190 THE CAMEL 



hardly point out that the advantages gained by tying 

 a few in a string, as compared with a lot, sink into 

 insignificance besides those of the driving system, and 

 that these remarks apply to it, only with far greater 

 force and emphasis. 



what to In all difficult places, such as a steep ascent or 



cult places declivity, or a very narrow rocky defile, camels, if tied 

 in strings, must be untied, and led one by one until 

 the obstacle is surmounted or passed ; and in a place 

 of this kind, the narrower the defile, the greater must 

 be your care to avoid a block, which only leads to 

 unnecessary delay and confusion, and this is bound to 

 ensue if you fail to untie your camels. This is another 

 strong argument in favour of driving them, for a great 

 saving of time and trouble is effected in not having to 

 constantly tie and untie them when moving over hilly 

 and broken country. Last, but by no means least, the 

 animals have greater freedom, are less harassed and 

 fatigued, can pick up a certain amount of food on 

 the road, require fewer drivers half the number, in 

 fact and altogether are more manageable and more 

 easily supervised. 



Moral After due and deliberate consideration, I have 



arrived at the conclusion that driving is infinitely 

 preferable to leading camels, not only on account of 

 the advantages already enumerated, but because the 

 immense importance, in a transport sense, of having 

 fewer followers to feed, and in a military sense to pro- 

 tect, cannot be overlooked. And if the ills of the 

 animal and his general welfare all round are matters 

 of indifference to us, and if the other advantages to be 

 gained will not move us to adopt the better system, 



