Ohjevvations &c. 259 



pra6lifed or admired in this Country ; it being accounted very 

 impolite among the yirals to trott and amble. But the; E- 

 gyptian Horfes have defervedly the Preference of all others 

 for Size and Beauty; the fmalleft of which are ufually fixteen 

 Hands high, and all of them fhaped, according to their Phrafe-» 

 iKif el Gazel J!^*^^ ^^] like the Antilppe. 



The Afs and the Mule are the mod hardy Creatures of Bar- The Afs and 

 hary, not requiring half fo much Attendance as the Horfe. The 

 firft is not fo generally trained up for the Saddle at Algiers as 

 at Tunis, where they are frequently of a large Size ; but the 

 Mule is in general Demand at both Places, and preferred to the 

 Horfe for common Ufe and Fatigue. It is certainly furer footed 

 and vaftly ftronger in Proportion. I could never learn that 

 the Mule was prolific; which Notion Tlinj/' and fome other 

 Authors feem to give into. 



To the Mule we may joyn the Kumrahy as, I think, thefer;,,Kumrah. 

 People call a little ferviceable Beaft of Burthen, begot betwixt 

 an Afs and a Cow. That which I faw was fingle hoofed like 

 the Afs, but diftinguiflied from It in all other Refpedts, hav- 

 ing a ileekerSkin, and the Tail and Head (excepting the Horns) 

 in Falliion of the Dam's. 



Yet all thefe are vaftly inferiour to the Camel for Labour 7^^ Camei. 

 and Fatigue. For this Creature will travel four * or five Days 

 together without Water ; and half a Gallon of Beans and Bar- 

 ley, or elfe a few Balls made of the Flower, will nourifh It for 

 a whole Day. This I faw often experienced in our Way to 

 Mount Sinai ; notwithftanding the Burthen of each Beaft was 

 at leaft feven Quintals, and our Days Journey confifted fome- 

 times of ten, fometimes of fifteen Hours, at the Rate of two 

 Miles and an half an Hour. Thefe extraordinary Qualities, are, 

 without Doubt, fufficient Encouragements for the Arals of all 

 Places to keep up and multiply the Breed ; which, I have been 



I Eft in annalibus noftris , pcperifTc fepe ( mulam ) vcrum piodigii loco haljiturr). 

 Thfopbrajius vulgo parere in Cappadocia tradir : fed efTc id animal ibi fui generis. Fl'm. 1. 8. 

 cap. 44. 2 Sjtim & quatrjduo tolerant [Cumcl't ) implcntijrqye, cum bibeqdi pccafjo eft, 

 Sc in praeteritum & futurum, obturbata proculcationc prius aqua: aliter potu non gaudent. 

 Plin. Nat. Hift. I. 8. cap. 18. At the Top ef the fe£o>i4 I'enirUle (of the I^i-omedarv) fhere 

 were feveral fquare Holes, which were the Orifices of about tweiity Cavities , made like Sacks 

 placed between the two. Membranes ivhicb compofe the Subflance of this Venticle. The J lew of 

 thefe Sacks made us think^that they might well be the Reftrvatory's where Pliny |4/i that Camels da 

 tt long time keep the Water, which they do drinks in great yibtittdatice when they meet ivith it, to 

 fupply the Wants which they may have thereof in the dry Deferts, tuhere they are ufed to travel. 

 Memoirs for the Natural Hiftory of Animals &c. by the Academy at Paris. 



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