Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-05-27

And o heaves In sight the I'M
changed quintessence OF 0rientalism-a
camel in use, in his native setting, and
not a %meBagerie. There is a line of
them, loaded with buildiug.stones. weari-
ly stumbling along. The long, Bonded
neck apes humility, but the supercilious
nose in the air expresses perfect CON
tempt for all modern life. The contrast
of bis naughty stuck-up-ativeness lit is
necessary to coin this word to express
the eameps ancient c%onceit) with the
royal ugliness of the brute, is both awe
inspiring and amusing No human royal
family dare be uglier than the camel.
de is a mass of bones, faded tufts,
humps, Jumps, splay joints and %callosi-
ties. His tail is a ridiculous wisp, a
failure as an ornament or a fy-orush.
bis feet are simply big sponges. For
skin covering he has patches of old buff
falo robes, faded and with the hair worn
of. His voice is more disagreeable than
his appearance. With a reputation for
obedience, he is snappish and vindietive.
His endurance is over. rated-that is to
say, he dies like a sheep on an expedi-
ton Of any length if he is not well fed.
His gait moves every muscle like an
ague. And yet this ungainly creature
carries its head in the air, and regards
the world out OF his great brown ayes
with disdain. The Sphinx is not more
placid. He reminds me, | don't know
why, Of a pyramid. He has a resem-
blance to a palm-tree. 1t is impossible
to make Egyptian picture without him.
What a Hapsburg lip he hasl Ancient,
royal? The very pulse Of his head says
plainly, i have ZONE out OF the dim past
before history was. The Deluge did not
touch me l saw Menes come and 90.
| helped Shoioo build the greet pyramid.
| knew Egypt when it had no obelisk nor
temple. | watched the slow building of
the pyramid at Sakkara. Did | not trans
port the fathers of your race across the
desert2 There are three of US: The te-
palm, the pyramid and myself. Every
thing else is modern. Go tor e " "
Authorities differ in regard to the dis
tinction between the camel and drome-
Diary. Some cay there are no camels in
Egypt; that they are all dromedaries,
having one b ump; and that the true
camel is the BactriaH, which has two
humps. 1t is customary here, however,
to call those camels which are beasts OF
burden, and those dr~omedaries which are
trained to ride, the distinction being that
between the cart-horse and the saddle
horse. The camel rebels against the
saddle; he roars all the time it is being
secured on him; and when he is forced
to kneet not seldom he breaks away
from his keen and shambles of into
the desert. 2 Use of the drivers is
little less 1 roar of the beasts;
and with tn nair, shaggy breasts
and bare leS are not less barba-
rous in appearance, Mounting the camel
is not difficult but it has some sweet sur
prises for the novice. The camel lies
upon the ground with all his legs shut up
under him like a j ack-knite. You seat
yourself in the broad saddle, and cross
your legs in front of the pommel, Be
fore you are ready, something like a pri-
vate earthquake begins under you, The
camel raises his headquarters suddenly,
and throws you over upon his neck; and
before you recover from that, be straight
tens up bis knees and gives you a Jerk
over bis tail; and while you are not at
all certain what has happened, be begins
to move off with that dislocated walk
which sets you into a see'saw motion
a weaving backwards and forwards in
the capacious saddle. Not having q
hinged back fit for this movement. you
lash the beast with your koorbash to
make him change his gait. He is moth
ing 10th to do it, aud at once starts into
a high trot, which sends you a foot into
the air at every step, hobs you from side
to side, drives your backbone into your
brain, and makes castsnets Of your teeth.
Capital exercise. When you have had
enough of it, you pull up, and hunlbly
inquire what is the heather method Of
riding a dromedary. 1t is simple enough.
Shake the loose halter rope The has
neither bride nor bit) against his neck
as you swing the whip, aud the animal
at one swings into an easy pace that
is, a pretty easy pace, like that Of a
rocking-horse. But everything depends
upon the camel. | happened TO mount
one that was a pleasure to ride after l
brought him to the proper gait. We
sailed along over the smooth sand, with
level keel, aud Though the expression is
not nauticaD on cushion feet. But IL is
hard work for the camel, this constant
planting of his spongy feet in the yield
ing sand"