Oh, all right, then (redux)

[desperance]

For slovobooks, because I have no resistance (is there an electrical term, for a substance that has no resistance? Because that would be me, that would):

A steam-camel is as uncomfortable, as cantankerous, as noisy and smelly and eruptive as the natural animal.
Also, it is considerably less efficient. On a journey of any distance it needs to carry so much - in terms of fuel and water and tools - for its own benefit, there is barely any remaining load-bearing capacity. And it demands constant attendance, from one acquainted with its nerves and fits and principles. As of course do I, but I should like to hope that I am easier on my man than any steam-camel. Certainly I am cleaner; beyond that, you had best ask Cheng.
None the less, Lord Castaigne's man of business had engaged three of the enginious beasts, one apiece for me, for himself and for their mechanician. Cheng must walk, alongside the dozen men needed to carry my kit and various items for the camp.

Still working on it. I'm not at all sure about "enginious", but "ingenious" is too easy to misunderstand, and it's all the same root, so...

Comments

[affreca.livejournal.com]

Basically you're a superconductor.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Hee. I like that. Thank you!

[athenais.livejournal.com]

You had me at "steam-camel."

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Which was exactly the point at which I had myself: "This, self," I said to myself, "is a story that has to be written. And preferably by me."

[elaine-brennan.livejournal.com]

"Steam-camel" is great -- so is "enginious". Looking forward to more.

[jeremy-m.livejournal.com]

> On a journey of any distance it needs to carry so much - in terms of fuel and water and tools - for its own benefit, there is barely any remaining load-bearing capacity.

But isn't that true of natural camels too? It's a staple of wargaming that when you can't live off the land it's all about how much fodder your pack animals can carry (or how much petrol fits on a truck, by Rommel's time), allowing for the fact they themselves use up most of it.

It ends up being more about logistics than violence because you're constantly shuffling fuel to better-placed dumps to be able to keep your cavalry (or tanks) moving after the enemy runs out of fuel. If a camel could carry much more food than it needs to eat, it would be a wonder weapon.

> I'm not at all sure about "enginious", but "ingenious" is too easy to misunderstand, and it's all the same root

That would be the gen/gin/gyn/queen/cwm/etc. Indo-European root that leads to zillions of modern words, many of them rude? I especially like the phrases that include it more than once, like "genetic engineering", semantics copied and drifted in the same way that our ancestral black and white vision got triplicated into RGB colour.

[autopope.livejournal.com]

Random supporting statistic: during 1915-18, fully 20% of the entire transport capacity of the British military was engaged in shipping one vital substance from the UK to the trenches in France ...

Hay!

(Because they ran on horses, and horses need to eat, and the energy density of hay is much lower than that of gasoline, let alone coal.)

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is good. Thank you!

I know I did read up on the care and feeding of camels on long journeys, back when I was researching Outremer. But that was ten years ago, and of course I don't remember - except that they used to pack dried fish for 'em (v lightweight, I guess, and full of good stuff). And you can actually make a camel drink, even if the water's awful.

My retained impression is that camels really are good at travelling vast distances on not very much at all, but I will check. For the sake of a passing reference. Sometimes I love my job.