xxvir CONCLUSION 449 



from this terrible mortality. The few weeks between Korti and 

 Metemma in the Soiulan expedition were sufficient to disable all 

 the transport animals. 



I have had a long experience in desert travelling, and I strongly 

 advise (whenever possible) the hire of camels with their owners, 

 instead of purchase. If it is absolutely necessary to buy, the 

 greatest care must be directed to their backs, and all those should 

 be rejected which exhibit old scars of healed sores, as these are 

 almost certain to break into wounds after a few weeks' hard work. 



The camel-saddles must be rigidly inspected. These should be 

 stuffed with rice-straw, or other tough material that has not been 

 broken by thrashing, but simply the heads cut off the stalks. A 

 thick padding stuffed with wool (not cotton) should be next the 

 back. The saddle must be arranged so that, when loaded, it is 

 quite 3 inches clear of the hump. 



It should be remembered that extra stuffing is required, as the 

 animals are sure to lose a certain amount of flesh, in which case, 

 the saddle which fitted at the start will become too large. If 

 once a sore is established during a long expedition, the camel is 

 doomed. The pain exhausts the poor animal ; it ceases to feed, 

 and quickly becomes a mere skeleton, then dies. Marching 

 throughout the night should always be avoided, as nothing dis- 

 tresses both men and animals so much as an interference with the 

 natural hours of food and rest. 



If the bugle sounds at 2.30 A.M. the camels will be loaded and 

 the march commence at 3.30. They should continue until 11 A.M. 

 This will be 7J hours, which at 2| miles an hour will complete a 

 march of about 17 miles. This arrangement affords seven hours 

 of daylight for the tired camels to graze ; they should be given 

 about 2 Ibs. of dhurra (sorghum) each before the bivouac for the 

 night ; the saddles being arranged close to their respective camels, 

 to prevent confusion in the early morning, or retained upon their 

 backs should the night be cold. If it is necessary to make forced 

 marches, the same hours of starting and marching may be observed, 

 but an extra two hours' march may be added from 4 till 6. This 

 will add 4| miles, making 21J during the day. During the 

 hottest time of the year I generally managed in this manner 

 between the Nile and the Red Sea, but the desert being good, we 

 made better speed, doing 2i- instead of 2 per hour. 



It must be remembered that the camel, if a real desert animal, 

 will march in the hottest season three days without requiring 

 water. During the kharif, or winter, it will march six or seven 

 days without drinking. The camels must be taken to the water 



2 G 



