"Vice Or Bad Temper," Says The Indignant Victim; "Intelligence,"
Say I. In Matters Of Loading And Saddling, Ignorance Causes Great
Suffering To Camels.
I can imagine few things more uncomfortable than
having to carry 150 pounds on one side of the saddle
And perhaps 250
pounds on the other, and yet if the poor beast lies down and complains,
in nine cases out of ten his intelligent master will beat him
unmercifully as a useless brute! Nearly every sore back amongst a mob of
camels is the result of carelessness. It is hard to avoid, I am well
aware, but it can be done; and I speak as an authority, for during our
journey to Kimberley and the journey back again, over such country as I
have endeavoured faithfully to describe, there were only two cases of
camels with sore backs - one was Billy, who had an improperly healed wound
when we started, which, however, we soon cured; the other Stoddy, on the
return journey. This state of affairs was not brought about except by
bestowing great care and attention on the saddles, which we were
continually altering, as they were worn out of shape, or as the camels
became thinner - and thin they were, poor things, tucked up like
greyhounds! A few days' rest and feed, fortunately soon puts a camel
right, and such they could have at the little oasis we had reached on
October 5th. In the centre of it lay a splendid little spring, in many
ways the most remarkable feature we had encountered, and therefore I
christened it after one whose love and helpful sympathy in all my work,
has given me strength and courage - my sister Helena.
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