The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-28


thets Of "dog," and "son Of a dog should ne
have killed one Of their companions, the caravan
| haits, shallow grave Is duR, and the Dodyi WIN
! the head toward Mecca is deposited in it, stter
which a mound is thrown up TO mark the spot.
Sometimes the wind dispcrsos such MOUNDS in
the course Of a few hours, though generally u
/ adds 10 their bulk and elevation by heaping upon
l n en- incessauty fresh particles. In spots where
| there exists any moisture, plants spring up and
! envelOp these heaps with a net work Of tough
| fbrous roots, so that they become permanent,
and serve at distant intervals q designate the
route Of the caravans Bones OF cameis, horses,
| and asses, broken pottery, and empty bottles,
likewise assist for short time 70 instruct the Arab
I In ihc way towurds the Interior, though the o..
cufrence of two or three viO ent sand storms sut-
/ fees 20 obIiteTstc these traces of mans passage
/ through the wilderness.
1 The camel, not being himself sociable, is avcrse
from encouraging sOciAhihty In others 10 Is
| only aitr much toll aud a vigorous appic t'iOn
Of the whip, that this stubborn animal can be
made 10 move in line with individuals Of his own
species, though both IN India aud Africa the
enterprise has been accomplished in the former
country by the creation Of q camel train; in the
latter by accustoming the dromedary 10 military
evolutons-tO charge and retreat in compact
bodies, and Otherwise 10 initiate all the move
mems n cavalry. But your trading camel having
| acquired different habits, FAR exceeds mule ia
ubstnncy when you attempt 70 break through
them he will then oppose TO your will a passive
resistance utterly uncOuqucrable; will Tic down
| " he thinks you have put too much on his back,
him 20 death. To show that this is often
mere crotchet, the Arabs remove two
or three small packets from the load upon which
the animal, no doubt with an inward ChuCkle Of
sutisia ton at having gained the victory, gives a
loud prunt, and rises without perceiylng that,
during the operation, the packages have been
restored. As, however, he believes his load TO
have been lightened, be trudgcs along merrly, Il
so sullcn beast can ever be said to be merry.
But though serious and gloomy, this patient
creature must not be supposed TO be entirely
without sentiment. When kindly treated, when
patted on the shoulder, when gently spoken to,
but more especially when treated TO a song, the
drOmedary will exhibit strong signs of pleasure
in his prominent eye, will turn his long snake
like neck, look at you stcadfstly as II to express
his thanks, and then gaze forth on the outspreag
desert more proudly than before. This dlsposi-
ton we often noticed in a white female camel bid
with young, on which we traversed a portion Of
the Sahara. In form, lightness, and symmetry,
Il was one Of the most delicate of its species,
rising at the top Of the hunch to above eight feet
In height, so that while riding through the streets
Of Cairo we could look into the harems through
the first floor window.
In cities, in fairs, or other much irequented
places, the camel seems habitualy dull but no
sooner does he find himself in the desert than
his spirits return; he snuGs the sweet air; he
looks gladly over the unimpeded landscape, he
feels himself at home, and il his rider be
familiar TO him, he trots brisky away at the rate
OF twelve or thirteen miles an hour without
the least urging. In cases of necessity, he
can, as we have already remarked knock Off
eighteen or twenty miles in the same period
One Of the pleasures Of this mode of travelling
not often noticed is the great height of the
rider from the ground, preserving him from
the fierce heat reflected from the sand, which,
on an ass, or even on a horse, sometimes
scorches the face; but aloft on the camel's
saddle the air is comparatively cool, and rem
dered more so by the swift pace of the animal,
Owing TO the structure of his foot he does not
sink in the sand, but, spreading the sole as he
Hx thn cvrC,o sIar
than 10 gallOp. Although his eye appears
dull, his sight is lODg and piercing; and 10 the
tneness Of the sense Of smelling, Is perhaps ex-
ceeded by no other animal, since he can scent
water, which has scarcely any odor at all, at the
distance of mile and a half or two miles, we
should even say, from observation, that he can
scent il more than twice as far, for, on approach
ing the Nile from the desert, we have known him
voluntarily to quicken his pace at the distance of
four or five miles. The delight impaired by i'm
mense heat, which appears TO confer upon some
individuals sixth sense, will continue during
eight or ten hours, bubbling, seethng, and thrill
ing through the frame like sublime ntoxica-
tiOn; but by degrees WEAKNESS and langnor sue
Ceed, thirst makes itself felt, and the sun mods
towards the west, the eye glances about wistfully
in search OF clump OF palm trees, or a rock, the
usual indications of a fountain. Upon disco
YeIing the well-known signal the dromedary
reRrs his head, turns, gives his rider look of
encouragement and then If not quite subdued
by fatigue, bolts of at full speed. How many
days he go without drinking, has never,
perhaps, been exactly ascertained-in IA the
power Of endurance varies greatly in different
iDdiyiduals-but it has been stated, upon very
good authority, that the dromedary can exist nine
days without water, though exposed the whole
time to heat resembling that Of a furnace. Ii is
certain that when the camel does drink he always
appears 10 be laying In stock for a week or so,
and he has even been known to swallow seven
gallons and half OF water, or thirty quarts, at
one time. This allows three quarts a day for
ten days, which though not sufficient for the thirst
Of so large an animal may yet be enough to keep
him alive Comparative anatomy, which has
INDUCED in legion Of experiments on the
structure Of much inferior animals, has not ex-
tended proper degree of attention TO the camel.
IL has, no doubt, been ascerlained that this
extraordinary creature possesses one stomach
more than other mammalia; but curiosity has not
been sufficiently busy with that immense blad-
der, streaked with sanguine veins, which the
animal sometimes blows out Of its mouth in
spring. In strings Of thirty or forty, we have
noticed, during the greatest heat of the day
majority amusing themselves after this fashion.
On such occasions they will raise their heads,
look around wildly, and then, with strange
offensive noise, draw up the bag from their throats
and blow 1t out inflated to its fullest extent, If
10 cool it by tue touch of the external air. In
few minutes they would suffer it TO collapse and
suck il back with a ruckling noise into their
throats. Is not this bag intended 70 contain, in
addition to the fifth stomach, a supply of fresh
water And is It not in this that travellers, when
compelled to kill their dromedaries 20 preserve
their own lives in the Sahara find the pure trans
parent fluid spoken of on such occasions The
water in the fifth stomach is never, we believe
found upon dissection, 10 be quite clear, but in
some cells little muddy, in Others yellow.
lt Is during sand-storm, or on the approach
of the simoom that the camel displays the most
striking proofs OF sagacity. Before the human
eye can detect the wiitly-spproaching column of
yellow or lurid gas which Instantly strikes dead
al creatures that breathe 1t, the camel dscerns
the danger, and uttering wild roar, turns round
and plunges his nose into the sand The traveller
also, who springs instantly to the earth, presses
his face against the face Of the desert, tightly
closes his lips, and prot ,cts his nosrils with both
hands. What signs of suffering or agitation the
poor dTomedaTy exhibits the traveller is too
much terrified 20 observe but he himself expert
enets throughout his frame, first a quyer-
ing, shooting pain, then a numbness and
paralysis Of all the limbs and vital func-
tions, which, prolonged for many seconds would
be death. But the mysterious vapor which
comes almost like lightning, in the same manner
departs. In many cases the sudden deaih of the
beast and his rider reveals the fatal power of the
simoom; but when they escape with life, the pro-
cess OF reviyIng from the stroke resembles that
experienced by patients after a long illness Ian
guor teeb'eness, prostration Of the whole system,
giddiness OF the head, dizziness of sight partial
loss OF memory, and beWilderment of ideas
Europeans flee 20 brandy as a remedy, the Arabs
70 coffee; while the camel, kneeling as If under q
heavy burden grolns, grunts, and looks ruefully
about upon the waste.
One means Of keeping mp the strength Of this
faithful beast, which seems never 10 have oc-