OR, A TREATISE ON PILE. 145 
The Arabian Camel or Dromedary, or Camel with but one hunch, belongs originally to 
Arabia, as one of its names imports; it is smaller than the other species; there are several 
varieties, as the Turkman, which is the largest and strongest; the Arabian, which 1s 
hardy, and the Maihany and Raguahl, which is swift. The Camel is capable of traveling 
eight or ten days upon a few dates and a little flour; it being generally supposed that, on 
such occasions, the fat of the hump administers to its support. 
The hair is soft; longest about the neck, under the throat and about the hunch; the 
color of that on the protuberance is dusky; that on the other parts, of areddish-ash color. 
The Camel is used as a beast of burthen in Egypt, and along the Mediterranean Sea, in 
Morocco, Sara and Ethiopia. It lives from forty to fifty years. Its flesh and milk are 
esteemed for food, and its pile is used in the manufacture of rich shawls, hats, cloth, 
carpets, &c. It is provided with a bag, serving as a reservoir of pure water, which it can 
pour into the stomach or raise even to the throat, at pleasure. It will carry a weight of 
1,000 to 1,200 pounds. In Upper Egypt a Camel is worth from 200 to 300 livres. 
Examination and Description of the Pile of the Camel—Specimen presented by Mr. 
David Samuels, of Philadelphia, dealer in furs and pelts. — 
The long Pile.—Length, from 1; to z!y of a meter; shape, cylindrical and cylindroidal ; 
greatest diameter, ;35 of a millimeter; color, dark brown; lustre, considerable. 
Ductility, Elasticity and Tenacity.— 
With 170 grains one inch stretched ,\; of an inch, elasticity entire. 
90 
6c 99 “e 6c 6c 5 6c 11 yet ie 
220 30 MiUMUS 4%5 
ce 270 “ec cc as 8 te ce 
wl a — 
) 0 90 
ce 320 be ee zs ta ce oe aD 
ce 370 ce ce oe alee ce ‘ ‘i 
ig 
“« 420 “ broke. Fracture, abrupt. 
Button, sometimes white and spindle-shaped, at others trumpet-shaped, dark colored, 
and angled ; length, ;48;, and diameter, 77, of a millimeter; sheath, white, transparent and 
fibrous; length, 2 of a millimeter; diameter, ;4,; shaft, tapering; diameters, at the sheath, 
ig, but gradually widens to ;7,, and gradually narrows to the apex, where it is only 775 
of a millimeter; cortex, dark brown; the coloring matter in transverse lines, which appear 
to be formed by a succession of dark colored rings, occupying about of the diameter of 
the shaft. When a filament is wetted and pressed between two pieces of glass, these rings 
fade away, but re-appear when the pressure is removed. When the pile is imbedded in 
Canada balsam, the rings sometimes disappear entirely, leaving the cortex light fawn 
colored, with transverse strie of specks of light. At other times the cortex becomes 
entirely transparent, except some broken lines of coloring matter in the centre. Fibres, 
white, translucent, coarse. and difficult to separate. 
The short Pile.—Staple, 2,4; inches; shape, cylindroidal ; diameter, varies from 13 to 
1. of a millimeter; button, spindle-shaped, white and opaque; length, 74>, and diameter, 
2 of a millimeter, when the shaft is ;4,; cortex, white; scales, 500 to an inch in length. 
This fleece, owing to its great fineness, recommends itself to the manufacturer, althouch 
from its shape and small number of seales, we would conjecture that its felting and fulling 
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