124 THE CAMEL 



for this is not only the country where they are 

 moil numerous, but where they thrive beft. 

 Arabia is the drieft country in the world, and 

 where water is molt rare. The camel is the moft 

 lober of all animals, and can pafs feveral days 

 without drink *. The foil is almoll: every where 

 dry and fandy. The feet of the camel are adapt- 

 ed for walking on fands, and the animal can- 

 not fupport itfelf on moift and flippery ground f. 



This 



ut eorum pauperrimus decern ad minus camelos habeat : 

 Multique funt quorum quifque quatuor centum ac mille etiam 

 numerare pollit ; Profp. Alpin. btfi. Egypt, pag. 226. 



* Without the aiiiftance of camels, it would be extremely 

 difficult to traverfe the vafl deferts of Solyma, where neither 

 bird, wild beaft, herbage, nor even a mufhroom can be found, 

 and where nothing is to be feen but mountains of fand, rocks, 

 and camel's bones. Thefe animals fometimes pafs fix or fe- 

 ven days without drinking, which I fhould never have belie- 

 ved, if I had not feen the facl verified ; Relation du Voyage de 



Ppncet et Ethiopie\ Lettres Edijiantes, recueil 4. p. 259. In 



going from Aleppo to Ifpahan, by the great defert, we tra- 

 velled near fix days without finding water, which, added to 

 the three preceding, make the nine days I formerly mentioned, 

 during which our camels had no drink ; Voyage de Taverxier, 

 tojn. 1. p. 202. 



f Camels cannot walk upon fat or flippery ground. They 

 are only fit for fandy places; Voyage de Jean Ovington, torn. I. 

 p. 222. — There are chierly two kinds of camels, the one proper 

 for warm countries, the other for cold. The camels of very 

 warm countries, as thofe which come from Ormus, and as 

 far as Ifpahan, cannot walk when the ground is moift and 

 flippery ; for, by the fpreading of their hind legs, they are in, 

 danger of tearing open their bellies : They are fmall, and 

 carry loads of only fix or feven hundred pounds. . . . The 

 camels of colder countries, as thofe from Tauris to Conftan- 



tinople, 



