182 



Lions are said to be very fond of camel flesh. Carbuccia 

 considers it bardly distinofuishable from beef. The fat has a 

 disagreeable taste but makes good candles. 



From the Recueil de Medecine Veterinaire, loth June 1889, 

 we precis the following : — 



Boisse, Veterinary Surgeon of the 22nd Dragoons^ has dealt with 

 the subject of use of flesh of the Camel and Dromedary for butch- 

 ers' purposes. This habit has been prevalent or rare from time to 

 time mainly under the influence of religion. Moses forbade con- 

 sumption of camels, which practice was in high favour among the 

 Patriarchs before his time. For economic reasons the camel was 

 classed as unclean (Leviticus, chap. xi). The Arabs continued to 

 eat camels after destroying them with religious ceremony, and do 

 so to this day. The Arabs drew blood from living camels and made 

 " black puddings " (moconad) of it ; also they held the camel in 

 high honour, for Mahomed was originally a serwan and he wrote 

 "speak ill neither of the camel nor the wind ; the camel is a benefit 

 to men, the wind is an emanation of the spirit of God." Two 

 young camels were slain and eaten at his marriage with Kadijah, 

 In North Africa there is some prejudice against camel flesh but 

 further south it is taken freely, flesh of camicls which succumb 

 to disease even is eaten if pronounced fit. Among the Touregs 

 the slaughter of a young fat camel is the acme of hospitality. The 

 inhabitants of Fez and the Somalis are fond of camel. The meat 

 is not so suited to the European palate as beef and mutton but is 

 eatable. It is of bright red colour and, as being strongly fibrous, 

 needs prolonged cooking. The savour is aromatic like plants and 

 the broth not thick. The fillet and the heart are the tit-bits, next 

 the leo'. The Emperor Heliogabalus was very fond of the foot long 

 cooked until it resembled carpenter's glue. The Soudanese are 

 very appreciative of the liver specially cooked. The hump consist- 

 ing of fat and elastic tissue is not good eating, though often placed 

 as the dish of honour, but the Arabs find fat much to their taste. 

 The Toubons, according to Nactigal, do not cook the flesh, simply 

 beat it into a pulp with sticks. The Touregs powder up mumified 

 frao-ments of camels, mix them Avith blood drawn from the 

 workint? camels, and eat them. When these people drink blood 



