40 SCRIPTURE NATURAL HISTORY. 



There are as many as seven species of camel discriminated by 

 Zoologists ; but it is only the Arabian camel or dromedary, and the 

 Bactrian camel, that are known in Scripture. 



The former species is distinguished by having only one bunch 

 or protuberance on the back. Its general height, measured from 

 the top of the dorsal bunch to the ground, is about six feet and a 

 half, but from the top of the head when the animal elevates it, it is 

 not much less than nine feet: the head, however, is usually so car- 

 ried as to be nearly on a level with the bunch, or rather below it, 

 the animal bending the neck extremely in its general posture. The 

 Lead is small ; the neck very long ; and the body of a long and 

 meagre shape ; the legs rather slender, and the tail, which is slight- 

 ly tufted at the extremity, reaches to the joints of the hind legs. 

 The feet are very large, and are hoofed in a peculiar manner, being 

 divided above into two lobes, the extremity of each lobe being guar- 

 ded by a small hoof. The under part of the foot is guarded by an 

 extremely long, tough, and pliable skin, which, by yielding in all 

 directions, enables the animal to travel with peculiar ease and secu- 

 rity over dry, hot, stony, and sandy regions, which would soon parch 

 and destroy the hoof. On the legs are six callosities, one on each 

 knee, one on the inside of each fore leg on the upper joint, and one 

 on the inside of each hind leg at the bottom of the thigh. On the 

 lower part of the breast is also a large callous or tough tubercle, 

 which is gradually increased by the constant habit which the animal 

 has of resting upon it in lying down. 



The native country of the camel is Arabia, from whose burning 

 deserts it has been gradually diffused over the rest of Asia and 

 Africa. The Arab venerates his camel as the gift of heaven, as a 

 sacred animal, without whose aid he could neither subsist, trade, 

 nor travel. 



The hair of these animals, which is fine and soft, and isrene\ved 

 every year, is used by the Arabians to make stuffs for their clothing 

 and furniture. It was of this material that Elijah the Tishbite wore 

 a dress, (2 Kings, i. 8) ; and also John the Baptist, Matt. in. 1. It 

 must not be supposed, however, that the description of haircloth 

 used by these and other prophets, mentioned in scripture, bore any 

 resemblance to the beautiful cash mire shawl, imported into this 

 country: it was a much coarser manufacture of this material, and 

 is still used by the modern dervises. We may probably obtain some 

 idea of its texture, from what Braithwaite says of the Arabian huts: 

 1 They are made of camels' hair, something like our coarse hair- 

 cloths to lay over goods.' 



Blest with their camels, the Arabs not only want for nothing, but 

 they fear nothing. In a single day they can traverse a tract of fifty 

 Jeagues into the desert, and thus escape the reach of their enemies. 

 All the armies in the world, says Buffon, would perish in pursuit of 

 a troop of Arabs. Figure to yourself, for instance, observes this 

 writer, a country without verdure, and without water ; a burning 

 sand, an air always clear, plains of sands, and mountains still more 



