'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.' [‎582] (673/905)

582
THE CAMEL.
[CHAP. XXII.
and plants occasionally found in the desert, the animal can
accomplish a very long journey without difficulty. According
to the statement of some travellers he can travel without
water for nine days, or even 20 days in extreme cases.
Importance of The camel is in every way constituted to be the chief com-
the camel. ^ of and one of tlie choicest gifts he could have re
ceived from a beneficent providence ; for without his assistance
the countries in which he is chiefly used must have been almost
without any commercial intercourse. Indeed the Bedawin
could no more traverse his native country without the assistance
of this animal than a maritime people could cross the seas with
out ships ; and this invaluable creature has in consequence been
happily designated a living ship, or the ship of the desert.
The Bactrkn There are two kinds of camel; that of Central Asia, called
camel J. rian bocht, or the Bactrian camel, is a low, bony, heavy-looking, but
powerful animal, covered with long shaggy hair of a deep brown
colour tinged with black, and having two humps ; the other,
which belongs to both Arabia and Africa, has but one hump.
The latter animal is of a much lighter make, and is covered
with short smooth hair, sometimes of a cream colour, but
usually a light brown. He stands several inches higher
than the Bactrian camel, and can bear heat much better.
There is, however, a perceptible difference between the size of
the animal used in the interior of Arabia and that which is
bred towards the northern and eastern limits of the territory.
The Syrian camel, for instance, as well as that belonging to
Upper Mesopotamia, is larger and more hairy than those of
Nedjd, which are considered the choicest breed, and, in con
sequence, the Arabs call this country Om-el-Bel (mother of
camels). In addition to the different classes, the Arabs distin
guish the age and other states of the camel by particular
names, and each tribe has a particular mark to distinguish the
camels belonging to it from those of other tribes, the different
marks being not fewer than 80. The average burthen of the
strength of the Arabian camel rather exceeds 800 lbs., 2 and that of the Bac-
cameL trian camel is between ten and fifteen hundred weight.
1 Skinner's Journey to India, vol. II., p. 112.
2 A calculation of the loads of 800 camels gave 830 lbs. each.