The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-06-24
Continued from Third bdge. J

Lieutenant Parker were ungrateful
enough some weeks later to lcok one
Of the Beys gift camels in the mouth,
and finding it but a poor creature Of its
kind, to leave it behind them at Con.
stantinople.
Meanwhile the great camel quest
had been the subject of discussion in
the Cabinet of the Egyptian Khedive,
for the two adventurous officers had
communicated with our Consul at
Alexandria and asked him whether the
United States could purchase a few
camels in Egypt The reply was
communication in French from a mem
Der of the Cabinet, saying that although
it was contrary to the laws of Egypt
that camels should be sold out of the
country, yet by reason Of the love that
the Viceroy bore to the great republic
OF the west he was content that Major
Wayne should purchase two Camels at
Alexandria Later came a present of
six fine dromedarles from the stables
of the Pasha, along with a communica
ton in Arabic from a member of the
Cabinet One Of the Egyptian officials
seems to have been a gentleman with
an itching palm, for it is recorded that
in the course of the negotiations ten
dering the camels he managed to indi-
cate his wish to possess a fine weapon
belonging to the store ship. 1t was
conveyed to him with proper express,
sons.
Major Wayne and Lieutenant Porter
had not yet realized the opera bouffe
nature of their proceedings, and the
Major about this time wrote a long
letter entering into certain physiological
details touching the camel, of a sort
that even Uncle Jerry Rusk would
have hesitated to insert in his famous
volume upon the horse.
The expedition received at Smyrna
thlrty.three camels from the interior,
Major Wayne reports the price Of
camels as varying from SIS to $1,000
In Egypt the beast Of burden, in good
order, could be purchased at prices
ranging from $50 to $I3o. The swift
dromedary ranged in price from $45
to $1,000 The range of price in Asia
Minor was not SO wide.
While in the far East Major Wayne
endeavored to learn by inquiry the
habits and nature of the camel. He
addressed directly or indirectly a long
list of questions to a missionary, anc
received a somewhat dsjointed reply
along with an apologize note, saying
that the missionary was at that moment
absorbed in the task of lettering Ger
tain Christian tombstones, with at
Oriental stone cutter Unsuitable for copy
at his elbow the Major, however die
obtain a considerable mass of matter
upon the subject in question, and all o
this is duly set forth in Secretary Davis
report to the Senate, together with
elaborate cuts showing various kinds 0
camels, the saddles they wear and tn,
method of driving the beasts The
Major had engaged for year three
Arabs to accompany and take care o
the camels. Meanwhile several camel
were born aboard ship. The Majo
did not visit the Canary Islands t.
study the cameIs there, as he had beer
instructed to do by the vigilant Score
tary, because unfavorable winds made
it impossible to reach the islands with
out great delay.
The Supply reached Indianola, Tex.
February 10th, having lost three cam
els on the voyage. Those that sur
Vived were well, and the whole drov
was taken under the care of Captain
]. n. Palmer, United States army, t,
Camp Verde, Tex, there to be KEEP
several years. The Suwanee brough
in load of forty-one Camels on Feb
ruary 10, 1857, and these, too, wer
sent to the interior,
Secretary Davis appends to his re
port of the camel quest grave treatise
upon the animal in all its phases ant
uses, with special reference to its EN-
ployment in the army. He lived II
see the finest possible opportunity 70
testing the value of his importation
but he seems during the next eigh
years to have been far too much alb
sorbed in practical affairs of state ant
war to give this interesting subject tn
- larar,,nl