CAMEL AND DROMEDARY. 187 



abused, they have as much spirit as docility. At the first 

 sign they bend their legs under their bodies, and kneeling 

 upon the ground, they are loaded, without the trouble of 

 lifting the load a great height, which must happen, were 

 they to stand upright. As soon as 'they are loaded, they 

 raise themselves up again without any assistance or sup- 

 port; and the conductor, mounted on one of them, precedes 

 the whole troop, who follow him at the same pace as he 

 leads. They have need of neither whip or spur, to excite 

 them ; but, when they begin to be fatigued, their conduc- 

 tors support their spirits, or rather charm their weariness, 

 by a song, or the sound of some instrument. When they 

 want to prolong the route, or double the day's journey, 

 they give them an hour's rest ; after which, renewing their 

 song, they again proceed on their way for many hours 

 more ; and the singing continues until they stop. Then 

 the camels again kneel down on the earth, to be relieved 

 from the burden. They remain in this cramped posture, 

 with their belly crouched upon the earth, and sleep in the 

 jnidst of their baggage, which is tied on again the next 

 morning, with as much readiness and facility as it was 

 untied before they went to rest. 



This interesting statement is confirmed by various trav- 

 ellers. We are told by Olearius, that these patient animals 

 rejoice at the harmonious sound of the human voice : and 

 by Marmont, in " L'Afrique," that when the conductor 

 wishes them to perform extraordinary journeys, instead of 

 chastising, he encourages them with a song, and that, 

 though they had stopped, and refused to proceed any fur- 

 ther, they then went cheerfully on, and much quicker than a 

 horse when pushed with the spur. To which we may add 

 the united testimonies of Tavernier and Charbin, who af- 

 firm that they proceed quicker or slower according to the 

 cadence of the song; and that, in the same manner, when 

 their conductors want an extraordinary journey to be per- 



