CAMEL. 
73 
exercises his camels. A few days after their birth 
he folds their limbs under their belly, forces them 
to remain on the ground, and in this situation 
loads them with a pretty heavy weight, which is 
never removed but for the purpose of replacing a 
greater. Instead of allowing them to feed at plea- 
sure, and to drink when they are dry, he begins 
with regulating their meals, and makes them gra- 
dually travel long journeys, diminishing at the same 
time the quantity of their aliment. When they 
acquire some strength they are trained up to the 
course. He excites their emulation by the example 
of horses, and in time renders them equally swift, 
and more robust. Thus, by means of the camel, an 
Arabian finds safety in the deserts ; all the armies 
upon earth might be lost in pursuit of a flying 
squadron of this country, mounted upon their ca- 
mels, and taking refuge in solitudes where nothing 
interposes to stop their flight, or to force them to 
wait the invader. 
The largest kind of camel will carry a load of 
1000 or 1 200 pounds weight ; but if the burthen 
imposed upon them happens to be too much for 
their strength they will utter the most lamentable 
cries, and continue lying on the ground till part 
of the load is taken off. Though perpetually op- 
pressed, their fortitude is equal to their docility ; and 
Denon assures us that these patient animals will 
go a whole day with a single feed of beans, which 
they chew for the remainder of the time, either on 
%/ 
their journey or lying down on the scorching sand. 
