' CAMELUS, camel, in natural history, a genus of the Mammalia, of the order Pe cora. The generic character : horns none ; six front teeth in the lower jaw, thin and broad ; the canine teeth distant, three in the upper jaw, and in the lower two ; upper lip divided. There are se ven species enumerated by Shaw, of which we shall briefly notice the follow ing: C. dromedaries, or Arabian camel: its general appearande, in consequence of the dorsaFkbunch, gives the idea of deforMity; even of mon utrosity ; but in some attitudes, its aspect is #ar from inelegant. It inhibits various parts of Asia and Africa, is found even iu Jamaica and Barbadoes, and is easily do mesticated. Even a country, such as Ara bia, destitute of water and of verdure, and under a burning sun, where the tra veller seldom breathes under a shade, and feels lost in a boundless expanse of desolation,by the assistance of the camel, is rendered habitable, and the seat of in dependence and comfort. These animals are trained with great assiduity by the Arabs. They will carry a weight of 12001bs., and have been known to com plete a journey of 300 leagues within eight days. They will travel eight or nine days without water, which they scent at the distance of half a league, and drink most copiously when they reach it. Deli cate fOod is far from being requisite for them, and they seem even to prefer the thorns and nettles of the wilderness ; and while they find plants to brouse, can dis pense easily with the want of drink. They have, besides the four stomachs common to all ruminating animals, a fifth, in which they preserve-a great quantity of water, unmixed with the liquors of the body and the digestive juices, and from which, by the contraction of certain rims. Iles, they make the water mount into their stomachs and throats, to macerate their dry food.
Travellers in the East, when hard pressed with thirst, have killed their ca mels, to obtain a supply from this natural and singular receptacle.
In Turkey, Persia, Arabia, Egypt, and Barbary, camels are almost uniformly em ployed in the conveyance of merchandize. They are considered as living carriages, and their burden is often not taken off during their sleep. They kneel down to
be loaded and unloaded, at the command of their keepers, and are the most pa tient, laborious, and valuable of slaves. Their milk, and even their flesh, are used by the Arabians for food. Their hair is extremely soft, and wrought into a great variety of the most useful, and indeed costly stuffs. See Mammalia, Plate IV. fig 3.
C. bactrianus, the Bactrian camel. This is somewhat larger and swifter than the former, and has on its back two bunches. In the deserts bordering on China it is found wild, as also in the north of India, whence it is imported into Ara bia, chiefly for the use of the great and opulent. In China a particular breed of them is distinguished by the designation of " Camels with feet of wind." Fig. 2.
C. glama. These animals have by some authors been called the Peruvian sheep. They are particularly abundant in Peru, feeding in immense herds on • the bleak est mountains. Their size is about that of a stag. They were the only beasts of burden among the ancient Peruvians, arid will carry a weight of 150 pounds. This animal can abstain from water four or five days, and maybe supported on the coars est food, and that in very small quantity. When irritated, it endeavours to bite, and ejects an acrimonious and caustic saliva. Its flesh is fat, and excellently flavoured.
C. vicugna, or purplish brown camel, abounds in the highest mountains of the Indies. It is smaller and more slender than the former, and tamed only with considerable difficulty. It will bear small burdens. Its hair is of admirable softness and silkiness on the breast, particu larly wavy and woolly, and extending three inches in length. It is wrought in to cloth of the most delicate fineness and beauty. The vicugna and the Paco, ano ther species of the camel,are both caught by the Peruvians, by the simple process of stretching across the narrow passes of the mountains a cord, with bits of wool attached to it at small distances, and waving in the wind, which, by the terror or fascination it excites, confines them as effectually as bars of iron.