186 CAMEL AND DROMEDARY. 



of the rock, and after taking a copious draught, I called 

 my companions, who scrambled up, exclaiming with great 

 eagerness; "Where is the water? for heaven's sake, 

 where is the water? Oh, is. it sweet?" 



On leaving the site of this ancient spring, which was a 

 dreary abyss, still more gloomy, if possible, than the face 

 of the desert, our travellers proceeded on its burning sur- 

 face, where no rising of the ground, or rock, or tree, or 

 even' the smallest shrub, arrested or relieved the wander- 

 ing eye. Yet thoughts of joy arose within them while 

 journeying across that dreary solitary waste. "How 

 wonderful," they exclaimed, "is the goodness of Provi- 

 dence in providing a reservoir of pure water to relieve the 

 weary traveller and his camel, in these dry, salt, and tor- 

 rid regions!" and inexpressible was the gratitude they 

 felt to the great Author of their being for having directed 

 their Arab masters to that spot, where their lives had 

 been preserved, and themselves refreshed, by the cool de- 

 licious spring, which seemed kept there by a continual 

 miracle. 



This animal bears about him all the marks of slavery 

 and pain ; below the breast, upon the sternum, is a thick 

 and large callosity, as tough as horn ; the like substance 

 appears upon the joints of the legs. And, although these 

 callosities are to be met with in every animal, yet they 

 plainly prove that they are not natural, but produced by 

 an excessive constraint and pain, as appears from their 

 being ofl^n found filled with pus. It is therefore evident, 

 that this deformity proceeds from the custom to which 

 these animals are constrained, of forcing them, when quite 

 young, to lie upon their stomach with their legs bent un- 

 der them, and in that cramped posture to bear not only the 

 weight of their body, but also the burthens with which they 

 are laden. These poor animals must suffer a great deal, 

 as they make lamentable cries, especially when they are 

 overloaded ; and, notwithstanding they are continually 



