26 



desire of the male is termed Must ; it necessitates the special pre- 

 caution of tying the tail round to the saddle lest it be continually 

 switched about and thus urine when passed be sprinkled over 

 drivers^ loads, and other camels (Leach). Indeed the provision 

 of nature whereby the urine is expelled in a backward direction 

 often against the tail seems not very satisfactory. It has been 

 urged that thus the animal is to an extent prevented from having 

 to stand with his hind feet in a puddle of urine such as would 

 soften their horn and cause disease, but the male elephant, which 

 has more tender feet than the camel, urinates forward. It cer- 

 tainly is a great advantage for camels not to have to take the 

 first step after a halt from a slippery patch of ground moistened 

 by urine. The Serwan judiciously whenever possible moves his 

 camel a yard or two to either side of the place where he has 

 urinated directly he has completed the act. These experienced 

 men halt their camels regularly about every ten miles to allow 

 them to " make water." 



The camel averages eight feet in length, and it is estimated 

 that 500 in single file occupy one mile. In Bengal hired camels 

 are procurable through Grovernment for the use of military officers. 



We are told that, in loading, bags are to be preferred to boxes, 

 but camel trunks are supplied by Government for medical and 

 veterinary stores, and prove very capacious and convenient. 



When camels and mules are both available, the former are to be 

 used for baggage and heavy loads. Public camels are to be 

 branded in letters three inches long on the near side of the neck 

 with the last two figures of the year of purchase ; care is to be 

 taken to avoid blemishing, and carbolic dressing is alloAved to 

 keep off flies from the brand marks while healing; cast animals 

 are branded on the buttock. 



Camels when purchased for the public service are to be between 

 six and eight years old, and not less than 6^ feet high at the 

 shoulder. The Russians make their camels work with loads from 

 two years of age upwards — the full load being attained at five 

 years, when the camel is considered full grown — but he becomes 

 worn out early by age and ill treatment. In the Montgomery Dis- 

 trict young camels are broken to the Nakala (nose string) when 

 three years old, and usually put to work at four years with three 

 maunds this being gradually increased to the full load of eight 

 maunds. The age may be determined by the teeth, I. V. S. 



