Of the Camels.
THe Camell is a very domesticall and gentle beast, and which is easily tamed * 1.1 and taught all kind of obedience and service; although some of them are cruell wilde and troublesome by biting and striking such as they meet, no lesse than vnta∣med horses. There is no neede to house them in the night, for they may be left in the plaine fields in the open and free aire, feeding upon the grasse and trees and cropping the tops of the thistles, neither in the morning doe they any whit the worse under∣goe or carry their burdens. They are not put to carry burdens before they be foure yeare old. The Arabians geld them young, that they may enjoy their labour the * 1.2 longer, neither being gelt doe they rage for love or desire of venery. At the put∣ting in of the Spring they endure hunger and thirst for eight dayes; they are so dutifull, that at the becke of the Turkish slaves, or but touched on the necke with a twigge, they presently kneele on the ground to take up their burden, neither doe they lift themselves up before that they finde they have a sufficient load layd upon them. Those which have but one bunch on their backe are of Africke; but such * 1.3 as have two bunches are of Asia, or Scythia. Those kinde of Camels that are the bigger are used to carry packes, but the lesser are used to ride upon, as our horses are. They love nothing so well as beanes, and yet they live content with foure * 1.4 handfulls of beanes for a day. The greatest wealth of the Arabians consists in Camels, and so they estimate their riches, not by the quantity of silver, or gold, but by the number of Camels. The Turkish Emperour (Thevet being the reporter) made a Captaine over the heards of his Camels, giving him a great troope, of African and Christian slaves, that they might be the better looked unto. I have heard it reported (saith Thevet) by certaine Arabian, African and Iewish Merchants who were present, at that time when Sultan Selim the first of that name,