NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 121 



wliere they will find the reticulum, or water-bag of the 

 camel, with such an explanation as a catalogue proceed- 

 ing from the pen of Professor Owen only could give. 



Then if we want extrinsic evidence, we have only to 

 call one of the most truthful, amiable witnesses, that ever 

 left friends to lament him. Captain Lyon, upon the 

 occasion of a death of one of these animals, says, in his 

 most interesting narrative — 



I never before had an opportunity of observing how water is 

 procurotl from the belly of a camel to satisfy the thirst of an 

 almost perishing kaffle.* It is the false stomach which contains 

 the water and undigested food. This is strained through a cloth, 

 and then drank ; and from those who have been under the neces- 

 sity of making use of the beverage, I learn that the taste is bitter. 

 As the animal had recently drank, its stomach was nearly full. 



The sailor, whose love of adventure had induced him 

 to make a land voyage, and who suffered accordingly 

 (for, though full of resources, he must have been very much 

 like a fish out of water — a salmon on a gravel walk, for 

 instance), amused himself by making observations on the 

 skin and skeleton of the defunct ; and which way do you 

 think his thoughts went ? Naturam expellas, &c. ; but 

 you may be sure of the recurrence : why, in planning a 

 boat out of the remains. He found that a most excel- 

 lent contrivance might be made from them for the pur- 

 pose of crossing rivers, the back -bone being used as the 

 keel and the ribs as timbers. The formation of the chest 

 of the camel struck him as being like nothing so much 

 as the prow of a Portuguese beancod, or fishing-boat ;-f- 

 and, with the frankness of a sailor, he adds that it was 

 in consequence of hearing the Arabs always calling it 

 ' markab,' or ship, that the idea first occurred to him. 



Ship, indeed ; never was metaphor more true. 

 Launched upon the sandy ocean, where the compass is 



* Caravan. 

 t Phaselus ille quern videtis hospites. — (Catullus.) 



G 



