behind, that he was
thrown over his head, to the infinite amusement of the Turks, who were
laughing at his inexperience. "I was made acquainted with this
peculiarity of the animal's movement, in a striking manner, the first
time I mounted a camel out of curiosity. I ought to have known
better--and, indeed, did know better; but when he was about to rise,
from old habits associated with the horse, I expected he would throw
out his fore legs, and I threw myself forward accordingly--when up
sprang his hind legs, and clean I went over his ears, to the great
delight of the devidjis."

The following interesting story of the sufferings of a caravan, from
thirst, is related by Burckhardt: "In the month of August, a small
caravan prepared to set out from Berber to Daraou. They consisted of
five merchants and about thirty slaves, with a proportionate number of
camels. Afraid of the robber Naym, who at that time was in the habit of
waylaying travellers about the wells of Nedjeym, and who had constant
intelligence of the departure of every caravan from Berber, they
determined to take a more easterly road, by the well of Owareyk. They
had hired an Ababde guide, who conducted them in safety to that place,
but who lost his way from thence northward, the route being little
frequented. After five days' march in the mountains, their stock of
water was exhausted, nor did they know where they were. They resolved,
therefore, to direct their course towards the setting sun, hoping thus
to reach the Nile. After experiencing two days' thirst, fifteen slaves
and one of the merchants died: another of them, an Ababde, who had ten
camels with him, thinking that the animals might know better than their
masters where water was to be found, desired his comrades to tie him
fast upon the saddle of his strongest camel, that he might not fall
down from weakness; and thus he parted from them, permitting his camels
to take their own way; but neither the man nor his camels were ever
heard of afterwards. On the eighth day after leaving Owareyk, the
survivors came in sight of the mountains of Shigre, which they
immediately recognized; but their strength was quite exhausted, and
neither men nor beasts were able to move any farther. Lying down under
a rock, they sent two of their servants, with the two strongest
remaining camels, in search of water. Before these two men could reach
the mountain, one of them dropped off his camel, deprived of speech,
and able onl