Though small, they resist hardship and fatigue
better than the other kinds. A fair price would be about ten dollars. The
Somal divide their animals into two kinds, Gel Ad and Ayyun. The former is
of white colour, loose and weak, but valuable, I was told by Lieut. Speke,
in districts where little water is found: the Ayyun is darker and
stronger; its price averages about a quarter more than the Gel Ad.
To the Arabian traveller nothing can be more annoying than these Somali
camels. They must be fed four hours during the day, otherwise they cannot
march. They die from change of food or sudden removal to another country.
Their backs are ever being galled, and, with all precautions, a month's
march lays them up for three times that period. They are never used for
riding, except in cases of sickness or accidents.
The Somali ass is generally speaking a miserable animal. Lieut. Speke,
however, reports that on the windward coast it is not to be despised. At
Harar I found a tolerable breed, superior in appearance but inferior in
size to the thoroughbred little animals at Aden. They are never ridden;
their principal duty is that of carrying water-skins to and from the
walls.
[16] He is generally called Abu Zerbin, more rarely Abu Zarbayn, and Abu
Zarbay.
