USEFUL PRODUCTS OF THE CAMEL. 75 



Abd-el-Kader says: " The inhabitant of the Sa- 

 hara gives his horse camel's milk, which has the 

 special property of imparting speed to that de- 

 gree, that, according to what is testified upon 

 responsible and credible testimony, a man, by 

 drinking it exclusively for a sufficient time, ac- 

 quires such swiftness of foot, that he can suc- 

 cessfully contend in the race with the horse. 

 And, in truth, the milk of the camel fortifies 

 the brain and the tendons, and dissipates the fat 

 which relaxes the muscles." The quantity given 

 by the camel, without green food, does not cer- 

 tainly exceed a quart, but the Bactrian, which 

 enjoys a more succulent diet, yields twice that 

 quantity, and it is employed in the Crimea for 

 the same purposes as that of the cow. " Sheikh 

 Hussein had the complaisance to take along 

 with us a milch camel for the use of the ladies 

 of our party, and generally brought the milk-cup 

 to our tents in his own patriarchal hands, with 

 abundance of compliments and salaams. The 

 quantity given by the camel is small, but very 

 rich. Being myself no milksop, I cannot speak 

 of its quality from experience; but the ladies 

 found it both agreeable and refreshing, except 

 that occasionally the highly aromatic pasturage, 

 which, as poets sing, makes fragrant the air of 

 Araby the Blest, gave it a smack of 'pothecary- 

 stuff not altogether so toothsome." 



