THE CAMEL. 333 



Importance of the camel to the Arabs. 



weight. The Arabians consider the camel as a 

 gift sent from heaven, a sacred animal, without 

 whose assistance they could neither subsist, traf- 

 fic, nor travel. In possession of their camels, 

 the Arabs want nothing, and have nothing to 

 fear. In one day they can perform a journey of 

 fifty leagues into the desart, which cuts off every 

 approach from their enemies. All the armies in. 

 the world would perish in pursuit of a troop of 

 Arabs. By the assistance of his camel, an Arab 

 surmounts all the difficulties of a country which 

 is neither covered with verdure, nor supplied 

 wdth water. Notwithstanding the vigilance of 

 his neighbours, and the superiority of their 

 strength, he eludes their pursuit, and carries off 

 with impunity all that he ravages from them. 

 When about to undertake a predatory expedi- 

 tion, an Arab makes his camels carry both his 

 and their own provisions. When he reaches the 

 confines of the desart, he robs the first passen- 

 gers who come in his way, pillages the solitary 

 houses, loads his camels with the booty, and, if 

 pursued, he accelerates his retreat. On these 

 occasions he displays his own talents as well as 

 those of the animals. He mounts one of the 

 fleetest, conducts the troop, and obliges them to 

 travel day and night, almost without stopping, 

 eating, or drinking ; and, in this manner, he often 

 performs a journey of three hundred leagues in 

 eight days." 



A few days after the birth of a cninel, his Arab 



