108 ARABIAN CAMEL OR DROMEDARY. 



proach to the water stations. These will travel from 

 seventy to one hundred and twenty miles in the 

 twenty-four hours. 



It is related by a modern traveller, " That one of 

 these animals will in one night, and through a level 

 country, traverse as much ground as any single horse 

 can perform in ten. It was often affirmed to him 

 by the Arabs and MOOTS, that it makes nothing of 

 holding its rapid pace, which is a most violent hard 

 trot, for four and twenty hours upon a stretch, with- 

 out shewing the least sign of weariness, or inclina- 

 tion to bait, and that having then swallowed a ball 

 or two of a sort of paste, made up of barley, and 

 perhaps a little powder of dates among it, with a 

 bowl of water, or camel's milk, if to be had, and 

 which the courier seldom forgets to be provided 

 with in skins, as well for the sustenance of himself 

 as of his pegasus, the indefatigable animal will seem 

 as fresh as at first setting out, and ready to continue 

 running at the same scarce credible rate for as many 

 hours longer, and so on from one extremity of the 

 African desert to the other."* 



They are sometimes also trained to run races, and 

 are extremely fleet. The same traveller relates, that, 

 at the celebration of a royal marriage, the bride, 

 " Among other entertainments she gave her guests, 

 a favourite white dromedary was brought forth, ready 

 saddled and bridled ; the thong, which serves instead 



* Morgan's Algiers. 



