The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-04-20
cAMELs Of AFRICA
Superb Animals Used by the
Arabs When on the Warpath.
TRAINED FOR GREAT SPEED.

tin OF the National Geographic society.
1.-The Arab name for camel IL djemei.
Those Of Tunisia. Tripolitania and Al
geria have one hump and are really
sdromedaries. Certain breeds Of camel
can withstand the great heat Of the
Sahara and others that Of the zero
weather Of Tibet and China.
1T 10 amazing to see the rapidity
with which q herd Of 500 cameis will
eat to the ground q large pasturage OF
prickly pear from eight to ten feet
high. Leaves. stems. prickles and all
disappear like magic.
I'm many parts Of Africa the natives
keep all their date stones and give
Il them to exhausted camels. weary from
their long Sahara march. The camel
sreslsts at first. and the date stones.
amoistened In q little water. are pushed
forcihly by the handful down the cam
els throat after 1t has been made to
knecl and then securely fastened. In
two or three days the camel earns to
eat them OF its own accord. The ma
ttives say that these date stones make
the hump OF the camel strong and
sAti6.
THE camel in Its long march across
the Sahara frequently finds very little
to eat and lives on the fat OF its own
hump. When this continues during a
long time the hump becomes dabby
and almost disappears.
The usual weight of the burdens
carried by q camel varies from $50 to
600 pounds for Journeys from towl to
town or on the border Of the desert.
Going across the desert the burden is
dess. When q camel Is being laden II
keeps mp . continual snarling. and
should II be overburdened It refuses to
| arise. Most camels are vicious. and
their bite IL very dangerous. Hardly
- week passes 1T the large native hos
tplfal In Tunis but some unfortunate
Namel driver dies Of blood poisoning.
Cnused By . camel's bite. The grind
1ng 00tion OF = camel's jaw brushes to
pulp whatever It bites. 80 that the arm
= les has to b amputated. and blood
po610nlng usually sets In before the
Qatlent can reach the hospital.
I'm the interior Of northern Africa IS
- Anperb race OF camels. known as the
I mehara (singular. mehari). o. racing
cameis. The mehara owe 4 great deal
! to the csre taken In their breeding
daring the past 1000 years. Ancient
Writere speak Of eamels used By the
army .of Xer1es. more than 1000 years
ago. that had the speed OF the fastest
thOrses. These we're doubtless mehara.
"When Z baby mehari Is born It Is
pwathed In bandages to prevent the
stomach from getting too large and Is
taken into the family tent. where It Il
nursed and watched over with care
and tenderness. When a year old It
= sheared and Is known from then on
q Z sbou-keutaa, which means the ia
! ther of the shearing.'
when It Is two years old the meha-
RS training begins. A halter Is placed
around the head aud q cord tied to one
OF the fore feet 1t IL kept quiet first
BY gestures and the voice. later by the
voice alone. Then the cord IL loosen
ed. but should 1t make q step It Is
tied again. Finally It understands
what Is required. but the lessons are
only terminated when It will stand In
one place without moving for an en-
dire day.
sATO make the camel a fast runner
the rider whips It On both tanks with
= rhin0cer0s hide whip and cries out
"a Arabic to excite It. A young mehari
- very fond Of it, own skin and on
-beiug struck starts on q gallOp. The
whipping keeps up. and the camel tries
20 ct AWAY By running faster. The
.lone legs seem like wings. aud It 6iea
past With the speed Of IN ostrich. II
viii stop instantly 1t . pull on the rein.
- aattef what speed Il has been max
-.
~Whea tn rider Jumps on o. should
Ah1open t. fell, 4 we'll trained me
nan VIII Stand quite still and walt
0mn1lo shoul1 the master happen to b
uo1ofod the faithful beast viii nevel
oHnye him.
- mehari = never used - = beast
AxarG6n. An 4 sver carries y Z sad.
tenmethlne like ! Mexican saddle
ms1p. = eaaslle skin. dyed red. With Z
~ pommel and ! cross In front). twt
n6okoU ana . rider. Tue rider Il
ia Nr1o1 1nto - saddle b. two belts
IA DGtngo crossed Il front q the nd
80 a ths nsck q the me
0nppsgD afo usually eaunl
Id 80 oommel, and tho mehari 4
- UrlGgiing e the rtder'l
&n1ses fAroash one mo-
&ZA&1E.SA &-A - --