANIMAL and the amount OF labor de-
handed Of hlui. -,
sometimes .nfur.s two three, and even more days OF
entire p,iyation but long abstinence from food i sell
dom necessary because, although there are well ates-
ted irstaucts of the existence vi tracts of desert IRE
ouep or, SEED by carsvan- six day. journey 10 WIDTH
and sbsOlutey without particle OF vegetation, yes
there are f-w portions Of the Libyan or Arab an
deserts where more or less Of the shrubs on which
the camel feeds do not occur at very much snort r
intervals. .
On the ordinary routes, therefore, the camel i NOT
fed at ALL even on long journeys, but Is LETT to snatch
MS ou as he can during the march of the csravau or
gather il more lesurey while il balts In journey OF
seven weeks which made with these animals IN Ara
bia p.tr.a. in the months Of May and June, but a
sir gle camel of the received any food from his
driver This was fine large animal bred 10y the
Ababdeb Arabs, which was fed at every evening hst
with from pint to 4 quart OF beans Hs haolt Oh
feeding bs walks is serious inconvehie nee % tIe
traveller At the commencement Of the days marrh,
he ia ever on the look for the stunted acacas and
other prckly plant, which, with occasionally more
.uccnleit herb constitute almost bis sole diet and he
matches them in passing giving you an uncomtortaoe
Jerk rs ht turus to seize thcm or suddenly stops, az
some bazard Of throwing ycu over his STOPPING shout
der, ard, in spite Of Jour most urgent p-Tsuasves,
bruwses Ct his leisure. .
The stat.nsNts of travellers differ very considerably
with To the Quantity Of solid food required by
the camel Nv own observations would lead me TO
think il extremely small. As have already stated,
he i, often lot fed at all; and in travelling, his only
opportunity Of gathering his food is between the even
nc halt and sunset when he returns to the camp tor
he never feeds in the night, with such scattering
mouti fuls as be snatch upon the march. The
vegetation OF the desert 10 usually ~ sparse at the
quantity of nutritious food which can be collected
after the DAYS journey is performed must be very
,considerabe and though upon starting in the morn
inc the animal shows signs IF hunger, and much annoys
hi ride by suddenly stopping or starting aside " crop
ping thorn, twig or thistle, yet IN an hour ort"o
Ii. appetite is satisfied and he performs the rest OF
~ ,at without seeming TO crave food. Twas assured
nv the KEEPER of the herd AZ Pisa that when ted en-
,yelv ON hsy. the camel consumed little ,nore than
half ~ much as the horse; while, on the other hand
correspondent in the Crimea informs me that the Dac
tr,n camel requires at least fifty pounds of hay per
day In Winter and another IN Bessarabia estimates
tie daily Winter supply OF hay and straw al seventy
n.und, Potepger sta that although the camels OF
", oochistan can almost wholly dispense with food tor
Eve or six DAYS together yet they ordinarily receive
about fifteen pounds Of meal daily beside grass ana
shrubs: and be ADDS the singular fact that the be.
koche- give these animals considerable quantities OF
opium and R0or, kind Of in,pi-sated noas.ss WIN
heir III.
give their cames twelve pounds OF dhourra every TWO
or three days. and thet, when Loaded with burdens OF
six or seven hundred pounds, they require daily
allowance. The Turtmaps, according to the same su-
uority give their bsasts cry evening ball OF
barley IN al kneeded with water and weighing a0ons
Oh. pound. The difference in this case Is NJ douot
occss iontd by the comparative scarcity and aDund'
ace of preen fodder ald il may be considered on the
whole IA he'd that the camel thrives and abOrs
with less proportional supply of nutriment in qlau-
titv and that too of coarser and cheaper quality,
than is required by any other domestic quadruped
The power of the camel to abstain nom water !: much
more frequently and severely tested than his ability 10
dispense with food. The testimony OF travellers, as
well as of native observers, on this subject wares
widely; but their discrepancies can generally be ex-
nlaipcd bv cererce of breed, of season, or by the
greater or ess succuepce Of the solid food consumed
by the animal.
Nor have bis powers of useful labor been over
rated
The camel, with his slenter and shrunken limbs,
his light quarters. and his shamblng gait, seems little
&C 81 ted to the performance of any labor requiring
either 20. ed or strength but his powers of endurance
enable him to accomplish long journey in shorter
space than even the horse; ana he bears burden
greatly dsproportoned to his own weight The camel
Of the great Arabian Peninsula. though remarkable
for bic speed IL less powerful than the Bactan, the
TrIc"nan, the Syrinn, the Egyptian animal 10
Arabia Pe'raa his load does not inaIy exceed three
oi ow hupured pounds. Brown estimates the burdens
Of tie csnes of SOucs at the same weight aud
bundr, ., unjs In India, according to Forbes, his
pr, per bui den is FIVE hundred pounds though some
Iful amin ala Bsy cay from six hundred to seven
hu1cite. Fraser states hs load in kborasan at from
fouI hundred and fifty to seven hundred pounds Col.
hesIoy ,und the loads of caravan Of several hun
dred came H. in the Syrian desert, to average live hun
cred aid fifty pounds, though he elsewhere states their
conn o. burden ~ be- six hundred
In Algeria. he carries two or three hundred ko-
grommts, (i5O pounds), but at Cairo, according
Buckhaict, fifteen hundred pounds for distance VI
rte miles ana one thousand from Cairo to Suez which
il eighty -four miller. In Cabul, according to General
fsr an the burden of the Arabian camel is upon the
plains four hundred pounds that of the between
the Bactrian and Arabian under similar circumstances
six hundred sDd over mountainous roads four hundred
pounds. ln European Turkey, the one-humped camel
is said to cary from four five hundred pounds; aud
BnIDes estnates the Dad of the same animal in Box
hara at FIVE huncred pounds The burden Of the Tur
CONAN camel, seconds To Burckbardt, is eight hun
pounds, Forbes rates i from seven hundred to one
ilousan5 Fraser one hudred pounds higher, and Tav
trbier AZ thousand and for short distances, even
fifteen hundred. Timkov-ki states the burden OF the
Baci Northern Tartary at from fOuf hundred and
twenty to four hundred and eighty pounds; Erman a.
about tx hundred pounds. Burnes estimates that of
tie same animal in Bokbars at six hundred and ify
pounds and Bergman, among the Calmucks, az eight
IuLdrsd. / w0s told BY one OF the keepers OF the
Graz Dukes camels at his farm Piss, that these
snimals would carry their own weight which he esti
mated at twelve or thirteen hundred pounds, but |
ought the weight of the burden and probably that OF
he camel exaggerated
With regard to the main question of the vol
ame, the introduction Of the camel into the United
States, Mr. Marsh concludes that the territory
west Of the Mississippi is well adapted to his hab'
10. and that he can be turned to excellent account
IN that region, both as beast Of burden aud an
animal Of war. Whatever decision may finally be
cached on this point. the volume now Issued will
be welcomed Is an able snd comprehensive mono
,rsph on an interesting member OF the animal king
Jon.