The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-05-05

to the major assurances Of distinguished
consideration. Major Wayne promised tc
make al leisure a translation Of the gen
erals assay, and reported that the at
| tendant Of the sole camel in the Jardin
des Plantes seemed TO know little or moth
ing about his charge. In a letter TO
General Daumus, Major Wayne explained
his own theory Of the camel. The major
I regarded the distinction between the
! camel and drOmedary as essentially lying
in the difference Of their speed The
camel he esteemed beast OF burden, the
/ dromedary q racer. He divided eamels
] into two important classes; Bactrians,
/ with two humps, ana Arabians, with one
hump. IT was his intention and hope TO
/ get creatures OF both sorts, and also TO
demonstrate the usefulness Of the camel
! in America, not only as a beast of bur
\ den, but as q creature Of speed. In a
communication TO 4lr. Davis, Major
! Wayne confessed that his quest received
+ less encourag cement in Paris than in Lon
don. Perhaps Frenchmen knew more
than Englishmen about the camel, or
/ possibly they had ia this instance a more
/ delicate sense Of humor than prevailed in
/ London.
/ The next important communication an
nounced that Major Wayne and Lieuten-
ant Porter had joined forces. They were
as much inearnest as ever. and they had
bought a camel at Tunis for the purpose
TO studying the creature on shipboard.
Furthermore. the Bey Of Tunis, on whom
tl5y nae caleIa. learning the momentous
nature of their quest, had presented the
United States government two dromeda-
hoisted aboard the ship and were to be
the subjects Of study along with the one
already purchased. Major Wayne and
Lieutenant Porter were Ungrateful
/ enough some weeks later TO look one Of
the Bey's gift camels in the mouth, and,
finding it but poor creature OF its kind,
to leave it behind them at Constantinople.
Meanwhile the great camel quest had
been the subject of discussion in the
cabinet of the khedive, for The two ad-
venturous officers had communicated
with our consul at Alexandria and asked
him TO learn whether the United States
could purchase a few camels in Egypt.
The reply was a communication ia the
French language from the pasha Of the
cabinet, saying that. although it was
contrary to the laws Of Egypt that cam
els 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. La
ter came a present of six fine dromeda-
ries from the stables of the pasha. along
with a communication in Arabic from an-
other of the cabinet. One OF the Egypt
ian officials seems to have been a gentle
man with an itching palm, for it is re-
corded that in the course of the negotl-
ations he managed to Indicate his wish
to possess q fine weapon belonging to the
store-ship. il was conveyed to him with
proper expressions.
The expedition received at Smyrna thir-
ty-three cameIs from the interior. Major
Wayne reported the prices as varying
from SIS to $1,000 The beast of burden
in Egypt. in good order. could be pur-
chased at prices ranging from $50 to SlS0.
The swift dromedaries ranged in price
from SO to Sl.5000. The range in Asia
Minor was not so wide.
While in the Tar east, Major Wayne
endeavored to learn by inquiry the ma
ture and habits of the camel. He address
ed a long list of questions to a mission
reply. along with an apologize note. say
ing that the missionary was at that mo-
ment absorbed in the task of lettering
certain Christian tombstones. with an
oriental stone-cutter, insatia,ble for copy,
at his elbow. The major. however. did
obtain a considerable mass of matter
upon the subject. and an of this was duly
set forth in Secretary Davis report to
the senate. together with elaborate cuts,
showing various kinds OF cameis, the
saddles they wore and the methods of
driving the beasts. The major had en-
gagged for a year three Arabs to accom-
pany and take care of the camels Mean
while several camels were born abboard
ship The major did not visit the Ca
nary islands to study the camels there as
he had been instructed to do by the Wig
liant secretary, because unfavorable
winds made it impossible TO reach the
islands without great delay. The supply
reached Indianola. Tex. February 10.
1856. having lost three camels on the voy-
age Those that survived were well ana
the whole drove was taken under the
care of Captain J. \. Palmer u. 5. A, to
Camp Verde. Tex, there TO be kept sew
eral years. The Suwanee brought in a
load OF forty-one camels inFebruary. 1857,
and these TOO, Were. taken TO the interior.
Secretary Davrz ssppended to his report
of the camel qusssAs. grave treatise on
the animal ia all itssH phases and uses.
with special reference a its employment
in the army He lived TO see the finest
possible opportunity for testing the value
of his importation but ne seems during
the next eight years to have been far too
much absorbed in more pressing affairs
of state and war to give this Interesting
subject the attention ii deserved.
The old-time residents OF western Texas
and of western Arizona have some Vivid
recollectons OF the effort to make the
burden-bearer of the orient useful in the
military service of the southwest and of
the Iaughable failure IL proved TO be-
From Indianola, Tex. the camels were
moved overland at the rate of forty and
atty miles a day. carrying government
stores TO the weight of 1000 to 800
I pounds each. 10 interior points in Texas.
Almost from the nrst there was much
d.ficulty in grooming and feeding The
eameis 1n Il few weeks several died Of
unknown diseases. and othres ianguished
aud became unfit FOR work The military
4 officers found Fl hard to get cry hostier
To attend 20 the camels. toward whIeh an
THE cavalymen ana troopers took HIo-
( Iert dislike. The horse became restfve
and usiy when stabbed or carrnued with
+ the strange beasts. There were freouent
reports that camel or two had broken
AWAY during the nieht and wandered OF
across Che sandy piains and IL has been
suspected that extraordinary zeal was