The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-13
THEY RAISE CAMELS
as Useful There as in the Des.
erts Of Arabia.
A Splendid Race Of Animals BaiAD
Raised In tie Australian Colonies
The Beasts Of Great Service In
the Gold Fields.

Some interesting particulars con-
.erning the part which the camel h
playing in the development Of the Aus
tralian colonies are given in special
issue OF the British Australasian deal
ing with the gold-felds of western Aus
tralia- The great central depot for the
animals imported from India is Port
Augusta, two hundred ard ffty-nine
miles northwest Of Adelaide. Here
camel quarantine station has been es-
tablished, and the arrivals are kept in
it and carefully watched for the first
three months TO guard against out
breaks of certain deadly mango
which carried OF most Of the earliest
animals. Once acclinatizsd, the camels
are not liable to the complaint. and
they thrive wonderfully upon the
natural shrubs OF A1stralia-salt bush,
waffle. nulSa, acacia and other varie-
ties. The imported animals, however,
are not nearly SO valuable as the Aus
tralian-bred caInels. The pastoralist
breeds his caIneis as he does his sheep,
on scientific principles, so that al
ready, within twenty-five years, there
has been produced IA Australia race
of caInels larger in frame, sounder in
wind and limb and possessed of greater
weight-carryiug capacity than the In
dian animals originally imported. By
means of camel caTayans-there are
now close upon ten thousand caInels at
work in Australia-the pastoralists have
been enabled TO take up and stock new
country which was formally incapa BILE
of being utilized because broad belt
of land that is either waterless or Ii
able to long periods of drought inter
vened between the good country and
settled regions, whence all supplies
have to be drawn and where ali prod
ucts must be marketed. II is only
within the last few years that mining
men have awakened to the utility Of
cameis in their industry, and large
numbers Of the animals have recently
been drafted to western Australia. On
the older gold fields of that COLONY
the camel caravan has already knocked
out the bullock team by reason both Of
econ omy and efficiency. But, more i'm
portant still, the camel is enabling
nc" W OC hCdCuCo uHu
worked which were previously, If not,
absolutely inaccessible, incapable of
being permanently occupied and util-
lied. Mining machinery is being made
in sections convenient for singing
across the back of the pack animal
Camel wagon transport, unknown both
in Asia and in Africa. has also been
developed in Australia, the animals be-
ing yoked in teams of eight, just like
buliocks- Well-sinking machinery is
likewise being sent out into the water
less country on camelback, and after
the magnificent results achieved by ar
tesian boring in the arid region Of
Queensland, where some Of the borea
yield two million gallons a day and have
caused rivers to run where water was
never before seen except in the form q
an all too scanty rainfall. There is no
saying bat that by this means the
West Australian gold fields, now
worked with difficulty owing to the
scarcity of water, may be converted
into regular Gases. During the Lind
say expedition, it is added, the camels
had spells of twenty-three and twenty
one days without a drink of water.