(d) Sporting ammunition, spare ammunition for 9 Somális, and extras.
We will add up these items. Let A be the resulting number of camel-loads.
By a simple calculation we can now tell how many baggage camels and camelmen we shall want.
The custom is for one camelman to look after two camels.
A camelman’s rations (with percentage for guests) for 42 days will be—
| Rice | 49 | lbs. |
| Dates | 26 | ” |
| Ghee | 8 | ” |
| His spare ammunition, say | 6 | ” |
| Total | 89 | lbs., |
or a third of a camel-load.
Thus, as one camelman looks after two camels, the weight due to his rations and ammunition will put one-sixth of a camel-load upon each of them; and so to carry five of the loads A we shall want six camels. Hence divide the number A by five and multiply by six, and we shall have the number of camels we must purchase for the caravan, and the number of camelmen we must engage to look after them will be half this.
I consider 275 lbs. a fair load of European baggage for a Somáli camel, not counting the weight of the camel-mats. All compact weights, such as dates, are difficult to carry, and 260 lbs. is a full load; while loads distributed over plenty of surface, such as rice loghs or water in several háns, are easily carried, and so in such cases the loads may go up to 340 lbs.
If we allow 1½ camel-loads for 42 days’ rations for one European, and 2½ for his baggage (including tent, cooking-pots, spare rifles and ammunition, and so forth), 1 camel for cloth and extras, and 3 for Somáli rations, then A stands for 8, and our caravan will require by our rough calculation ten baggage camels and five camelmen.