The herald., 1893-07-09
THOSE CAMELs IN ARIZONA,
A History Of a War Depart
ment Freak.
The First We're Brought Here Nearly
Two Centuries Ago.
About Sixty OF the Hump Backed Crsa-
tures Now Running ut Large
ON the Desert in
Arix0na.

uu8 1lu0us III ptAth0kA hElZUuA,
between Yuma and Ehrenburg on one
side and Wickenburg and the Colorado
del Norte on the other, exists herd of
about go camels in wild state. For
number of years no whites travelled in
that part Of the state in which the cam
els held their freehold, and as the Indi-
ans, on account of superstitious ideas,
kept far away from them, the animals,
until several years ago, were not molest-
ed, and their nu mber increased to over
100.
Gradually they became troublesome
to the gold hunters, whose horses and
mules were frightened by the hump.
backed monsters, and many camel
was killed. s
A gentlemen, whom 1 have to thank
for this information and who saw them
while making a walking tour from the
Colorado to the Harqua Hsla with
packing mule to carry the provisions
and cooking utensils, experienced an ad-
venture. The mule, having had moth
ing to drink for a day and a night,
while moving himself and baggage lszily
and sadly along, suddenly raised his
head and roared 30 that he could be
heard for q mile. The traveller first
thought OF Indians and made his rife
ready while seeking protection in the
weeds. Looking over the grass he saw
the camels advancing in their peculiar
swinging trot. The mule suddenly
showed more life than ever before; no
horse in the whole country could have
overtaken him in the race, but the bag
gage went to pieces, and meat, beans,
coffee and tools were scattered for dis
tance of five miles.
Although among the domestic animals
earliest mentioned in the history of
man, yet from it's limited uee in small
zone of the earth, but little is known in
the world at large of the nature, quali-
ties, diseases and anatomy of the camel,
and we find many vague and erroneous
ideas in regard to it prevailing even
among those classes generally well in
formed in zoology.
D.. j. Browne reported to the commits.
sioner of patents in 1853:
1.-THE introduction OF the camel to be
employed as beast of burden in those
portions of the western hemisphere
where there are broad prairies and
elevated plains nearly destitute of wa
ter and Offering but a scanty supply OF
herbage OF an Indifferent quality, has
long been viewed as matter of much
national importance, particularly since
the establishment of the overland routes
requiring mingled mountain and desert
service between the Atlantic states and
California and Oregon. Several drome-
daries and camels have been introduced
from time to time for the object in view,
but owing to the want of proper known
edge of the habits aud management of
the animals, the attempts have gener
ally proved unsuccessful. The camels
we're brought from Guinea to Virginia
in 1701 and the enterprise failed. Drom-
West Indies and various parts of South
America, and have been Employed with
partial success"
BY act OF congress approved March 3,
1866, under the administration of Frank
lin Pierce, the sum of $4,000 was ap.
propriated to be expended under the di-
rection of the war department in the
purchase of camels and Importation OF
dromedaries to be employed for military
purposes. (Science has classified the
animal into the two bumped species and
the dromedary or one bumped group)
In accordance with that act OF congress,
on the 10th day of May, 1855. Jefferson
Davis, then secretary of war, assigned
Maj. Henry @. Wayne, U. S. A., for that
duty, and instructed him to visit Egypt,
Syria, Asia Minor and Persia. The
United States storeship Supply. under
the command of Lieut.. David D. Porter,
was placed by the secretary of the navy
at his disposal.
The prices of camels vary, as do those
OF horses with US, according to breeding,
size, training, soundness. ETC., and range
from SIS to 500.
Major Wayne left New York on the
10th Of May, 1855, for the orient, and
tailed from Smyrna, in Asia Minor, ON
the 18th oil February, 1856, with 33
cAmels, of which one died six were born
on the passage. OF which four died. Space
will not permit to 60 into the details OF
the Camel Journal, which was kept by
the lieutenant commanding. about the
expenditures, feed and water and incl
dents Of the voyage. l will say, how
ever, that the voyage was rough one,
especially down the Mediterranean. On
the 18th OF May. 1856. Major Wayne
arrived in Indianola, Tex, with "a cam
els, being one more than he started
with.
In letter to the secretary OF war,
dated May IA, 1855, Major Wayne states
that with the exception of few boils
and swelled legs the camels were in
good condition. Being. landed, and
feeling once again the solid earth be-
meath them, they became excited to an
almost uncomfortable degree, rearing,
kicking, crying out, breaking halters,
tearing up pickets and by other fantas-
tic tricks demonstrating their enjoy ment
OF the liberty of the soil.
The camels were sent to Camp Verde,
about go miles from San Antonio, Tex.
The object was to use the burden ami
mails in transporting supplies from San
Antonio to the camp and other points,
the dromedaries to be sent express any
where along the frontier or within the
settlement az necessity may require and
to be used as pack animals to scouting
parties instead Of mules. In time men
may be mounted upon them to accom-
pany in scouting, and one or more may
be mounted with small gun throwing
shrapnell, etc. Major Wayne was left
in charge OF the camels.
In the meantime Lieutenant Porter
set out for the second expedition; an
agent with q salary Of $4,000 per year,
purchased lot of beautiful animal, ali
young, and on the 10Th of November,
1856, Lieutenant Porter sailed from
Smyrna with A camels and dromedaries
Of different breeds, six Of which were
Dresented bv the sultan through the |