The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-18
THE CANCELS UsEFULNEss.
is Somewhat Weakened by the De-
fleets of His Character.
From CT paups

From st. Paups.
/ am obliged to confess to the dlsil-
lusoning of my mind as to the camel
as well as his master. "Docile." faith
full" gentle" We're the adjectives 1 had
always applied to the huge, ungainly. but
indispensable animal. When, however,
residence In the east brought me into per-
sonal contact with the camel and came
10 know him 'in his habit as he lives"
l was obliged to say a long farewell to
another dream of my childhood. | had
always agreed with Russells description
of the camel as An abominably ugly nee
essary animal, but had SO thoroughly be
leved In the camels gentleness, ntelli-
gence, fidelity and supreme usefulness,
that / was quite of the opinion Of the
Arabian poet, who represents the ungain-
ly stride of the camel as presenting a
standard of elegance In notion"
The camel is stupid save when angry,
and then seems to become suddenly pos
sessed with an intelligence almost pre-
ternatural in carrying out its vengeful
designs. Palgrave relates the following
story of a camers revenge. which serves
to illustrate this point: "A lad of IA had
conducted large camel laden with wood
from one village 20 another at a half
hours distance.i AS the animal loitered or
turned out of the way It's conductor
struck II repeatedly and harder than 1t
seemed to have thought he had a right
to do But not finding the occasion IA
vorable for taking immediate quits, 1t
'bode its time That time was not long
in coming. A few days later the same
lad had to reconduct the beast, but I'M
laden, to his own village. When they
We're about half way on the road and al
Distance Ia.
camel suddenly stopped, looked deliberate
ly around in every direction to assure IT.
self that no one was in sight and find
ing the road far and near clear OF pas
sersby, made step forward, seized the
unucky boys head in as monstrous
mouth, and, lifting him up IN the air.
flung him down again on the earth with
the upper part of his skull completely
torn off and his brains scattered on the
ground. Having thus satisfied its revenge,
the brute quietly resumed its pace toward
the village, as though nothing were the
matter, till some men, who had observed
the whole though, unfortunately at too
great distance to be able to afford any
timely help came up aud killed IT,"
The Arab who has angered a camel will
throw his clothes upon the ground, and
the Infatuated brute, after stamping on
them and tearing them asunder with his
teN'tf bpeS vi i'S way ahu tue uilNtf
Is thereaftg quite safe. as ID seems 70
be an axiom with the camel as with Eng
fish law, that no man shall be put In
peril of life twice for one offense.
Ali this is upon the shady side OF camel
life and character. There is a very much
brighter side Progress through Arabia,
the Egyptian deserts, and many other
parts of the East would be quite lmprac-
ticable without the camel. And when one
considers the nature Of the work per-
formed by the camel, II is perhaps its
very phleginatic, somnolent organization
which best FITS II for that work ana which
gives color TO the accusations OF stupidity
and lazlness.