The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-08

water greater. Aud so he keeps on believing
und grinning, while the 'camery' man puts in
an odd accompaniment in the viiest of Arabic.
When parade" time comes there is another ex
hibition of bad humor between the ''camelry"
man and his charge. When the beast feels the
saddle on his back he grins, but he bears it. The
saddle is not new to him, aud he becomes patient
under his experience. But when the order to
mount comes there are many complications.
In order to get the camel to rise it is necessary
for the soldiers to initiate the noise made by the
Arabs when they want the animal to get up.
This noise is to the camel what the gee" or
'swhoa1 of an English carter is to his horses.
Tt is a command. And whom the 'camelry'
men use it, a noise like the cackle OF
geese is heard, and military aecorum finds 1t DIFF
fieult to restrain the men from bursting into
Poars Of laughter. The noise is made IN the
throat and sounds like something between CUR
gle, a cackle and chuckle. The cames do not
understand 1t. They move their heads slowly
and perhaps suspiciously, but they never near
that noise from their swarthy masters. And
the camelry-man takes the camers want of COM
prehenson for stupidity and then he mixes an
oath with his Arabic and thus makes confusion
for the camel worse confoEnded No wonder the
carnels do not stir. If struck they grin and bel
low again. The natives who know the cause of
the canael's bad manners, stand by and laugh
with their eyes, for they would not lower their
dignity by relaxing the solemn expression on
their features But they are laughing internally
at what they no doubt consider thea Giaour's stu
pidity." At last the camel rises, first on the
hind feet, and as he goes up and up the cam
elry" man. who has one foot in the stirrup, is in
danger of being hurled over the camefs head.
The firm grip he takes of the front and
rear pommel of the saddle alone saves
him. Then the beast gets up on its fore feet,
and the ''camelry' man must look out or he is
tumbled off backward. At last the camel is
standing erect and the soldier is seated in the
saddle. The noise now ceases, but a camel may
break ranks at any minute 1t is not an I'M
common thing to see a camel rush off on his own
account, and, upsetting his rider, give fleet
footed 'heirie, the race-horses of the camels
lively chase before he is overtaken But Tommy
Aitkens-as, you know, call all our men
looks we'll. once he is 10 the saddle, and he has
learned how to sit there His uniform Is neat
and serviceable. His white pith helmet orna-
mented with pugaree, is well suited for the
climate, and his red flannel sacque is loose and
airy. He has corduroy knee lbreeches and serge
leggings up TO his knees Each man carries
tin mess trap, q water bottle, brown anmunl-
ton bandolier and fifty rounds of ammunition
The second half of tent is carrid by each camel,
besides three days provisions and water for his
master as we'll as for himself The saddles of the
men are of red leather and of English manu-
facture, but the officers use the more comfofta-
BILE Soudan saddle. There is rope round each
camels neck. This is for steering the beast.
There is also string fastened to ring in the
camel's nostrils. This is for pulling him up If he
is going too fast. When the cameis begin to
move more misunderstanding begin between
the ''camelry" men and their chargers" The
motion is something between floating and jog
ging. 1t is sailing and humping, delightful for
one second and distressing the next The feat
ures of Tommy Aitkens bear expression of
pleasure and pain as he glides and bumps on the
back of his camel 1t is like being in a balloon
and in railway accident at the same time.
Tommy Aitkens likes it and he does not Gkeit.
When he is on the camel's back he wants to Eget
off again, and when he is off he wants to get on
again. He is never happy. He sees naked
Bechari as black as the ace of spades, perched
on the bare hump of a camel and jogging along
comfortably. and he cannot understand IL. he
sees him guiding the snorting animal by the nos
tril string alone and he becomes surprised. He
sees many mounted ashi-Bazouks, richly &C
coutred and riding in high wooden saddles, who
have little or no trouble with their camels And
yet Tommy Aitkens is teaching his camel to
maneuvre. Yesterday saw sham battle be-
tween the 'camelries and an infantry regiment.
The ''camelries" advanced in line and in good
order. They wheeled into sections OF fourS and
formed columns of route with regularity and
dispatch The men dismounted and mounted
rapidly enough, but the snortlng and yelling of
thecamels appeared to be greater than ever.
They do not like to be hurried. This is another
new sensation to them. When they are down
they want to stop down for long time, as they
have been accustomed to do, and they resent
Tommy Aitkens's hurry by grinning and snort
ing at him with peevish persistency. But the
camels of the 'scameries" are learning to obey
English words of command. They now pull up
when they hear the command halt" bat they
are then always ready to lie down if not prevent
ed Unlike the dromedary corps of Napoleon,
the camelries put their canes inside the square
and not outside The men form two ranks. the
camels in the center. and in this formation they
receive the enemy. Under fire the camels ex-
hibit no alarm. When dsmounted there are
two camelry men in each tent A waterproof
sheet is laid on the sand and this answers for
their bed Each mans water bottle hangs from
the ridge pole. 1t is filed with filtered water
for drinking. Outside there is a small tripod
from which skin containing Nile or we'll water
is suspended. These water skins are made of
the hides of goats. They are stripped off the
animal as man would take off an under gar
ment. The neck and other apertures are either
sewn UP or bound by strong string. One leg
is so arranged that it can be opened by cas-
lily adjusted knot. Each skin contains on an
average five gallons of water. If men go
across the desert however, an extra allowance
of ammunition and an extra allowance of water
will be carried by each man. The water outside
the tent is used for washing and general pur-
poses AS the success of the expedition, in
great measure, depends on the water supply
economy in water Is the rule While we
follow the Nile route this economy may
not be necessary, but it is training the men
to an abstinence which will be necessary if we
dash across the desert. The camelries are sure
to be engaged in this exploit if it is undertaken,
and the men of that corps are even as care
full of the Altered waters they carry as if each
drop was worth it's size in gold But the novelty
of the service makes it popular, in spite of it's
fatgues and, perhaps, special dangers. Tommy
Athens does not like his camel, hut it is of late
something to ride one in English military
service, and he is pleased He does not believe
that the camel is docile He thinks that that is
one of the fctions of natural history. He knows,
too. that his camel is stupid beast and that he
does not possess the instinct that protects other
animals from poisonous herbs. Tommy Aitkens
looks on the camel as vicious, awkward thing,
costing $50, with big toe-nails, long legs, high
humps, crane neck, short temper and long
tongue
General WolseIey's Expeditions.
LONDON, Jan. THE following telegram has
been received from General Wolseley, dated
Korti, Jan. Z. p. NJ: