The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1905-01-07
WILD CAMELS ON
AMERICAN DESERTS
An Experiment in Transpor=
tation Which Failed by
Outbreak of Rebellion.

The ordinary mental picture of the
camel is long necked, long legged
animal swinging a long on weary
stretch of desert, with a hooded
Arab perched on its back, and a
cluster of palm trees waving in the
distance.
That an effort was made more
than fifty years ago to transplant
the African and Asian camel and
dromedary to the vast stretches of
south western desert, and that it
failed on account of the turbulence
which marked the civil war between
the North and the South, is the
brief suggestion of story the de-
tails of which are interesting told
in the report of the U. S. Depart
ment of Agriculture for 1904 which
relates to the Burean of Animal
Industry.
In the early "fifties" the Govern
ment was sorely beset with difficult
ties in protecting its western fron-
tiers from the ravages of hostile
Comanches. The transr ortation of
men and supplies over the great
reaches of plain, mountain and d, =
sert that stretch between the Missi-
ssippi and the Pacific Coast was a
problem that swallowed heavy ap-
propriations of money and used up
thousands of mules. Under these
circumstances it occurred to the
military officials that the use of the
camel might aid them in transpor-
tation of men and supplies across
the south western plains and
deserts.
The idea of transplanting this
faithful old servant of mankind
from Eastern deserts to America
was not new one. Juan de Rel
neza, Biscayan, had made an at
tempt to introduce camels into Peru
as early as the sixteenth century.
In 1701 a trading vessel brought
camels from Guinea to Virginia,
but no record of this experiment
exists save that it was failure
Camels were also brought to ia
maica and employed with success
until an insect, called the "chiqua"
infested their feet and rendered
them useless.
Major George H. Crossman, the
first CT our military men to advo-
cate the use of the camel, made a
study of the subject, and as early
as 1886 brought it to the attention
of the authorities. The idea was
taken up by Major Henry G.
Wayne, who in 1S4S suggested to
the War Department a plan of
Government importation. About
that time Jefferson Davis, who after
wards became President of the
Southern Confederacy, but who was
then United States Senator from
Mississippi, became impressed with
the desirability of importing camels,
and as Chairman of the Committee
on Military Affairs, labored until
he left the Senate in 1851, to secure
some practical tests by the Govern
ment, but without avail. But in
1853 Mr.. Davis became Secretary
of War in Pierce's Cabinet, and re-
newed his attempts, succeeding in
1854 in having an appropriation of
$4,000 made to introduce camels.
Major Wayne was at once sent
to the Levant to investigate the
subject, and Lieut.. David B. Porter,
afterwards Admiral Porter of the
U. S. NavyO in command of the
store ship supply" was ordered
to place his vessel at the disposal
of Mr.. Davis. Major Wayne and
Lieut.. Porter, on board the "Sup-
ply" visited in turned Pisa, Con-
stantinople, Tunis, Cairo and Alex
andria, and after many serious
disappointments and amusing mis-
haps finally succeeded in securing