21 



taking in a four days' supply." This is done by men pouring 

 five or six gallons down their throats ; but a Bactrian camel can 

 only lay in and retain half this amount (Yaldwiu). Tho Arabs 

 say that in winter the camel never drinks (Daumas), but Charles 

 Steel records as the opinion of an experienced Serwan that in 

 Afghanistan during the hot weather they should be watered daily 

 and in the winter at least every third day, and states that if depriv- 

 ed of water for five days the camel will die. However, Giles, in 

 crossing Australia, found that once when he could get no water 

 for his camels for ten days only one old cow camel died, and she 

 succumbed just on reaching the water ; he thinks that in summer 

 the camel can go four or five days without drinking water and in 

 winter much longer ; we may conclude that camels should be 

 watered once daily — at about 4 p.m. They should not be allowed 

 to drink from streams when they cross unless very hard pressed — 

 contrary as this may seem to our general management of animals 

 on the march there is reason in it and we must guard ourselves 

 against the somewhat common mistake of finding fault with Ser- 

 wans for not letting their camels drink.* They know very well 

 that if the animals are watered daily it is superfluous to allow them 

 to drink while on the journey, that there is a special natural pro- 

 vision for moistening the throat and retaining moisture while on 

 the march, and, lastly, that a drink of water tends to bring on 

 rumination and the animal becomes lazy and tries to lie down and 

 chew the cud. The Arabs encourage tolerance of thirst on the 

 part of the camels by never allowing them to drink until they 

 reach a camping place. Some camels will not drink before noon 

 — by which time the chill is taken off the water; still water is 

 much preferred and a marked dislike of running water in cold 

 weather is exhibited, although, according to Kostenko, the camel 

 " will drink every kind of water, no matter how brackish, stag- 

 nant, or putrid.'^ 



After watering, the camels should have a small amount of fodder 

 thrown down before them and be groomed. This process con- 

 sists in carefully rubbing down the animal and scraping him over 

 " with a wooden comb like a large blunt paper knife to excite the 

 skin and to remove all dust, knots, and tangle, especially from 



* Yaldwin, Journal of the United Service Institution of India, 1880, Yol, 

 ix, No. 4:^ 



