MILITARY USES OF THE CAMEL. 191 



death of a camel beloDging to the baggage train. 

 The loss of a single horse or mule may not only 

 occasion the abandonment of the load, but of the 

 wagon, often an expensive vehicle, to which he 

 was attached ; whereas, in case of the death of 

 a burden camel, the only equipage lost is his 

 pack-saddle, which is of very trifling pecuniary 

 value. Wheel carriages and harnesses are ex- 

 posed to constant breakage in crossing the plains. 

 The means of repairing them are not always 

 at hand, and even when much time has been 

 spent in putting them to rights, they not unfre- 

 quently break dpwn altogether before the jour- 

 ney is half completed. The employment of the 

 burden camel is attended with none of these 

 risks and inconveniences. 



I may add another advantage, which will be 

 appreciated by all who know the difficulty of 

 conducting a caravan of mules or horses across 

 the plains. I refer to the security from stam- 

 pedes and other nocturnal alarms and losses. The 

 dromedary is a much less timid animal than the 

 horse or mule, and he is not sufficiently gregari- 

 ous in his habits to be readily influenced by a 

 panic terror. The mode by which he is confined 

 at night, furnishes a complete security against 

 escapes from fright or other causes. As he lies 

 down, he folds the forelegs under the body. The 

 Arab passes a loop around one or both of the 

 folded limbs, above the knee, and secures the 



