The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-30

stroke resembles that experienced by
patients after long illness-languor,
feebleness, prOstration of the whole
system. giddiness of the head, dimness
of sight. a partial loss of memory and
bewildering of ideas. Foreigners flee
to brandy as a remedy, the Arabs to
coffee. while the camel. kneeling as if
under a heavy burden, groans, grunts
and looks ruefully about upon the waste.
The amble of the camel-a curious
amalgamatiOn of rolling and pitching
simultaneously executed would scarce
| " be eXtOlled by any one accustomed
to the pleasant canter Of good horse,
but it has its advantages. The rider
may sit sideways, backwards or in the
orthodox fashion. with his feet in or out
Of the Stirrups. he may let his legs
dangle carelessly or sit crOss-legged,
after the manner of Turks and tailcTs,
without any fear of his seat or
equanimity being disturbed by the sure
footed beast stumbling, kicking, shying
or boiling. 4 habit rather perpleXing
to the inexperienced camel rider is the
animals propensity for snatching at
dwarf acaciaS and other vegetable deli
cacieS as he wanderS along. But these
slight drawbacks are fully compensated
by the measured regularity with which
he moves. while the elevation enables
the traveller to see all that is to be seen,
and gives him the benefit OF every wei
come breeze that blows. The riding
gear of the dromedary consists of a
large double pad of goats hair cloth,
stuffed with grass or straw. This is
thrown over the back of the animal. A
wooden frame of flat sticks united into
pair OF conical pommels six or eight
feet high is placed on the pad, into
which it settles itself comfortably, the
hump of the camel forming the center
of the apparatus and keeping every
thing in its proper place. Across this
gigantic saddle the saddle bags are
thrown, and the whole covered with
carpets and cushions, until sort Of
pyramid is formed, upon the apex of
which the traveller is perched, his water
bottles, carpet bags and other para
phernalia swinging below. The harness
is completed by halter of goat and
camel hair twisted together passing
around the beasts nose like orr COM
mon stable halter.
The average speed of the ordinary
caravan camels. which are seldom less !
than ten hours and sometimes twenty |
four hours continuously on the march, |
Is about two miles per hour, but the ma |
herrie. or drOmedary, can accomplish |
a much Swifter rate of progression, be- |
ing able to travel seventy miles a day |
horde went from Alexandria to Cairo |
Zone hundred and fifty mileS) in thirty
four hours, and mails have been carried
between Bagdad and Damascus in seven
days, at the rate of SiXty-nine miles per
1iem. Still greater celebrity was at
aimed by Mehemet Ali. when he wished
20 communicate from Cairo with Ibra-
aim Pasha at Antioch. BY adopting
he system of relays the distance of
i've hundred and sixty miles was trav-
srSed in the short space of five days
and a half.
The camel not being himself sociable
S averse to encouraging sociability in
others. 1t is only after much toll and
1 vigorous application of the whip that
his stubborn animal can be made to
move in line with individuals of his own
species, though both in India and
Africa the enterprise has been accom-
the former country by the
creation of camel trains, in the latter
)y accuStOming the dromedary to mill
airy evolutiOns, to charge and retreat in
compact bodies, and otherwise to initiate
Ill the movements of cavalry. But
our trading camel having acquired
different habits far exceeds a mule in
,bStinacy when YOU attempt to break
through them. He will then oppose to
7Our will a passive resistance utterly
Inconquerable; will lie down if he
kinks you have put too much on his
pack. and refuse to rise though YOU
should beat him to death. To show
hat this is often a mere crOtchet, the
Arabs remove two or three small pack
ITS from the load. upon which the
animal, no doubt with an inward chuckle
If satisfaction at having gained the vic
DRY, gives a loud grunt and rises with
)ut perceiving that during the operation
he packages have been restored. As,
however. he believes his load to have
been lightened he trudges along mer-
% be merry. But though serious and
gloomy, this patient creature must not
De supposed to be entirely without sem
iment. When kindly treated, when
)atted on the shoulder, when gently
spoken to, but more especially when
reated to song. the dromcdary will
exhibit strong signs of pleasure in his
prominent eve. will turn round his long
neck, look at you stead
astly, as if to express his thanks, and
hen gaze forth upon the outspread
DESERT more proudly than before.
The load for camel in India is fixed
1y the Government at $50 pounds; in
Arabia it varies from $50 to 400 pounds;
in Persia from 800 to 600 pounds; in
Egypt it averages 800 pounds, while,
according to Tayernier, the Turcoman
eamelS will carry as much as 1900
pounds weight. Where the road is toll
erably good the burden camels of a car
AVIAN are tied to each other, the
moose rope of one being fastened to the
the tail of another, and so they march
On. three to ten in string, in single
tile. and such creatures of routine are
they that a camel will refuse to proceed
# the camel before him is changed for
another. In Egypt caravans move
abreast, and one of fifty camelS will
show 4 front for a mile in extent. The
pilgrim caravan purSueS its route prin-
cipally during the night, lighted on its
way with torches. 1t has been Shorn of
much of its splendor in modern times.
Bagdad'S celebrated ruler per-
formed the pilgrimage to the Proph-
cts shrine no less than nine times.