PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOE MILITARY PURPOSES. 57 



traditions (see No, 1) is very expressive. Colambari also, in his account 

 of the zembourek or camel artillery, gives the following good reason 

 for discrediting these marvellous tales : "that, on account of the inse- 

 curity of person and life in Persia, every native of consequence keeps 

 in his stable a fast horse (whose qualities are known only to himself 

 and a confidential groom) to be used in extremity; that dromedaries 

 would undoubtedly be retained for this purpose were their combined 

 speed and endurance really what Arab tales represented tliem to be ; 

 but that during his long residence and service in Persia he never heard 

 of a dromedary being kept for such an exigency." 



Many and contradictory accounts are given of the gait of the drome- 

 dary, some describing it as smooth and pleasant, while others repre- 

 sent it to be rough and disagreeable, not unfrequently producing 

 nausea. This discrepancy proceeds from the habit of generalizing 

 from single instances. The gait of the dromedary, like that of the 

 saddle horse, depends upon breeding, the structure of the individual 

 animal, and upon training. 



COPULATION, GESTATION, AND PARTURITION. 



It has been stated that the camel cannot copulate without the aid of 

 man, and this has been brought forward as a reason why we do not 

 hear of the animal existing in a wild state. It has also been further 

 asserted that, because of its retromingency, connexion is made back- 

 wards. I have even heard these statements from intelligent persons 

 residing in the east, whose occupations, however, did not lead them 

 to any particular observation of the animal, and who only uttered 

 the erroneous impressions of uninformed writers, or of vulgar tradition . 

 Neither the one nor the other is correct. The animal does not re- 

 quire the aid of man, though as in the case of stallions it is advisable 

 sometimes to guide the organ of generation. The organ in erec- 

 tion pushing back the sheath, returns to the front, and connexion is 

 made in the usual manner, with this excej)tion, that the female kneels 

 down in the position for receiving a load, and the male covers her, 

 squatting down upon his hind legs to come to her. 



The female generally conceives in December^ January, or February, 

 this being the usual rutting season of the male, and carries her young 

 about twelve months. She brings forth lying upon her side, without 

 much apparent labor or pain. The young one, according to climate 

 and local custom, is at times, immediately upon birth, swathed in 

 cloths or blankets, except its hump, to prevent its taking cold. For 

 the same reason a blanket is occasionally thrown over the mother. 

 Within the first day the calf will learn to take the teat ; and in seven 

 days it will be' strong enough in its legs to follow its mother about. 

 It suckles for a year or more ; and between three or four years old its 

 training, whether for burden or for the saddle, is commenced. In 

 regard to working a female camel about to calve, the same judgment 

 and management should be exercised as in the case of a mare with 

 colt. 



In the rutting season the male becomes rather fierce, obstinate, 



