He Pleaded Hard By Sounds And Gesture And No Doubt
Suffered To Some Extent, But All Was Treated As If
Unnoticed by us.
Thirst is a terrible thing; it is also a great quickener of the wits, and
the result
Of this harsh treatment, which reduced the poor buck to tears
(a most uncommon thing amongst natives), was that before very long we
were enabled to unload and make camp in one of the most charming little
spots I have ever seen. A veritable oasis, though diminutive in size; but
not so in importance, for without its life-giving aid it is hard to say
how things would have gone with us. The weather, as I have said, was
scorching, the country destitute of feed, almost waterless, most toilsome
to cross, and our camels were worn to skeletons from starvation and
incessant work, and had they not been fine specimens of an exceptionally
fine breed must have long since succumbed. Surely this is one of the
noblest of creatures and most marvellous works of the Creator!
Brave, dumb heroes, with what patience and undaunted courage do they
struggle on with their heavy loads, carrying what no other animal could
carry in country where no other could live, never complaining or giving
in until they drop from sheer exhaustion! I think there are few animals
endowed with more good qualities than the much-abused camel - abused not
only by the ignorant, which is excusable, but by travellers and writers
who should know better. Patience, perseverance, intelligence, docility,
and good temper under the most trying conditions, stand out pre-eminently
amongst his virtues. Not that all camels are perfect - some are vicious and
bad tempered; so far as my experience goes these are the exceptions. Some
few are vicious naturally, but the majority of bad-tempered camels are
made so by ill-treatment. If a camel is constantly bullied, he will
patiently wait his chance and take his revenge - and pick the right man
too. "Vice or bad temper," says the indignant victim; "Intelligence,"
say I. In matters of loading and saddling, ignorance causes great
suffering to camels. I can imagine few things more uncomfortable than
having to carry 150 pounds on one side of the saddle and perhaps 250
pounds on the other, and yet if the poor beast lies down and complains,
in nine cases out of ten his intelligent master will beat him
unmercifully as a useless brute! Nearly every sore back amongst a mob of
camels is the result of carelessness. It is hard to avoid, I am well
aware, but it can be done; and I speak as an authority, for during our
journey to Kimberley and the journey back again, over such country as I
have endeavoured faithfully to describe, there were only two cases of
camels with sore backs - one was Billy, who had an improperly healed wound
when we started, which, however, we soon cured; the other Stoddy, on the
return journey. This state of affairs was not brought about except by
bestowing great care and attention on the saddles, which we were
continually altering, as they were worn out of shape, or as the camels
became thinner - and thin they were, poor things, tucked up like
greyhounds!
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