THE CALLOSITIES. 43 



to be a mere thickening of the skin, and they 

 may be the effect of friction and pressure. The 

 full development of the callosities is one of the 

 " points " of a good mahari, and it ought to be 

 accompanied with a slender barrel, so that in the 

 recumbent posture the belly shall scarcely touch 

 the ground. 



In lying down the animal throws himself 

 slightly forward, and first bending one fore leg, 

 poises himself for an instant, and then falls sud- 

 denly upon the callosities at the knees ; he now 

 advances the hind feet a little, and drops upon 

 the gambrel joint ; the callus upon the breast is 

 brought to the ground by a third descent, and 

 those upon the upper and forward part of the 

 hind leg by a fourth. Each of these movements, 

 (which are reversed in rising,) and especially the 

 first, is attended with a considerable shock ; and 

 the inexperienced rider is apt to be thrown over 

 the camel's head, unless he steadies himself by 

 holding fast to the saddle pins. The Arabs slide 

 down from and climb up to the saddle, without 

 making the animal kneel, or even stopping him, 

 and any active man may readily learn to do the 

 same, but Europeans seldom practise this meth- 

 od. 1 The French soldiers in Algeria use a long 



1 Burckhardt, Syria, 445, remarks, that it tires the camel 

 to lie down and rise again, and he advises the traveller to 

 acquire the habit of mounting and dismounting while his 



