

ARABIAN CAMEL OR DROMEDARY. 169 



of a bridle, was put through the hole purposely made 

 in the gristle ot the creature's nose. The Arab ap- 

 pointed to mount was straightly laced, from the very 

 loins quite to the thro&t, in a strong leathern jacket, 

 they never riding those animals any otherwise ac- 

 coutred, so impetuously violent are the concussions 

 the rider undergoes, during the rapid motion. We 

 were to be diverted with seeing this fine Aashari run 

 against some of the swiftest barbs of the whole Nija, 

 which is famed for having good ones of the true Ly- 

 bian breed, shaped like greyhounds, and which will 

 sometimes run down an ostrich, which very few of 

 the best can pretend to do, especially upon a hard 

 ground perfectly level. We all started like racers, 

 and for the first spurt, most of the best mounted 

 among us kept up pretty well, but our grass-fed 

 horses soon flagged, several of the Numidian runners 

 held pace till we, who still followed upon a good 

 round hand gallop, could no longer discern them, and 

 then gave out, as we were told after their return. 

 When the dromedary had been out of our sight for 

 half an hour, we again espied it flying towards us 

 with an amazing velocity, and in a very few mo- 

 ments was among us, and seemingly nothing con- 

 cerned, while the horses and mares were all in a 

 foam, and scarce able to breathe, as was likewise 

 a fleet tall greyhound bitch, of the young prince's, 

 who had followed and kept pace the whole time, and 

 was no sooner got back to us, but lay down panting 

 as if ready to expire. I cannot tell how many milea 



