334 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Education of the camel Unpleasant motion. 



proprietor folds his limbs under his belly, forces 

 him to remain on the ground, and in this situ- 

 ation loads him with a tolerably heavy weight, 

 which is never removed but for a greater. In- 

 stead of feeding at pleasure, and drinking when 

 thirsty, the animal's meals are regulated, and he 

 is compelled gradually to perform long journies, 

 and at the same time to submit to a diminution 

 of food. When he has acquired some strength 

 he is trained to the course, and his emulation is 

 excited by the example of horses, which, in time, 

 renders him not only fleet, but more robust than 

 he would ^therwise be. 



The pace of the camel being a high trot, the 

 rider is obliged to use a saddle which is hollowed 

 in the middle, and has at each bow a piece of 

 wood, placed either upright or horizontally. M. 

 Denon says, that when he was first mounted on 

 one of these animals, he was greatly alarmed lest 

 the swinging motion would have thrown him 

 over its head. He, however, was soon unde- 

 ceived, for, on being once fixed in the saddle, 

 he found that he had only to give way to the 

 motion of the beast, and then it was impossible, 

 to be more pleasantly seated for a long journey, 

 especially as no attention was requisite to guide 

 the animal, except in making him deviate from 

 his proper direction. " It was entertaining 

 enough," says he, " to see us mount our beasts: 

 the camel, who is so deliberate in all his actions, 

 as soon as the rider leans on his saddle, prepara- 

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