fUE CAMEL. 331 



General docility Revenge of injuries. 



at the command of the conductor, the animals 

 instantly bend their knees. If any disobey, they 

 are immediately struck with a stick, or their 

 necks are pulled down; and then, as if con- 

 strained, they utter a groan of complaint, put 

 their bellies on the earth, and remain in that pos- 

 ture till they are ordered to rise. When heavily 

 laden, they are capable of crossing the deepest 

 and most rapid rivers, and it is very rarely that 

 any accident happens to themselves or their 

 riders in the attempt. If overburdened, they give 

 repeated blows with their heads to the person 

 who oppresses them, and sometimes utter the 

 most lamentable cries. 



Notwithstanding their natural mildness and 

 docility, camels are extremely sensible of injus- 

 tice and ill-treatment, and invariably retain the 

 remembrance of an injury till an opportunity 

 offers for gratifying their revenge. Eager, how- 

 ever, to express their resentment, they no longer 

 retain any rancor, when once they are satiated ; 

 and it is even sufficient for them to imagine they 

 have satisfied their vengeance. Accordingly^ 

 when an Arab has excited the rage of a camel, 

 he throws down his garments in some place near 

 which the animal is to pass, and disposes them 

 jn such a manner that they appear to cover a 

 man sleeping under them. The animal recog^ 

 nizes the clothes, seizes them in his teeth, shakes 

 them with violence, and tramples on them in a 

 rage. When his. anger is appeased, he leaves 

 ft .* ft 



