THE CAMEL. 291 



kiding camels will carry 250 lbs. thirty miles daily for long periods, 

 their best pace being a "jog" of five to six miles an hour. 



The loads should not be adjusted till just before starting, six hours Tlie loadb 

 being, generally speaking, a sufficient time for the animals to bear their 

 burden at a stretch. 



A halt of ten minutes should be made once during a march of over A halt, 

 ten miles to allow the animals to urinate. This act in the male 

 camel is accomplished very slovvly, the urine being ejected backwards, 

 in a very thin stream, for several minutes at a time. 



Camels are generally tied by their nose ropes to their fellows in front, 

 in strings of three. They should be untied at steep or difficult places, to 

 prevent the chance of these ropes pulling on and perhaps lacerating the 

 nose. 



If there is no hurry and the country permits, it is better to march 

 them loose, on a broad front, and allow them to graze as they go ; but 

 the plan is seldom feasible on military expeditions. 



Crossing ditcJies. — Unless able to stride across, a ditch presents a Cross'ng 

 serious obstacle to the camel, and where steep sided, narrow nullahs are ditches, 

 frequent, portable bridges have been carried to facilitate crossing. These 

 consist of two or three stout planks, with battens, forming a platform 

 about three feet wide and eight to ten feet long. The weight they have 

 to bear, i.e.^ the loaded camel, is 1,500 to 1,600 lbs. They were found 

 nece:,sary in Afghanistan. 



Crossing 7'ivers. — If the stream is not very swift, the camel can ford Crossing 

 to a depth of four feet, and is secure on a shifting sandy bottom, which rivers, 

 his passage renders firmer and more fitted for other animals. 



If obliged, he is a good, strong swimmer, but will not enter the 

 water unless compelled. When out of his depth, only the head is above 

 water, and if not interfered with, he can swim a considerable distance, and 

 has been seen to cross the Nile at Wady Haifa, where the stream is very 

 broad, and the current powerrul. 



Management during halts and in camp. — On arrival at camp the Manage- 

 loads are taken off and the animals sent to graze. There is a consensus ment 

 of opinion that the back should be protected from the sun until it has during 

 cooled down, and with this in view, the saddles are very generally left on. }^ ^^ ^ 

 The camel suffers from cold at night, and unless blankets are provided, 

 the saddles are still kept on during the night. This system is a fruitful 

 cause of sore backs. The skin never gets a chance to recover its tone-, it 

 always has some weight on it, and suffers in consequence. 



The saddle must be taken off for some considerable period daily, 

 if the back is to be kept free from pressure galls. If the weather is cold 

 (b 10948) T 2 



