THE CAMEL. 181 



and your servant? are terrific giants and genii, that come with 

 smoke, and lightning, and thunder, and go as storm goes when 

 they depart." 



The camel's area of servitude is a wide one, embracing Arabia, 

 Persia, India, all the country from North Tartary to the confines 

 of China and the coast of the Persian Grulf; the Canary Islands, 

 and a large portion of Africa, from the Mediterranean to the 

 equator, and from the Eed Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. 



In the sixth century the animal was frequently used in Gaul, 

 and the Moors, while ruling in Grrenada, introduced it into Spain. 



In recent days both the American and the Australian Govern- 

 ments tried to naturalize it in their countries, but so little success 

 attended their ventures that they were practically failures. 



Why this should be so does not appear, for in certain countries 

 of South America, and in many parts of Australia, they ought to 

 thrive and be profitable. In 1856 the newspapers of Texas spoke 

 in a most favourable manner respecting the experiment of intro- 

 ducing the animals into their state. A writer from Indianola 

 remarks : " It has become quite a common sight to see camels and 

 dromedaries marching through our streets. The camels are now 

 employed in carrying Government freight from Powder Horn to 

 the depot. They carry the enormous weight of 1600 lbs., and 

 with the greatest ease. The sight of them stampedes all the 



horses and mules that come within sight of them A horse 



at a brisk trot can scarcely keep up with the camels when in a walk. 

 They apparently go slowly, with their long and measured tread, 

 but in reality they are moving along rapidly. The dromedaries, 

 with the riders and gorgeous trappings, move along at a brisk 

 trot at the rate of 100 miles a day." Lieut. Beale, in his explo- 

 ration from New Mexico to the Colorado river, reports enthusiasti- 

 cally about the service the camels rendered. He says also that 

 he did not find any diflaculty in making them swim, for " they not 

 only swam with ease," he writes, " but in this particular, as in 

 others, they seemed to outdo the horses and mules." Sir Charles 

 Wilson, in describing the camels crossing the river, when he was 

 making his way to Khartoum, says they swam readily enough, 

 but their heads had to be supported to prevent them drowning. 



