48 SCRIPTURE NATURAL HISTORY. 



come ; for their journey often lasts them .several weeks, and their 

 abstinence continues till their journey is accomplished. 



The driest thistle and the barest thorn, are all the food this useful 

 quadruped requires ; and even these, to save time, he eats while 

 advancing on his journey, without stopping or occasioning a mo- 

 inent of delay. As it is his lot to cross immense deserts where no 

 water is found, and countries not even moistened with the dew of 

 heaven, he is endued with the power, at one watering place, to lay 

 in a store, with which he supplies himself for thirty days to come. 

 To contain this enormous quantity of fluid, nature has formed large 

 cisterns within him, from which, once filled, he draws at pleasure 

 the quantity he wants, and pours it into his stomach, with the same 

 efiect as if he then drew it from the spring. 



Notwithstanding that the ciirnel is so extremely revengeful as to 

 bear in mind, and resent in the most terrible manner any injury it 

 may have sustained, its patience is the most extraordinary. Its suf- 

 ferings seem to be great ; for when it is overloaded, it sends forth the 

 most lamentable cries, but never offers to resist the tyrant who op- 

 presses it. At the slightest signs it bends its knees, and lies upon 

 its belly, suffering itself to be loaded in this position ; at another 

 sign it rises with its load, and the driver getting upon ils back, en- 

 courages the animal to proceed with his voice and with a song. 



Throughout Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Arabia, Barbary, and vari- 

 ous other contiguous countries, all kinds of merchandise are car- 



ried by camels, whidh, of all convej^ances, is the most expeditious, 

 and attended With the least expence. Merchants and other travel- 

 lers assemble, and unite in caravans to avoid the insults and rob- 

 beries of the Arabs. These caravans are often numerous, and are 



