The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-07-17
Ghinas Abroad.
LOADING THE CAMEL.

LOADING THE CAMEL.
PeculiAnties in His Behavior in Striking
Contrast to the Elephant.
"In India, said gentleman who re-
Gently returned to this country, after liv-
ing many years in the East, 'the camel is |
used fully as much as the elephant as a
beast Of burden. He is not SO powerful as
the elephant, but he can carry an enor-
nous load on his back. lie does not do
50 willingly, however, and is by no means
the patient, docile servant that the ele-
phant soon becomes under proper treat
ment. When first went to India as a
young man was connected with a mer-
camille firm in the northwest provinces,
and while there l had abundant opportu-
nifty for studying the camel, for means Of
carriage 10 TINT part Of the country in those
days was confined to elephants, eamels,
bullocks, and men. Horses were not used
as beasts Of burden. Every day camels
and elephants were driven up to our Office
door and loaded with wine and beer cases
for far-away customers. The elephant
would go clumsily down on bis greatness
and allow himself TO be loaded without an
indication Of discomfort. | have no doubt
that he would have permitted himself to
be loaded until he was crushed to the earth
beneath the weight Of his load, had his
driver seen fit to pile on the boxes. But
the camels receiving their burdens was
spectacle never to be forgotten. They
never varied in their behavior aud every
one that / ever saw loaded, and | have
seen thousands, acted in precisely the same
manner.
"The camel, when he is not eating or
drinking or being loaded, is invariably
chewing the cud. His long, crooked jaw,
is in perpetual motion, and when be is told
to lie down to receive his burden he does
so without varying this ineessant mastica-
tory process. He awkwardly bends his
fore knees, drags his hind legs under him,
and comes to the ground with a curious
kind Of flop. All this time, his long, mel
ancholy face shows not the slightest indi.
cation that he knows what he Is lying
down for; and this unmistakable hypocrisy
think, stamps the camel as an animal Of
a very high order Of intellect. But in q
few seconds the expression on the camel's
face andergoes a striking alteration. Al
he sees the driver approaching him with q
box on his shoulder, be seems at last tC
understand the indignity and torture t.
which he is about to be submitted, and th,
astonishment, virtuous Indignation ant
dismay on the illused animals counte
nance ought certainly to make some i'm
preston on the stony heart Of the driver
They never have the slightest effect Tn
man binds the first box on the wretche,
animals back, and goes away TO get an
other Then the camel, wisely abandon
ing his efforts to move man to compassion
points his hairy nose upward, and howl
his wrong to the skies.
"Never in circus, pantomime or shol
have | seen anything half so ludicrous a
the camefs appearance at that moment
His upper lip is curlcd back from tn
teeth, his under lip doubles up and drop
down as though he had no further use fc
it, bis great mouth opens 50 wide that on
can see about halfa yard down his throa
and out Of the cavern thus revealed come
u series of the most astonishing hoWls thS
ever startled the air--howls Of such abjeC
misery that il is difficult to avoid the cor
ol,...,. A.. tl,o .oxo.lie hao-t 20 b.oa L :,
and this impression is strengthened by th
tears that flow copiously down the wRilin
animals elongated cheeks and drip fror
the end of bis nose. Ia the utterapee c
each note of woe the camel seems to b
exertiBg the utmost power Of his lungs, bu
he is all the time holding large force il
reserve, and as the driver adds box afte
box TO the pile on bis back, howl NOR
resonant and heart-rending than tho las
teslifes to each addition to the creature
misery; aud never, except when he is at
solutely engaged in trumpeting his agonie
into space, are the great watery eyes 0
the camel removed from the person Of hi
prosecutor; they follow him wherever h
goes, and express through their tears con
tempt, indignation, astonishment and dis
may. think. il must have been this OK
traordinary habit on the part Of the "shil
Of the desert" that gave rise to the well
known expression dts the last stral
that breaks the camel's back But tn
eastern driver has no fear Of any such ca
| tasfronha and niles nm the load unlil !