138 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



mity or illnefs : Six or eight Camels are yoked together 

 in a row ; and a number of tent poles are placed in pa- 

 rallel lines upon their backs: Thefe are covered with 

 carpets ; and bags of corn are fuperadded to bring the 

 floor to a level, as well as to foften the harmnefs of the 

 Camels' movements : Other carpets are then fpread ; and 

 the travellers fit or lie down with the moft perfect eafe. 

 — The general food of the Camels is fuch only as their 

 nightly pafture affords ; and is frequently confined to the 

 hard and thorny fhrubs of the defert, where a fullen kind 

 of vegetation is created by the rains of the winter, and 

 fuftained by the dew that defcends in copious abundance 

 through all the remainder of the year. 



But the peculiar and diftinguifhing characteriftic of 

 the Camel is, its faculty of abstaining from water for a 

 greater length of time than any other animal ; for which 

 Nature has made a wonderful provifion, in giving it, be- 

 fides the four ftomachs which it has in common with 

 other ruminating animals, a fifth bag, ferving as a refer- 

 voir for water, where it remains without corrupting or 

 mixing with the other aliments. When the Camel is 

 prelTed with thirft, and has occafion for water to mace- 

 rate its food while ruminating, it makes part of it pafs 

 into its ftomach, by a fimple contraction of certain muf- 

 cles. By this lingular ftructure, it can take a prodigious 

 quantity of water at one draught, and is enabled to pafs 

 feveral days without drinking ; Leo Africanus fays fif- 

 teen. — Camels can difcover water by their fmell at half 

 a league's diftance ; and, after a long abftinence, will 

 haften towards it, long before their drivers perceive 

 where it lies. 



The feet of the Camel are peculiarly adapted to the 

 foil on which he treads. On moid or llippery ground, 



