176 THE CAMEL 



more so when you have to contend against impossi- 

 bilities, with only careless ignorant men to assist you. 

 Suleetahs are better than nets in wet weather, but (1) are 

 heavier, and (2) wear out quicker. In these cases 

 particularly always be most careful to look to the 

 girthing of the saddles. This is a frequent source of 

 sore backs and sides, and in addition a source of extra 

 trouble and work. If the girths are loose, and the 

 camel badly loaded, the odds are that before he gets 

 a few hundred yards from the camp, saddle, load, and 

 all will come off, not, however, before it has given him 

 a rub or two. Even with the Aden drivers above 

 alluded to I had the greatest bother on this very 

 account. In the cold of the early mornings they were 

 so torpid that, good drivers as they were, a great deal 

 of supervision was required to get them to girth up 

 the saddles properly. But this is nothing when you 

 are accustomed to it. 



Fatigue With soldier fatigue parties one's whole time is 



taken up in showing them what to do, and how to load. 

 They know nothing about a camel and care less, though 

 on him depends everything all their creature comforts, 

 food, clothing, and shelter. They are more or less 

 afraid of him, and when they get the chance will ill- 

 treat him. As to when he gets to his destination and 

 how, whether whole or battered and bruised, they are 

 quite callous. Even if it so happens that the selfsame 

 soldiers are going to accompany the convoy they take 

 little more trouble, and then only, probably, if the stores 

 in question belong to their own particular corps or com- 

 pany. They do not know how to load, either from 

 ignorance of the bad effects, or callousness, or both, 



