130 THE CAMEL 



In fine, after he is certain of the firength, fleet-* 

 nefs, and fobriety of his camels, he loads them 

 both with his own and their food, fcts off with 

 them, arrives unperceived at the confines of the 

 defert, robs the firft paffengers he meets, pillages 

 the folitarv houles, loads his camels with the 

 booty, and, if purfued, he is obliged to accelerate 

 his retreat. It is on thefe occafions that he un- 

 folds his own talents and thofe of the camels. 

 He mounts one of the fleeted *, conducts the 

 troop, and makes them travel night and day, 

 without almoft either flopping, eating, or drink- 

 ing ; and, in this manner, he eafily performs a 

 journey of three hundred leagues in eight daysf. 



During 



and often amufed us with the great fleetnefs of the animal on 

 which he rode. He quitted our caravan to reconnoitre an- 

 other, which was fo diftant that we could hardly perceive it, 

 and returned to us in lefs than a quarter of an hour ; Shaw's 

 travels. — A kind of camels are reared in Arabia for the pur- 

 pofes of the courfe. They trot fo fleetly, that a horfe cannot 

 keep up with them, unlefs at a gallop ; Voyage dc Ckardin, torn. 

 2. p. 28. 



* The dromedaries are fo fleet that they march thirty- five 

 or forty leagues a-day, and continue at this rate for eight or 

 ten days through the defert, and eat extremely little. They 

 are ufed by the Arabs of Numidia and the Lybian Africans 

 as poft horfes, when a long journey is neceflary ; they like wife 

 mount thefe animals in the time of combat ; & dfriqua ds 

 Manual, torn. \. p. 49. — The true dromedary is much lighter 

 and fwifter than the other camels ; he can travel a hundred 

 miles in a day, and continue at the fame rate, acrofs the de- 

 ferts, with very little food, for feven or eight days ; UAfriquc 

 d'Ogilby, p. 12. 



f The dromedaries are fmaller, more (lender, and fleeter 

 . . . than 



