No. IT. THE CAMEL. 



^^HE ;:iace ot the horse is supplied, and more 

 than supplied, in the East by the Camel, the 

 ' Ship of ihe Desert,' as the Arabs poetically term it, 

 whose structure is singularly adapted to the nature of 

 the country which it has to traverse. A horse could 

 not pass through the sandy deserts, beneath the fierce 

 heat of a tropical sun, bearing the heavy load of the 

 camel, and dispensing almost entirely with food and 

 water, especially the latter, for days together ; and 

 would, in fact, find it by no means easy, even if en- 

 tirely unencumbered, to make its way through the 

 treacherous soil, in which it would sink for several 

 inches at every step. But the camel has evidently 

 been constructed with an especial view to the exi- 

 gencies of the desert traffic, and can therefore perform 

 work which would be quite impossible to any other 

 animal. 



There are two species of camel, the chief of which 

 is the true camel of Arabia, bearing one hump only 

 upon its back. This is the animal most in use as a 

 beast of burden. The second species, the Bactrian 

 camel, or Mecheri, which possesses a second hump, 

 is almost entirely used for riding purposes. 



Now, when we consider the nature of the soil over 

 which the Arabian camel has to pass, it is evident 

 that there must be some provision in the foot of the 

 creature in order to enable it to find a firm foothold. 

 So, instead of the single hard hoof which is found in 

 the horse, the foot of the camel is provided with two 



