'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎583] (674/905)

CHAP. XXII.]
THE CAMEL.
583
The dromedary also is of two species, the Bactrian and the The dromedary.
Arabian. Those of the former kind have two humps, whilst
the latter have only one. This class of animal is light and
fleet on which account he is kept and trained exclusively for
speed, pretty much as the race-horse is kept in Europe.
In Arabia there are three classes of camels with one hump;
the first, which is the largest and clumsiest, called khowwas. The khowwas.
is used to carry heavy burthens at the slow and measured pace
of a large caravan. Those of the second class, called deloul,
or saddle camels, are selected when young from the former,
and, being more active, they are employed on journeys singly,
or with light caravans consisting of similar animals. In
Arabia the creature is guided by the voice, with the assistance
of a stick gently applied against the off side of the neck ; but
in Africa and India, a nose-ring and cord reins are used.
To give an idea of their strength it may here be mentioned Rate of walk-
that with four of these animals the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. crossed from Basrah ing '
to Damascus, a distance of 958^ miles, in the space of 19 days
and a few hours (the average rate being more than 54 miles
in 24 hours); the camels having no other food than that
which they picked up in the wilderness. The pace of the
animal measured 6 feet 5 inches, and from 44 to 46 paces
were taken per minute. 1
The third class possesses as much superiority over the ordi- Swiftness of the
nary camel, as our race-horse does over the farm-horse; it
bears the name of Hajin in Arabia, Maherry in Africa, Hur-
kary in Asia, and it is the dromedary of the Hebrew Scrip
tures. 2 This animal is lightly formed, and of a very pale
brown, approaching a cream colour. Being well trained, his
speed with a man on his back and no baggage, is between eight
and nine miles per hour, and he can accomplish, at the utmost,
about 70 miles in 24 hours for two or three days in succession.
On one occasion Muhammed All, with organized relays, sent
an express to Ibrahim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , concerning the British Expe
dition, which occupied only five-and-a-half days between Cairo
1 This was the average of many calculations taken with a stop-watch.
2 1 Kings, chap. IV., v. 28; Esther, chap. VIII., v. 10; and Isaiah,
chap. LX., v. 6.