Shifts and expedients of camp life, travel & exploration

CHAPTER XII.

Chapter 172,480 wordsPublic domain

HINTS ON HYGEENS AND CAMELS.

The following directions to purchasers of these animals are given by Linant Bey, engineer-in-chief of dykes and bridges to the Viceroy of Egypt, and were translated for the information of the President of the United States of America.

{Points in the dromedary.}

"To avoid deception in the choice of a dromedary one must be very much of a connoisseur of the animal, for I think it is more difficult to be skilled in dromedaries than in horses. One must have lived with Arabs and their dromedaries to appreciate either the one or the other. It may be conceived, then, how difficult it is to designate clearly what constitutes a good dromedary.

"A dromedary should not be too tall, nor its legs too long, which would give it a gaunt appearance; nor should the chest be too wide nor too heavy.

"The fore-legs should not touch the callosity upon the breast. The two rowels or mullets (_molettes_) of the fore-feet should be far from touching each other when the animal walks.

"The belly should be round, without being puffy; and the hump should not be too big.

"The neck should be rather wide than narrow, the head well set on, the eye large, and the lips closed.

"In walking the animal should show suppleness in the neck, and have a wavy movement of the head. The more suppleness there is in this motion the easier will be the gait.

"To be highly esteemed a dromedary should not cry when touched; and, when bridled, haltered, or saddled, it should give utterance only to a low grumbling.

"A dromedary should not be taken that has been seriously hurt near the shoulders, where the saddle rests, though it does not indicate disease, but proceeds only from the little care the Arabs give to keeping their saddles in repair. In a female this is less objectionable; for, in giving birth, if her wounds have caused any disease, it is almost always cured. Fine cautery marks on either side of the callosity, on the breast, or on the belly near the navel, indicate always internal, incurable disorders.

"The hind-legs should not be too angular, but rather straight. The hump should not be too much to the front; rather to the rear is better, as then the saddle is more easily adjusted. The hair should not be too short, as then the animal is more easily injured.

"The feet should be small, the nails and the hair round them black rather than white.

"Fawn-coloured dromedaries are more highly prized than those entirely white.

"When mounted, the dromedary should instantly and quickly rise and start off.

"When the dromedary moves, it should be with such spirit that the rider is obliged to hold him in; this supports both. To urge him on kick him on the shoulder with the foot. It is very difficult to find a dromedary uniting in itself all these requisite qualities, and very rarely can such an one, especially if it is a female, be purchased; for the Arabs love their fine-blooded dromedaries as much as they do their horses, and it is only as presents, or else at enormous prices, that the choicest animals can be obtained.

"A first-rate Nomanieh is worth in Cairo from five hundred to six hundred dollars; but those ordinarily met with there sell from one hundred to two hundred dollars.

"The Bichariehs sell for less; good ones--that is to say, such as are for sale--may be had for from sixty to one hundred dollars.

"At nearly for the same prices as for the Bicharieh can be purchased also the other breeds of the Mahazi, Cawarah, and Ababdi. I will remark here that the Bicharieh dromedaries do not carry as heavy burdens as the Nomanieh. These last carry a saddle called 'gabit,' fitted with pads, and with saddle-bags termed 'krourque,' that hang down on both sides of the saddle and carry the baggage, provisions, &c., of the rider and of the dromedary.

"The Bicharieh carries a wooden saddle, laid over two small pads, which are not fastened to it. This saddle is called 'kyarpah,' 'maraloup,' &c., &c., according to its shape. Saddle-bags cannot be carried over it, on account of its form; but behind it a small sack of hide called 'bila,' in which a little luggage can be packed, may be attached after the manner of a valise or portmanteau.

"Often, in expeditions, a servant or follower rides behind upon the dromedaries of the two breeds. Both riders carry their arms.

"In a word, the Nomanieh generally carries from 200lb. to 230lb.; the Bicharieh, 180lb. At the utmost their burdens are 300lb. and 350lb. A dromedary, well equipped, well ridden, and in good condition, can easily make in a day over suitable ground, level and a little sandy, about ninety miles, that is, between morning and evening; but it cannot keep on at that rate. It can make fifty miles a day for fifteen or twenty days, and for a long journey can be counted upon for that. I have myself travelled upon one ninety miles in eleven hours, and gone twelve miles in forty minutes."

The carrying power of the camel will depend in great measure on the stock they came of and the climate in which they are employed, the Central Asiatic camel being, as a rule, more vigorous and enduring than that of either Africa or India. The loads of camels will vary greatly with the nature of the work they are employed to perform. Where very short distances under burden have to be travelled, as for instance from the depôts of a town to a camp in the immediate vicinity, a powerful and healthy camel can carry from 1100lb. to 1200lb.; for the march, or when produce or baggage has to be carried any distance, from 300lb. to 400lb. will be found quite heavy enough to admit of regular and continuous performance of carrying duty. We always roughly estimate our weight of stores and equipments at seven camels to the ton; for slow ordinary travelling of about twenty miles per day of from eight to ten hours in duration; for more rapid movements the loads should be proportionately lightened.

{Camels and their loads.}

The following table of camel burdens made use of in various parts of the world may prove useful to the traveller in many lands:

COUNTRY. WEIGHT. DESCRIPTION OF ANIMAL.

Algeria, } Morocco, } From 300lb. to 400lb. Ordinary camels of the Tunis, } country. Tripoli, }

Egypt, From 350lb. to 550lb. Camels of the country.

Syria, } { Large-sized bull camels Asia Minor, } { (_l[=o]ks_, as they Turkey in Asia, } From 500lb. to 600lb. { called) and hybrids Persia and Tartary, } { (or _booghdee_).

Beloochistan, } Cabool, } Hindoostan, } From 300lb. to 400lb. Ordinary breeds. Thibet, } Birmah, } Mongolia, }

Crim-Tartary and } the borders of } From 300lb. to 500lb. Bactrian. Southern Russia, }

{Hints on camels.}

The age of a camel, like that of a horse or mule, may be judged of by the teeth. It remains without incisor teeth until the termination of the third year of its life, when it has two; at five years old, it will have four; at six years old six incisors; and at eight there will be a full complement--canines and molars.

The condition of the hump is a good index of the general well-doing of the animal, as that structure is the first to fail or diminish from want or overwork.

The food of camels may be said to be found everywhere on the earth's surface where vegetation, of even the most scanty and unattractive character, is to be found. All is food that comes to tooth with the camel, and when low trees have been scarce, we have often sent a native armed with our hatchet or billhook to climb into a large peepul, neem, or baubul thorn tree, and chop down a cartload or two of branches. These, when dragged with hook-ended sticks to where the camels were picketed, were received with cavernous rumblings and grunts of satisfaction; and the same tree, by the use of the same implement, yielded not unfrequently the supper for the camels and the fuel to cook our own evening meal.

The Arabs generally maintain that the camel should not drink more frequently than once in every three days, although in dry hot weather we have known them drink much more frequently without being apparently the worse for the indulgence. We have on many occasions endeavoured to ascertain the quantity of water taken at each period of thirst-quenching, and the result of our investigations have led us to the conclusion that about five gallons should be allowed as a drink to each camel when he takes in water on the march. The stomachs of the camel, like those of other ruminating animals, are constructed so as to admit of a store of both food and water being laid up in them to meet the demand when other sources of supply fail.

In cases of extreme necessity, and when the preservation of human life depends on the obtainment of water, the supply to be found in the stomach of the camel should not be overlooked or forgotten.

During the Algerian campaign the French made some investigations in order to find out the quantity of water a dead camel's stomach would contain, and the result was that about 15 pints was the average arrived at. This water, although green and turbid, had no offensive smell; and it was at the time asserted by the Arabs that water of this character required three days to clear itself. This period, however, could rarely, if ever, be allowed to elapse, as three days would probably close the scene of suffering, exhaust the patience of the distressed traveller, or lead him to more natural sources from which to obtain the precious fluid.

In a case of emergency, we should simply pass the water through our pocket filter, which will be described under the head "Water, and the Sap of Plants," and drink it at once.

{Camels, to embark.}

The regular purchase, collection, embarkation, and transport of camels has rarely been so carefully and successfully conducted as by the officers appointed by the Government of the United States of America, and the report forwarded to Congress by the officer in charge of the embarkation department will not fail to be of interest and value. He says: "In the first place, the ship is anchored as close as possible to the place of embarkation to save time. The camel boat with the car in it is rowed on shore, and a force of about ten men sent to get the camels in. There is also sent on shore in the boat a good tackle (not very large), a camel harness complete, spare plank, hammer and nails, and about 50 fathoms of 2in. rope, all of which will be of use.

"It is requisite to select a place for the boat where she will lie with her bow on a level with the wharf. If this cannot be done, and it is necessary to 'beach' her, then a strong bridge made of stout plank, and about 8ft. wide, will have to be constructed, strong enough to bear not only the camel's weight, but to stand their struggling. This I was obliged to do. The bow of the boat being secured firmly to the wharf or bridge, the harness is placed on the camel, which is led up as close as it will go. If it will walk right into the car, one end of which is placed on the gunwale of the boat, so much the better (in no instance did we find them willing to go without force), but if it will not go in then hook on the tackle to the breaststrap of the harness on the camel; let the men keep a steady pull upon it, and the camel will go in without a hurt, no matter how much he may resist. Four men guide the camel, and keep it in the centre of the planks, and one man leads it by the halter into the car, through which the tackle is led, one block being hooked to the other end of the boat. After the camel is in it is made to lie down, the knees tied round with ropes, a rope across the neck and made fast to the knees, and two or three ropes across the back to keep it down. It is then hoisted on to the camel deck without fright or excitement of any kind."

The opposite illustration will serve to show how the ropes and tackle are arranged for the purpose of urging a reluctant camel onwards.

When the camels were all on board the report goes on as follows:--

"Having taken in all the camels, two days we occupied in fitting to each one its proper harness (for almost every one of them differed in size and form), marking their numbers on the harness, and fitting out each one with brush and currycomb--all of which it is necessary to be done before going to sea. Hayracks, made of large open network, were fitted amidships, extending the whole length of the camel deck. Large bags filled with hay were also placed against the ship's sides for their haunches to rest against, and two ropes fitted for securing to the harness on each camel." The above engraving will show the manner in which the camels were secured when a gale of wind or a heavy sea prevailed.

"To enable the camel guard to efficiently watch their charge at night, four large lanterns with reflectors were put up, and lighted every evening at sunset; and, in case of accidents from fire, two large water tubs were kept always full."

{Camel journal.}

The American camel journal kept on board the United States ship _Supply_ is so thoroughly practical and useful, that we insert a specimen of its form of construction for the guidance of travellers who may have to perform a voyage with camels newly purchased for an expedition or campaign.

CAMEL JOURNAL.

The treatment of camels when suffering from disease or accident will be given under the head "Veterinary Surgery."