cii. XXII.] The Camel Defended. 153 



camels, such tears as people shed who dismiss good 

 servants on reducing their establishment. These 

 honest animals had done everything required of 

 them without complaining, T had almost said with- 

 out a word. It makes me angry, remembering the 

 docile affectionate beasts they were, to read such 

 rubbish as travellers write about the evil disposition 

 of their race. A certain writer, for instance, who 

 ought to know better, devotes a page or two of his 

 book on Arabia to an essay on the wickedness of 

 the camel's heart, which to one who has had ex- 

 perience of the real creature, uubrutalised by "hard 

 blows" and "downright kicks," is strange to un- 

 derstand. The camel, whatever his faults, is cer- 

 tainly not ill-tempered, and his roaring is as little 

 terrible to any but cockney ears as the lowing of a 

 cow. Eoaring is his manner of si>eech, and need 

 frighten no one. The fact is, the camel alarmed, 

 or overloaded, or overworked, appeals in this way 

 for mercy to his owner, and, if the traveller, annoyed 

 by the noise, will look under the saddle l)efore 

 mounting, he will generally find there just cause for 

 the loud complaints his poor beast makes. A young 

 unbroken camel roars from terror, so does one 

 wounded by the saddle. Many a time I have been 

 made aware by my camel's voice, or by the mute 

 appeal of his face turned to me and nudging my 

 elbow, that the saddle required re-stuftiug, and 

 more than once that it was time to dismount if I 

 did not wish to risk a foil. AYas there ill-temper or 



