54 THE CAMEL 



the verdure of an oasis as it stands out like an island 

 in the surrounding sea of sand ; so acute is his sense 

 of smell that he can scent far-distant water and fresh 

 or pleasing pasture over a mile off, and more, and to 

 this sense has been attributed the salvation of many a 

 caravan. I cannot contradict these statements from 

 personal observation, as no instance of them has ever 

 come under my notice ; however, as I have just pointed 

 out, the power certainly fails him in the detection of 

 poison and of danger, as I will show in the next chapter. 



Oma- He delights in the jangle of bells, and Orientals 



invariably decorate their camels thus, also with cow- 

 ries (shells) and silver neck and head ornaments, but 

 it is most probably on the principle that, guided by 

 the sound, a herd or string will keep better together. 

 It is interesting to note that this custom is as old, pro- 

 bably, as the date of the domestication of the camel, or 

 very ancient at all events, for when Gideon revenged 

 the death of his brethren on Zebah and Zalmunna, he 

 ' arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away 

 the ornaments that were on their camels' necks,' the word 

 ' crescent ' being used instead of ' ornaments ' in the New 

 Version of the Bible. And when, according to Gideon's 

 request, the Israelites gave up their booty, ' the weight 

 of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand 

 and seven hundred shekels of gold ; beside ornaments, 

 and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings 

 of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their 

 camels' necks.' 



A silent The camel on the whole is a silent beast, but there 



are occasions, when, being loaded or mounted, he 

 gets noisy. His cry is slightly shrill, and inclined to be 



