THE CAMEL. SOI 



as to be named Tong-kyo, or camels with feet of wind. 

 Morgan notices one of these swift camels in his history 

 of Algiers. It belonged to the Princess Leila Oumane, 

 and was so greatly valued by her, that she never sent it 

 forth, but on some extraordinary occasion, or when the 

 greatest expedition was required. This creature would 

 hold on its rapid course for twenty-four hours, without 

 showing the least fatigue, and then, having swallowed one 

 or two balls of a kind of paste composed of barley-meal 

 and dried dates, with a bowl of milk or water, it would 

 seem quite refreshed, "and be ready to continue running at 

 the same incredible rate for as many hours longer, from 

 one end of the African desert to the other. On the mar- 

 riage of the princess's only daughter, this favorite white 

 dromedary was brought forth. It was mounted by an ex- 

 perienced rider, tightly laced in a strong leather jacket, for 

 so violent is this kind of exercise that were he to be 

 loosely clothed, the unremitting agitation would severely 

 injure him. The noble creature was once raced against 

 some of the fleetest coursers that ever scoured the desert, 

 so fleet that they could run down an ostrich, but they were 

 soon distanced, till at length the dromedary was seen flying 

 towards the spectator with amazing velocity, and in a very 

 few moments was among them, without the slightest ap- 

 pearance of fatigue, while the horses foamed and panted, 

 and seemed scarcely able to breathe. There was also a 

 fleet greyhound which had followed and kept pace the 

 whole time, but was no sooner returned than she too lay 

 down and panted, as if ready to expire. The young 

 princess challenged their new brother-in-law to lay his 

 bride a wager of one thousand ducats that the camel could 

 not bring him an answer to a letter from the Prince of 

 Hargala in less than four days. This chieftain resided at 

 no less than four hundred miles distant. But the Bey, 

 who was a native of Biscara, would not accede to the 

 proposal, and several Arabs who heard the conversation, 



