40 Q^U ADRUPEDS. 



armies upon earth might be loft in purfuit of a flying fquadron mounted 

 on camels. 



The camel is cafily inftrufted in the methods of taking up and fup* 

 porting his burthen ; their legs, a few days after they are produced, are 

 bent under their belly ; they are then loaded, and taught to rife; their 

 burthen is daily infenlibly increafcd. Equal care is taken in making 

 them patient of hunger and thirft : while other animals receive their 

 food at fta:ed times, the camel is reftrained for days together, and thefe 

 intervals of fcarcity are increafcd in proportion as the animal feems capa- 

 ble of fuftaining them. 1 heir ftomach is admirably formed by nature 

 for long abftinence : befides the four ftomachs, common to animals that 

 chew the cud (and the camel is of the number), it has a fifth ftomach, 

 which fervcs as a refervoir, to hold a greater quantity of water than the 

 animal has immediate occafion for. Here the fluid remains without 

 corrupting, or being adulterated by other alim.ents : when the camel 

 finds itfelf thirily, it throws up a quantity of this water by a fimple con- 

 tradlion of the mufcles, into the other ftomachs, and thus macerates its 

 food. 



In Turkey, Pcrfia, Arabia, Barbary, and Egypt, all commerce is 

 carried on by camels. Merchants and travellers unite in a body,' to 

 fecure them.felves from robbers. This aflemblage is called a caravan ; 

 fometimes conHfting of above ten thoufand perfons, and the number of 

 camels often greater. Thefe animals are loaded according to their 

 llrength, and of this each is fo fi^nftble, that when overloaded, he re- 

 mains on his belly, refufing to rife, till his burthen be leflTened. Large 

 camels are capable of carrying a thoufand weight, and fometimes twelve 

 hundred; the dromedary from fix to kven. In trading journeys, they 

 feldom go above thirty, or five and thirty miles a day. Every evening, 

 when they arrive at a ixage, which is ufually fome fpot of verdure, they 

 feed at liberty, and eat as much in an hour, as will fupply them for 

 twenty foui ; they prefer poarfe weeds, the thiftle, nettle, cafia, and 

 other prickly vegetables ; but their drivers fupply them with balls of 

 mea^, of barley, or beans, as more perm.anent nourifhment. Thefe 

 animals, h-^ving often gone the fame track, are faid to know their way 

 precifely, even when their guides are bewildered. When they come 

 wirhin -4 few miles of their baiting-place, in the evening, they faga- 

 cioufly incjreafe their fpeed, and often trot with vivacity to their ftage. 

 They can difcover water by their fcent at half a league diftance, and 

 )vill haUca towards it, long beforp their driyers perceiye it. They are 

 J ' . , ' ' _..-.... , . enlivened 



