Scientific American Supplement, No. 1157, March 5, 1898Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 1157, March 5, 1898
Various
Science -- Periodicals
trees, and drank of and bathed in its sweet, cool waters.
This long rest improved our camels wonderfully. By the bye, there was
much speculation between two of our party regarding the behavior of
these curious animals on arriving at the wells after their long
waterless march. A general impression was that for the last few miles
the camels would race for the waters, and thwart all endeavors to hold
them in. My experience of the strange beast was otherwise, and
subsequent events proved that I was right. When the Hamleh, as we
christened our caravan, arrived, the camels quietly waited awhile
after their burdens were taken from their humps. Then, as if an
afterthought had struck them, they slowly approached the scoop-outs
and with the most indifferent air would take a mouthful of the liquid,
then, stiffening their necks, they would lift their heads and calmly
survey the scenery around them, till their drivers would draw their
attention to the fact that there was at least another draught of water
in the pool. It should be remembered that these animals had just come
off a continuous journey of nearly fifteen hours, without a halt, and
had been for three whole days without water.
We left our camping ground as the sun began to dip behind the hills
shutting in the khor. Our way now lay in a more northeasterly
direction, and the sun threw the hills and valleys we were approaching
into a marvelous medley of glorious color, and more than one of us
regretted that we had not brought our color boxes with us. Sometimes
we seemed to catch a glimpse of the heather-clad Highlands of
Scotland. Then a twist in the khor we were traversing suggested the
rugged passes of Afghanistan. Gazelle and ariel stole among the foot
hills or stood gazing at us as near as a stone's throw. One of our
party, Mr. Gwynne, commenced stalking a gazelle, but, darkness setting
in, the beast got away. For the rest of the journey to Suakim,
however, he had good sport, and saved us many a time from going hungry
with his shooting for the pot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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