legs doubled up under his belly. To keep him in this
attitude, they extend a piece of canvass over his body, and fix it to
the ground by laying heavy weights upon the edge. In this manner he is
tutored to obedience, and taught to kneel down at the orders of his
master, and receive the burthens which he is destined to transport. In
his temper he is gentle and tractable, and his patience in bearing
thirst and hunger is superior to that of any animal we are acquainted
with. He is driven across the burning desert, loaded with the
merchandise of those countries, and frequently does not even find water
to quench his thirst for several days. As to his food, it is nothing but
a few herbs, which are found in the least barren parts of the deserts,
and prickly bushes, upon which he browses as a delicacy; sometimes he
does not find even these for many days, yet pursues his journey with a
degree of patience which is hardly credible."

"'--We mounted our camels,' continued Chares, 'and soon had reached the
confines of the fertile plains of Egypt. The way, as we proceeded, grew
sensibly more dreary and disagreeable, yet was sometimes varied with
little tufts of trees and scanty patches of herbage; but these at
length entirely disappeared, and nothing was seen on every side but an
immense extent of barren sands, destitute of vegetation, and parched by
the continual heat of the sun. No sound was heard to interrupt the
dreary silence that reigned around; no traces of inhabitants
perceivable, and the gloomy uniformity of the prospect inspired the soul
with melancholy. In the meantime the sun seemed to shoot down
perpendicular rays upon our heads, without a cloud to mitigate his
violence. I felt a burning fever take possession of my body. My tongue
was scorched with intolerable heat, and it was in vain I endeavoured to
moisten my mouth with repeated draughts of water. At night we came to a
little rising ground, at the foot of which we perceived some aquatic
herbs and a small quantity of muddy water, of which our camels took
prodigious draughts; here we spread our tents and encamped for the
night. With the morning we pursued our journey; but had not proceeded
far before we saw a cloud of dust that seemed to rise along the desert;
and as we approached nearer, we easily distinguished the glitter of arms
that reflected the rising sun. This was a band of the Arabians that had
discovered us, and came to know our intentions. As they advanced they