CHARACTER OF THE CAMEL. 707 
“Tnvaluable he is, I admit; likewise hardy, capable of carrying enormous loads for 
ereat distances under a frightful sun, and generally admirably suited for the purpose to 
which he is put, namely, that of a baggage animal. But to say that a Camel is patient, to 
affirm that this great, grumbling, groaning, brown brute is either docile, meek, or sweet- 
tempered, is stating what is simply not the case; and I have no hesitation in saying, 
that never do I remember to have seen a Camel in a good humour, or otherwise than in 
open or moody hostility with the world at large ; at least, if outward appearances are to 
be credited. 
Watch him when he is being loaded ; see his keeper struggling frantically with him, 
only succeeding in making him kneel down forthe purpose by sheer force, and when down 
only keeping him there by. tying neck and fore-legs together tightly with a piece of string; 
hear him grumbling in deep, bubbling tones, with mouth savagely opened, and I think 
that then at least you will admit he is by no means in as amiable a frame of mind as one 
could wish. Observe him now that the process of loading is completed, and the string 
which held him in subjection loosened ; up he rises, a great brown mountain, still groan- 
ing, still bubbling, and away he goes, madly dashing to and fro, and shaking off tables, 
portmanteaus, beds, furniture, and baggage in a scattered shower around him ; - and I think 
that even his stanchest admirers will allow, that neither at this moment is he in what one 
would call a pleasant humour. 
Mr. Camel having, after some battling, been overcome and compelled to carry the load 
to which he so objected, but not until he has damaged it considerably, arrives when the 
march is over at the camping ground. It is then necessary to make him kneel down to 
have that load removed, grumbling as much as ever, in opposition as usual, beaten 
physically, but with soul unsubdued, and internally in a state of rebellion and mutiny, a. 
sort of volcano ready at any moment to burst forth.” 
The “hump” of the Camel] is a very curious part of its structure, and is of great 
importance in the eyes of the Arabs, who judge of the condition of their beasts by the 
size, shape, and firmness of the hump. They say, and truly, that the Camel feeds upon 
his hump, for in proportion as the animal traverses the sandy wastes of its desert lands, 
and suffers from privation and fatigue, the hump diminishes. At the end of a long and 
painful journey, the hump will often nearly vanish, and it cannot be restored to its pristine 
form until the animal has undergone a long course of good feeding. When an Arab is 
about to set forth on a desert journey, he pays great attention to the humps of his Camels, 
and watches them with jealous care. 
Independently of its value as a beast of burden, the Camel is most precious to its owners, 
as it supplies them with food and clothing. The milk mixed with meal is a favourite dish 
among the children of the desert, and is sometimes purposely kept until it is sour, in which 
state it is very grateful to the Arab palate, but especially nauseous to that of a European. 
The Arabs think that any man is sadly devoid of taste who prefers the sweet new milk to 
that which has been mellowed by time. A kind of very rancid butter is churned from 
the cream by a remarkably simple process, consisting of pouring the cream into a goat-skin 
sack, and shaking it constantly until the butter is formed. The flesh of the Camel is 
seldom eaten, probably because the animal is too valuable to be killed merely for the sake 
of being eaten. Sometimes, however, in a season of great festivity, a rich Arab will slay 
one of his Camels, and calling all his friends and relations to the banquet, they hold 
high festival upon the unaccustomed dainty. The long hair of the Camel is spun into a 
coarse thread, and is employed in the manufacture of broad-cloths and similar articles. 
At certain times of the year, the Camel sheds its hair, in order to replace its old coat by a 
new one, and the Arabs avail themselves of the looseness with which the hair is at these 
times adherent to the skin, to pluck it away without injuring the animal. 
In extreme cases, when the water has failed for many days, and the desert fountains 
are dried up, the Camel dies for the purpose of prolonging the life of its master, and 
yields up the store of water which is laid up in the cells of the stomach. The water 
thus obtained is of a hght green colour, and very unpleasant to the palate ; but when a 
man is dying of thirst he is not very particular as to the quality of the liquid which may 
save his life. Unpleasant though it be, this water is hardly more unpalatable than that 
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