COMPARISON WITH OTHER ANIMALS 299 



They are of two sizes the smaller, drawn by one camel, 

 takes twelve to fourteen passengers, or from 1,200 

 to 1,600 Ib. of goods; the larger one, drawn by two, 

 carries sixteen passengers, or 2,000 Ib. to a ton of 

 goods. Their pace is about the same as when carrying 

 packs ; so that in draught one camel draws about four 

 times as much as he will carry, and in comparison to 

 an ox or mule for drawing heavily laden wagons, one 

 camel will draw twice as much as either. 



We have all through discussed the baggager only, Biding 



camels 



but before concluding I should like to say a few words 

 in favour of the riding camel. Not only is he useful 

 for commercial and postal work, but in maintaining law 

 and order, for police and military purposes, patrolling 

 and flying columns, or fast work of any description, the 

 riding camel would simply be invaluable, and far more 

 suitable and in the end more economical than the 

 horse, especially all over South Africa, where the 

 deadly horse sickness has to be reckoned with. Of 

 course he has drawbacks viz. (1) he is essentially 

 gregarious, and should be ridden in company ; (2) is 

 not nearly so handy as a horse or pony, but though 

 perhaps unwieldy in thick bush, you can see farther off 

 his back ; (3) is unhandy in wet and slippery and 

 soft boggy ground. However, in spite of these, he is a 

 splendid animal for the duties above mentioned. The 

 whole question, I think, hinges upon his proper treat- 

 ment and management ; but even throwing this into the 

 scale, there is no doubt whatever in my mind of the 

 vast superiority of the riding camel over the horse, and 

 the baggager over pack-animals, and the more un- 

 favourable the conditions, the greater the superiority. 



