Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle, Friday 7 May 1897, page 2

Arrival of Camels and Afghans,

AN UNDESIRABLE SHIPMENT!

The wharfs and streets of Port Augusta on Monday last were the scene of much commotion and bustle by the arrival, just before noon, of the s.s. Argus, Captain Colin McDonald in charge, with a cargo of camels and Afghans. The steamer left Calcutta on the 2nd of April, touched at Singapore on the 15th, and thus made the trip in 31 days. She left Calcutta with 178 camels and landed 176, all being in very fair condition, young and of a good class. The steamer started discharging the camels after 2 p.m. by four steam
winches and in about a couple of hours the whole were safely landed — the rapidity with which they were " dumped"
upon the wharf being something phenomenal.
The ships of the desert were then taken round the head of the Gulf to Mr N. A. Richardson's paddock at Port Augusta West where they will remain "in quarantine" for 90 days The
Argus is one of the largest steamers that has visited the harbor for a long time past—her length being 325 feet; she
carried a crew of 65, composed of European officers and Lascar sailors. She had on board—as passengers—53 Hindoos, bound for Melbourne, and 3 Chinese, as well as a few European passengers. Forty Afghans were also a part of the shipment for this Port; they were evidently in charge of tbe camels, which we understand were brought here to be
acclimatised before being shipped to the West. The Afghans have been most probably brought here for acclimatisation
purposes also, but certainly they are a most undesirable importation, and one that we could have done very well without— many of them perambulated the streets of the town during Monday afternoon in troops of ten or a dozen satisfying their curiosity by viewing the " lions" of the Liverpool of tbe North ; some, on landing, were dressed like turbaned princes, in various colors, but while others again
were but very scantily clad ; indeed, had Europeans been so attired—or, rather, so disrobed—the chances were they would have been " run-in !"
We are given to understand tbat something like a mutiny occurred on board the steamer during her trip to this Port. It
appears that owing to orders being given to the Jemidar to clean up the camel decks, he roundly abused the ship's captain and officers - threatening in most abusive Afghan terms to " do" for all and sundry on board. Had it not been for the prospective delay and enormous expense the law would undoubtedly have been brought into play to teach these domineering Asiatics a severe lesson, and give some of them an example of British justice. These gentlemen may yet give our quarantine officials some trouble to keep them in order.