CAMAITES, a sect among the Jews who adhere closely to the text and letter of the scriptures, rejecting the rabbinical interpretations and the cabbala. CAR/AVAN, a company of merchants, travellers, or pilgrims, who associate to gether in many parts of Asia and Africa, that they may travel with greater secu rity through deserts and other places in fested with robbers or exposed to other dangers. The commercial intercourse of Eastern and African nations has from the remotest ages been chiefly carried on by means of caravans, as the governments that have sprung up in those continents have seldom been able, even if they had had the will to render travelling safe or practicable for individuals. Since the establishment of the Mohammedan faith, religious motives, conspiring with those of a less exalted character, have tended to augment the intercourse between dif ferent parts of the Eastern world, and to increase the number and magnitude of the caravans. Mohammed, as is well known, enjoined all his followers to visit Mecca once in their lifetime ; and in obe dience to a command so solemnly enjoin ed and sedulously inculcated, large cara vans assemble for this purpose in every country where the Mohammedan faith is established. There are four regular car
avans which prodeed annually to Mecca ; the first from Damascus, eomposed of pilgrims, travellers, and merchants, from Europe and Asia ; the second from Cairo, for the Mohammedans of Barbary ; the third from Zibith, near the mouth of the Red Sea, where those of Arabia and In dia meet; the fourth from Babylon, whero the Persians assemble. Every caravan is under the command of a chief or riga, who has frequently ender him such a number of troops cr forces as is deemed sufficient for its defence. When it is practicable they encamp near wells or rivulets, an,1 observe a regular disci pline. Camels are almost uniformly used as a means of conveyance, in preference to the horse or any other animal, on ac count of their wonderful patience of fa tigue, and their peculiarity of structure, which so admirably fits them for travel ling through desert wastes.