Climbing upon the back of an animal, and making it carry us, might not occur very readily. I think the back of the camel would never have suggested it. It was, however, a matter of vast importance. The earliest instance of it mentioned, is when “Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass” (Genesis xxii: 3), preparatory to sacrificing Isaac as a burnt-offering; but the allusion to the _saddle_ indicates that riding had been in use some time; for it is quite probable they rode bare-backed awhile, at least, before they invented saddles. The _idea_, being once conceived, of riding _one_ species of animals, would soon be extended to others. Accordingly we find that when the servant of Abraham went in search of a wife for Isaac, he took ten _camels_ with him; and, on his return trip, “Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man” (Genesis xxiv: 61). The _horse_, too, as a riding animal, is mentioned early. The Red Sea being safely passed, Moses and the children of Israel sang to the Lord “the _horse_ and his _rider_ hath he thrown into the sea” (Exodus xv: 1). Seeing that animals could bear _man_ upon their backs, it would soon occur that they could also bear other burthens. Accordingly we find that Joseph’s brethren, on their first visit to Egypt, “laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence” (Genesis xlii: 26). Also it would occur that animals could be made to _draw_ burthens _after_ them, as well as to bear them upon their backs; and hence plows and chariots came into use early enough to be often mentioned in the books of Moses (Deuteronomy xxii: 10; Genesis xli: 43; xlvi: 29; Exodus xiv: 25).