FLESH FOOD FROM MAMMALS. 123 



Flesh of the Camel tribe. — Camels are less numerous 

 than other domestic animals, and are limited to a few 

 countries. Their flesh is not so generally eaten as that 

 of other animals. In the north of Africa there are very- 

 many camels. Algeria has about 200,000, Tunis probably 

 half as many. In Central Asia and parts of India there 

 are large numbers ; the Punjaub possesses about 130,000. 

 Wild camels are met with occasionally in troops about 

 Lake Lobnon in Asiatic Russia. Their flesh, which is 

 fat in autumn, is eaten by the natives. 



The flesh of the camel was eaten both by the Greeks 

 and Persians. Heliogabalus had camel's flesh and 

 camel's feet served up at his banquets, and by the Arabs 

 the flesh of the young dromedary is considered equal to 

 veal. The natives of Africa esteem camel's flesh more 

 than that of any other animal, but in other quarters it is 

 not held in equal favour, being considered hard and un- 

 savoury and little esteemed even by the Tartars. They 

 however use the hump cut into slices, which dissolved 

 in tea serves the purpose of butter. In Barbary the 

 tongues are salted and smoked for exportation to 

 Italy and other countries, and they form a very good 

 dish. 



Alpaca Tribe. — The flesh of the alpaca of South 

 America is but little inferior to mutton, and it yields 

 about three or four times the weight of flesh that a 

 sheep does. The meat of the fawn is best and most 

 delicate, but it is used sparingly, the principal object 

 being the wool. The flesh of all the tribe, either fresh 

 or dried, affords a wholesome meal. That of the wild 

 guanaco is the best of the class and is highly esteemed. 

 The flesh of the vicuna, salted and dried under the name 

 of " charqui," is eaten, but is not generally considered so 

 good as that of its congeners the- guanaco and alpacfa. 

 Opinions on this point however seem to differ, some con- 

 sidering the flesh of the vicuna equal to venison. 



The giraffe is hunted in Kordofan chiefly for its flesh ; 

 that of the young is said to be very delicate. The 

 Hottentots in Southern Africa used to hunt the animal 



