A
Thoroughly Good Hygeen Is Supposed To Travel Fifty Miles A Day, And To
Continue This Pace For Five Days, Carrying Only His Rider And A Small
Water-Skin Or Girba.
His action should be so easy that his long ambling
trot should produce that peculiar movement adopted by a nurse when
hushing a child to sleep upon her knee.
This movement is delightful, and
the quick elastic step of a first-class animal imparts an invigorating
spirit to the rider; and were it not for the intensity of the sun, he
would willingly ride for ever. The difference of action and of comfort
to the rider between a common camel and a high class hygeen is equal to
that between a thoroughbred and a heavy dray-horse.
However, with all the good qualities of a "Bishareen," my best camel was
dead. This was a sad loss. So long as my animals were well I felt
independent, and the death of this camel was equal to minus five cwt. of
luggage. My men were so idle that they paid no attention to the animals,
and the watcher who had been appointed to look after the four camels had
amused himself by going to the Latooka dance. Thus was the loss of my
best animal occasioned.
So well had all my saddles and pads been arranged at Khartoum, that
although we had marched seven days with exceedingly heavy loads, not one
of the animals had a sore back. The donkeys were exceedingly fresh, but
they had acquired a most disgusting habit.
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