Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-01-09
rHE ExpEDrIo,N, FOR CAMELs.

= We have been favored With copy of very nterrs
csting letter indeed, from Major Wayne, U. 3. a.,
the officer in charge Of the expedition Of this Gov
eminent to procure camcs 10 he brought hither with
the view Of experimenting for their future employ
ncnt in United States military transportation es-
pecally great Western deserts. 1t is as
follows
CoNsrANTINoPLE Oct. 81, 1866.
Shin accordance with my report of the l lth
of October Lieut.. Porter and yself left this for Bal
aklava the next day, the 18th, in the British trans
port steamer, the lmperador, and landed in the
Crimca on the 18th. Calling on Major Ross, the
Deputy Quarterlnaster General at Balakava, and,
further to the front, Gen. Simpson, the comman-
der of the British forces, received from these
gentlemen kind Welcomes and every facility for the
prosecution Of our duty was promptly afforded to s
l was further fortunate in receiving an Introduction
to Colsnel Murdo in charge under the Quartcrrnas-
ter General General Eyre, of the land transport SER
vice in the Crimea, and who as Quartcrnastel Cen
cral to General Napier in the expedition against
Sindc, had used camrs extensively for military pur-
poses He gave me much interesting information in
relation to the military OF the camel; and from
General Simpson also, who had served i'll the same
expedition under General Napier, We had additional
accounts of the value of the animal, and OF the IA
vorablc opinion entertained of it by the army Tor
the services it was capable of rendering. The ell
gagcmcnts of Colonel McMurdo such that
could occupy but little OF his time, and in corsc-
q.cncc obtained from him ouy few material facts,
without going into details. My thanks are due to
him for the moments he devoted to me, pressed as
siton.
We found in the Crimca both the Bactrian two
bumped camel and the Arabian or onc-humpcd
but the latter alone seemed to be used for the pur.
poses Of military transportation. The former were
found in the Criinea at the commencement OF the
war: the latter were carried there since from Asia
Minor. The former were but little thought Of, the
latter were highly esteemed; the only objection to
them we heard ut being the room they occupied III
the Streets aud their fl, htcniny The horses.
The two very distinct species OF The same genus;
differing from each other as much, should say, as
the buffalo OF western piaricS does from the
common ON. Douby bumped, the Bactrian is
strongly built, powerful animal, standing not quite
so high as the Arahin. oi cOarser and more shaggy
coat, slower in motion, but capable Of carrying
mensc burdens From the formation oi its back
tits two ht;s) there is difficulty in adjusting 10 it
u pack saddle, aud without there is always more
less prrpcXity in loading aud securing the load.
This rather thAl Is the p:;nc pal source IT Otyec-
lion To its use, thou5i | believe the opinion adj
vanccd to DC correct that it is not SERVICE
able animal as the Arabian. ItsuS in the Cr'ca
before the understand to he chiefly for
drauynt, and on occasion TWO yokeu to
u Tartar wagon, are, but guided by rope
rrin$ The result of examination determined us
not to procure one, as 1t would only cumui'catc our
experiment without producing such results as We
anticipate from the Arabian stock. At sunc t:iture
day, should the camel become d,neslicatcl with Us,
it may then b. worth while To import Il few males
for crossing upon the Arabian females, it is SAID
is done with advantage in Persia, the issue always
taking after the nOthcI-that Is, being -huPcd
Sketches Of the tactrian camel made by Mr.
Heap, which will convey very clear IDEAS OF the ami
mai and Of its difference fum the ArILian
Col. Mclurdo in!orl.cd me- that in The expedition
against SinIc, he had in service about twenty five
thousand cancS. AID that fs,m his experience he
esteemed tlcm highly so much So that he had then
at Snopr three thousand o them. in addition to the
few HOW in in tb. Crmca, i'll readiness for the
campaign spring. The loads they viii carry
depend much, hr SAID. upon the service iii which
they are cnp.uycL-ra,id movements naturally re-
curing light burdenS-but their average loads un
favorable circumstances, he stated to DC about
six hundred pounds, aud thcsc they Nil carry easily
without pushing, twenty live To Unity iivs Gay
lie mentioned the interesting fact which do
remember to have heard before, tiat during the
pedilion against Si.dc, General Napier organized
most efficient corps Of Que Thousand rcu, mounted
upon five hundred GrumctlaricS-two to each
drunrdary-the men sitting back to back, one facing
the head, the other the tail, and both armed with
rides aid sabrcS The nan facing the head the
animals groom and driver, and the o using
the corps follows: Upon arriving at the
scene vi operations the dronicareS made 10
kneci, i'll square, under charge vi their five hundred
drivers, forming, it were, base of operations,
tahtry. As the advanced body moved, the square,
or squares II more than formed If required,
were also moved a..l in case Of extremity, the
square offered :: u:;lcr winch lhc tilo.
sand men could m comparative shelter behind the
animals who wcrc prevented from rising by hob
be Oh The ;orc-lc; and USE their rifles most effect
lvely. This CORPS, Col. McMurlo informed me,
could be readily marched seventy miles in any di-
rccl'on i'll twelve hours, Is D miles per hou) and
Rendered throu5 hout IL: campaign most efficient
service.
Gen. Simpson stated that in the same campaign
he found the camel $ervicvanic that he procured
five or SIX for his personal use, an'i that with them
he frequently went seventy miles between sunset
and sunrise. TO direct question by Major Dcla-
field (wtom We met in the CrmcL) whether he
would not have preferred the best English horses 10
ca'nci>, could he have Obaincd them, the General
answered no, that he would have preferred the
cl, as packing his baggage upo them in 5ht loads
he could move more quickly and continuously.
In relation to our visiting Persia, the inquiries we
have made lead us to the conclusion that, though
we might readily get there, return, owing to the
blocking up Of the roads by SHOW, would be impos-
ssbic nn'l, next spring. As. this would dctain us
much beyond the time fixed for return to the
United States, and unnecessarily delay the expert
meht we are engaged in, W. have reluctantly ADAM
doncd the journey, though we desired much to
the varieties of the Persian camel and particularly
the Lcurbourck drOnledary artillery.
y journey into Persia, with the intention of re-
turning Immediately, must he commenced, we find,
about May. Our course from this will be, | think,
to Syria or Egypt for drometlarics and then back
Smyrna for burden camcls, in the expectation of
coEa'ncncing our return home some time in Feb
ruary.
The inquiries in relation to dromcdaries for the
French army, reported in my letter of the 18th Of
October, produce no result
Very respectfully, your ob't. serv't,
HENRY G. WAYNE
Major Ar,pv