248 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



and elsewhere in the Bible, and there are many instances recorded 

 showing how its use has had an important bearing concerning the 

 decision of a battle. Mr. Harold J. Shepstone, in the course of 

 a most interesting paper entitled "The Camel at Home," in The 

 Animal World, writes — 



"We are told that when Jacob fled across the wilds of Mesopo- 

 tamia he ' rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon Camels.' 

 These creatures are among the presents given to Abram by the 

 King of Egypt, and by Jacob to his brother Esau. Joseph is drawn 

 up from the pit, into which he had been cast by his jealous brethren, 

 and sold to a passing caravan of Ishmaelites, who came by ' with 

 their Camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it 

 down to Egypt.' Later on, in the days of the Judges, there was an 

 invasion of the land of Israel by the Midianites and the Amalekites, 

 of whom we are told ' their Camels were without number, as the 

 sand by the seaside for multitude.' 



"Again, in what we may call a border raid by Amalekites in 

 David's day, we find that warrior hero swooping down upon a party 

 of plunderers while they were feasting and exulting over their spoils, 

 not one of them escaping except ' four hundred young men who 

 rode upon Camels.' The long, swinging stride of this desert steed 

 must have carried many a defeated fighter safely out of the battle in 

 ancient days. But where horses were used even his long legs were 

 outmatched, as when, for instance, Zenobia, the warlike Queen of 

 Palmyra, fled from the victorious Romans. Her city having been 

 taken, she mounted her swift Camel and hurried off across the desert 

 sands. But a troop of Roman cavalry espied her and gave chase, 

 and the galloping horses easily came up with the Camel, and she 

 was made captive. 



"But history is replete with instances showing how the use of 

 Camels has decided a battle. When Cyrus fought the rich Croesus 

 he dreaded his enemy's cavalry, so he resorted to a stratagem. He 

 collected his baggage Camels and replaced their loads with soldiers, 

 whom he ordered to advance against the cavalry of Croesus. Behind 

 the Camels Cyrus placed his foot-soldiers, and behind them his 

 cavalry. The stratagem was successful, for when the horses of 

 Croesus saw and smelt the Camels they at once turned tail and 

 bolted. Thus Cyrus won the battle. 



"Speaking of the part the Cancel has played in early history, one 

 writer says t ' The Arabian conquest of North Africa, the rise of 



