DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12665#0141
DEATH OF A CAMEL.
225
often, in speaking of himself, the Bedouin will say
that he has so many wives, so many children, and
so many camels. All these things considered, when
this morning they knew that the camel must die, I
expected, in a rough way, something like Sterne's
picture of the old man and his ass. But I saw noth-
ing of the kind ; they left him in the last stages of
his struggle with the great enemy, with as much in-
difference—I was going to say, as if he had been a
brute—and he was a brute ; but it was almost
worth a passing tear, to leave even a brute to die
alone in the desert; one that we knew, that had
travelled with us, and formed part of our little
world; but the only lament the sheik made was,
that they had lost twenty dollars, and we left him
to die in the sand. I could almost have remained
myself to close his eyes. The vultures were al-
ready hovering over him, and once I went back
and drove them away ; but I have no doubt that,
before the poor beast was dead, the horrid birds
had picked oui his eyes, and thrust their murderous,
beaks into his brain.
It was, as usual, a fine day. Since we left Aka-
ba we had a continued succession of the most de-
lightful weather I had ever experienced. I was,
no doubt, peculiarly susceptible to the influence
of weather, with a malady constantly hanging
about me. If I drooped, a bright sun and an un-
clouded sky could at any time revive me ; and
more than once, when I have risen flushed and fe-
verish, and but little refreshed with sleep, the-.
225
often, in speaking of himself, the Bedouin will say
that he has so many wives, so many children, and
so many camels. All these things considered, when
this morning they knew that the camel must die, I
expected, in a rough way, something like Sterne's
picture of the old man and his ass. But I saw noth-
ing of the kind ; they left him in the last stages of
his struggle with the great enemy, with as much in-
difference—I was going to say, as if he had been a
brute—and he was a brute ; but it was almost
worth a passing tear, to leave even a brute to die
alone in the desert; one that we knew, that had
travelled with us, and formed part of our little
world; but the only lament the sheik made was,
that they had lost twenty dollars, and we left him
to die in the sand. I could almost have remained
myself to close his eyes. The vultures were al-
ready hovering over him, and once I went back
and drove them away ; but I have no doubt that,
before the poor beast was dead, the horrid birds
had picked oui his eyes, and thrust their murderous,
beaks into his brain.
It was, as usual, a fine day. Since we left Aka-
ba we had a continued succession of the most de-
lightful weather I had ever experienced. I was,
no doubt, peculiarly susceptible to the influence
of weather, with a malady constantly hanging
about me. If I drooped, a bright sun and an un-
clouded sky could at any time revive me ; and
more than once, when I have risen flushed and fe-
verish, and but little refreshed with sleep, the-.