Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-07-24
Loading the Camel

returned to this souotrv after living many years
10 the East ''the camel is used fully as much as
the elephant as beast Of burden. He is not
80 powerful as the elephant, but he can carry
~ enormous load on his back. He does not
do so willingly, however, and is by no means
the patient, doce servant that the elephant
soon btc,mes utd.r proper training. When l
first went to India So young man / was cou-
neoted with mercantile firm 10 the northeast
provinces, aud while there | had abundant op-
portunity of studying the camel, for means of
carriige in that part Of the country those
days was cop6ned to elephants, c,mes. bullocks
and men. Horses were not used as beasts of
burden. Every dav camels and elephants were
driven up to our offc, door and loaded with
wine and beer cases for far away customers.
The elephant would 20 c'umSily down on his
great knees and allow himself to be loaded until
ne was crushed to the earth beneath the
weight Of bis load had his driver seen 6t to pile
Oh the BIKES. But the csmels r, living their
burdens was spectacl, never to be forgotten.
They never vari d in their behavior, and every
one that ever saw loaded-snd | have seen
thousauds-acted in pr cisely the same manner.
"The camel, when be i, not eating or drink
ing or being loaded, ia invariably chewing the
cud. His long, crooked jaw is 10 perpetual mo.
ton, and when he is told to lie down to re-.
ceive bis burden be does so without vary
iug this inoessant mssticatory process. He
aWkwardly bends bis fore knees, drags his hind
legs under him, aud comes to the ground With
curious kind of flop. All this time his long,
melancholy face shows not the slightest indics.
ton that he knows what be is lying down Tor;
aud this uomistakable hypocrisy, l think, stamps
the camel as an animal Of very high order of
intellect. But in few seconds the expression
% the canals fac, undergoes q striking alter.
alton. As he sees the driver approaching him
with box Oh his shoulder be seems at last to
understand the indignity and torture to which
be is about to be submitted, aud the astonish.
ment, virtuous Indignation and DISNEY on the
i'll used animals oountenanos ought certainly to
mako some impression on the stony heart of the
driver. They uever have the slightest effect.
The man binds the first box on the wretched
animals back, and goes away to get another
Then tho camel, wisely sbandoniog his efforts
to move man to compassion points bis hairy
nose upward, and howls his wrong to the
skies.
Never 10 circus. pantomime or show have I
s.en anything halt so ludicrous as the oamel's
| appearance at that moment. His upper lip is
up and drops down az though he had no turth.
er use for it, his great mouth orens 80 wide that
one can see about halt yard down bis throat.
and out of the cavern thus revealed comes
| series of the most astonishing howls that ever
| startled the air-hoWls OF such abject mis-
cry that it is difficult to avoid the con.
cusion that the caues heart is breaking;
! and the impression is strengthened BY
the tears that flow copiously down the
waiing animals elongated cheeks and drip from
the end of his nose. 10 the utterancs of each
cote of Wos the camel seem, to be eX ,rtng the
utmost power of his lungs, but he is oil the
tine holding large force 10 reserve, aud ss the
driver adds box after box to the pile on his
back, howl more resonant and heart,rendiug
than the last testi6.s to each addition to the
creature misery; and never. t1,ept when he
is absolutely engaged 10 trumpeting bis agonies
into space, are the great wstery eyes Of the
camel removed from the person of his persecu.
| tor; they follow wherever he goes, aud express.
| through their tears, contempt, indignation, az.
| been this extraordinary habit on the part of the
| ship Of the desert that gave rs, to the we'll
| kuoVn expression: It's the last straw that
breaks the came's back Blu, the stern E,st.
ern driver ha, DO fear of any such catastrophe,
and piles up the load until it reaches almost the
proportions of 90 elephants burden. Theu,
the cases being bound fast with ropes. the
camel is told to rise, aud the aniusl, feeling
that he has consocntiously done his whole duty
by entering bic protest at every sage of tho
work, c,ntentedy accepts the unavoidable re-
suit, stops his tears, suppress bis cries, gets
up on his feet, and resumiug bis occupation of
chewing the cud, is ready for the weeks march
that usually lies before him"