12б CAMELS LOAD AND RATE OF TRAVEL. 



become unfit for work. The Monofols wash the 

 wounds with brine or the like, and sometimes let 

 their dogs lick them. In summer when flies lay 

 their eggs in the sore, the healing process becomes 

 very tedious. 



Before the departure of the caravan in autumn 

 the camels which have been at grass all summer, 

 and have put on too much flesh, are prepared for 

 work by being fastened by their halters to a long 

 rope stretched along the ground and secured at the 

 ends to two poles driven firmly into the ground. In 

 this way they are kept standing without any food for 

 ten days, or even more,^ only receiving a little water 

 every third or fourth day : this hardens them and 

 takes down their spare flesh. 



The average load of a camel is about 4 cwts., 

 or four chests of tea each weighing i cwt. Entire 

 camels [buruni) can bear 5 cwts., and have to carry an 

 additional fifth chest ; but they are not numerous, and 

 are mostly reserved for the stud, as they are less 

 tractable, and therefore not so serviceable for trans- 

 port, as either geldings or mares. 



The size of the load is not less important than 

 its weight. A large unwieldy pack offers too much 

 resistance to the wind and retards the progress of the 

 animal ; while, on the other hand, a small heavy one 

 injures its back, the pressure being too great in one 

 part of the saddle ; thus more than 2\ cwts. of silver 



' One of our Kalgan merchants assured me that he has kept his 

 camels in this way without food (only watering them every other day), 

 for seventeen days. 



