Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-07-21
African CameIs ana CaDetovn
Horses

African Camels and Capetown
Horses.
The milk of the camel is highly es.
teemed by tAe Arabs as an article of
diet, and is prescribed as a specific in
many cases of disease. Lady Duff Cor
don, who resided several years in Egypt
in the vain hope of recovering from con-
SUMPTION in that mild climate, drank
eamers milk every morning, and derived
a good deal Of temporary benefit from it.
10 her spicy letters home, she thus wrote
Of the novel beverage [: 1t has the merit
Of being quite delicious. | wish | could
send you a jug Of it every morning, such
as | drink; il is better than any other
milk, with thick froth like whipped
cream. The Arabs think it very good
for sick people; and a man called Sheriff
brings his camel here every morning,
and milks her for me; her baby camel
is so funny, he looks all legs and big
black eyes, with soft fluffy, buff eoloredi
hair, and so very little body to such legs.
| wish, too, you could see the camels
have their dinner they are the only
people who use a table-cloth. The camel
driver spreads a cloth on the ground,
and pours a heap of maze (dourra) upon
it, and then old Mr.. and Mrs. Camel sit.
down at the top and bottom, very gravity,
and the others all take their places in
proper order, and eat quite politely,
bowling their long necks up and down;
only n was sulky, and went and had
his dinner by himself, like a naughty
boy, and sometimes, the man said, he.
would not eat at ALL"
When in Capetown, Africa, in one Of her
long journeys after the health that she
never found, Lady Duff Gordon frequent
ly mentioned the wonderful strength and
endurance Of this Eative breed Of horses.
The animals are very s~cantily fed, and,
as no grass grows in the region, their
fodder is restricted to oats, which they
consume straw and all. Often after
hours Of travel the only refreshment
offered the beast is a roll in the dust;
but this really seems to strengthen and
nourish the stought, hardy little quad
rupeds, which are thus described by the
lady from whom we have already quoted:
| could write a volume on Cape horses.
Such valiant little beasts, and so com
posed in temper, | never saw. They
are nearly all bays-a few very dark
gray. | have seen no black, and only
one dark chestnut. They are not cobs,
and look very little Of them" and have
no beauty; but one Of these little brutes,
%ungroomed, halffed, seldom stabbed, will
carry a 81 foot Dutchman 60 miles edsy,
day after day, at a shutting, easy can
ter, 6 miles an hour. You. off saddle
every three hours, and let him roll; you
also let him drink all he can get; his
coat shines aud his eye is bright, and
unsoundness very rare. They are never
properly broke, and the soft-mouthed
colts are sometimes made vicious by the
cruel bits and heavy hands but BY
nature their temper is perfect.
Every morning O.. the horses in the
lvillages are turned loose, and a general
tgallop takes place to, the water tank
: where they drink and lounge a little
and the young ones are fetched home BY
the niggers, while the old stagers know
: they will be wanted, and saunter off by
, themselves. . . . To see a farmer
outspan and turn the team of active
little beasts loose on the boundless veld
to amuse themselves for an hour or two
sure that they will be there, would
astonish you a little; and then to offer 4
: horse nothing but a roll in the dust Il
refresh himself withal
How the cattle live is a standing mar
vel to me. The whole weld common
which extends all over the country jus.
/. clothed with few square miles Of corr
here aud there) is covered with a low
thin scrub about eighteen inches high
called rhenostes-bosch-looking like
/ megre arbor-vite or pale juniper. The
, cattle and sheep will not touch this juicy
Hottentot fig; but under each little bush,
fancy, they crop a few blades of grass,
and on this they keep in very,gnod-cou
/ dition.
. The noble oxen, with their huge horns
y or 10 feet from tip to tip are never
|, led though they work hard, nor are the
sheep.
The horses get a little forage (oats,
straw and all. | should like you to see
eight or ten Of these swift, wiry little
horses harnessed to a wagon-a mere
hat platform on wheels. In front stands
a w~ildlooking H%ottentot, all patches
and feathers, and drives them best pace
all in hand" using a whip like a fish
ing-rod, with which be touches them, not
savagely, but with a skill which would
make an old stsgecoach-man burst with
envy to behold.