THE CAMEL. 



133 



that we have to undergo. We give the driver a 

 signal to release the animal, and our body is now 

 swung in rapid succession backwards, forwards, and 

 again backwards; for the animal first .springs up with 

 the lower part of the fdre-leg (it is far more willing 

 to do this than to kneel), then brings its hind feet, 

 on the stretch, into play, and rears at last quite up- 

 right, while it now raises the lowest portion of its 

 fore-legs, and stands upon the sole. 



"We now find ourselves high above the ground, 

 higher than we have ever ridden before; we 

 shudder when we think upon our helpless condition. 

 If the animal were to become refractory what could 

 we do .' We sit far too high to be able to steady 

 ourselves with the calves of the legs as in riding on 

 horseback. If we sit astride upon the broad saddle, 

 our soles scai'cely touch the ribs ; if we seat our- 

 selves, as is the common plan, with our feet dang- 

 ling down over the neck or over the side of the 

 animal, our position is indeed more comfortable, 

 but is less secure should the awkward case occur in 

 which both saddle and rider are flung off by the 

 violent movements of the camel. The bridle is of 

 no use, since the cord brought round its nose has 

 little influence on the beast however hard it is 

 pulled. The Moslim merely cries, "Tiie name of 

 God on you " (Bismillah Alek), when it turns res- 

 tive or refractory. Such misbehaviour on the part 

 of the animal is fortunately rare, however; were it 

 not so other means of subduing it would have been 

 discovered before now. During its ordinary running 

 pace we are in the greatest security. 



"We find that the angular projections of the 

 wooden part of the saddle on which any part of the 

 body rests are still insufficiently padded, so that we 

 cannot endure to ride for a quarter of an hour, and 

 have to request the driver to let us dismount. He 

 warns us to stick on firmly as in mounting, since 

 the backward and forward shakings are the same, 

 only they occur in reverse order. We can also dis- 

 mount from a standing camel by grasping the pro- 

 jecting bar of the saddle with one hand and sliding 

 down by means of the other on the sloping hind- 

 neck. On remounting, after our seat has been im- 

 proved, we employ the second method for a change. 

 The camel stands, we grasp with one hand that 

 important saddle-bar, the driver forms one step 

 with his back or his hand, the hollow of the animal's 

 neck forms a second, and this being reached we 

 climb as gracefully as we can into the saddle. It 

 is certainly still better to emancipate oneself entirely 

 from the driver, to compel the camel to lower its 



neck, and to get the knee upon this by swinging 

 oneself up with one hand on the saddle-bar, where- 

 upon the animal itself raises both neck and rider, 

 who can now obtain full possession of his seat 

 During the latter operation, however, the animal is 

 again on the march, which makes turning oneself 

 somewhat difficult. A person should likewise learn 

 to make the animal let him down when travelling 

 alone, and how to bring it to the trot, and also how 

 to dismount when on the march. But this belongs 

 to the higher branches of the riding art ; we are glad 

 if we can mount and dismount in any manner with- 

 out damage." — Upper Egypt, by C. B. Klunzinger.] 



The senses of the camel, except that of 

 smell, are obtuse. Their scent, however, is 

 keen enough to guide thirsty animals to 

 water at a distance of several miles. The 

 character of the camel has been very variously 

 estimated. The natives of the East in general 

 exaggerate its good qualities. The Europeans 

 overwhelm it with all kinds of denunciations. 

 To me it appears, when I combine all these 

 different estimates with my own observations, 

 that the camel, like so many other domestic 

 animals, has come to share the character of 

 its masters; it is frugal, patient, and peace- 

 able till the moment when the passion of 

 love comes into play. To all that one tries 

 to get it to do it offers a blind stubborn 

 resistance, accompanied with a deafening 

 bellowing, but at last submits with a patience 

 proof against any trial. Sometimes it is 

 cunning and mischievous, generally it yields 

 only to force, shows no attachment to its 

 keeper, and surrenders itself to all the conse- 

 quences of his actions with passive subjection. 

 To the European, to whom time is money, 

 these qualities are in the highest degree irri- 

 tating and distracting; for the Oriental they 

 are only the reflex of his own mode of action. 

 The camel avenges itself for the bad treat- 

 ment to which it is subjected by all kinds of 

 tricks, which are sometimes contrived with 

 devilish cunning; but except during the breed- 

 ing season, when it becomes intractable, it 

 submits in the end and does all that its master 

 imposes on it, so far as its strength allows. 



