The historie of foure-footed beastes Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell.

Of the Camell DROMEDARIE.

A Camell is called of the Graecians Dromos, by reason of the [ 20] swiftnes of his race, and also an Arabian camell, which hath al things common with the former Bactrian camell, except,* 1.1 first in the shape, for she hath but one bunch on the back, and ma∣ny Nations, as the Italians, French, Germans, and Spaniards, vse the word Dromedary, onely without addition; The Graeci∣ans neuer name it without the addition of a camel. Therefore this is a kinde of camell of lesse stature, but much swifter; for which cause, it is deriued from running.* 1.2 A It cheweth the cud like a Sheepe, and the other camell:* 1.3 the French king had sent him from the great Turke two of these, white coloured, and I my selfe haue seene one of [ 30] them, being fifteene cubits high, wanting some nine inches, and about six cubits in length, hauing the vpper lip clouen in the middle like a Hare, and two broad nailes on his feet, which in the vpper part appeared clouen, but vnderneath they were whole and fle∣shy without diuision, and round in proportion like a pewter dish: It hath also a harde bunch on his brest, whereon it leaned, sitting down and rising: and also vpon either knee one: these are saide to liue fifty yeares, but the Bactrians an hundred:* 1.4 they were vsed for drawing of Charriots, and great presents for Princes, and when they goe to warre euery one carrieth two Archers, which fit vpon him, backe to backe, shooting forth their darts, one against the front of the enimy,* 1.5 and the other against the prosecutours and follo∣wers.

They are able to go an hundred miles in a day, bearing a burthen of 15. hundred waight, [ 40] yea sometimes two thousand, bending vpon his knee to take vp his load and rider, which receiued, he riseth vp againe with great patience, being obedient and ruleable, yet kick∣ing when his angry, which is very seldome; and therefore Terence did significantly de∣scribe a good seruant by the name of Dromo, deriued from Dromas a runner: and for the conclusion of the History of these two sortes of camels, I will heere adde the relation and memorable obseruations of Iohannes Leo Afer, in his ninth booke of the description of Affricke, in his owne words following.

A Camell is a gentle and pleasaunt-tame beast, whereof there are plenty in Affrica,* 1.6 especially in the desertes of Lybia, Numidia, and Barbarie: by which the Affricans [ 50] estimate their owne wealth, for when they contende who is the richest Prince or Noble man amonge them, they say he was worth or hath so many thousande Ca∣mels, and not so many thousand crownes. And he that hath Camels, liueth amonge them like a Gentleman, because hee can at his pleasure traiuaile into the desertes, and

[illustration]

[ 10] [ 20] [ 30] [ 40] [ 50]

fetch Marchandize from farre, which the greatest prince or Nobleman cannot without them, by reason of the drought of those places.

And of these kinde of creatures, there are to bee seene in all partes of the worlde, both in Asia, Affricke, and Europe, for the Tartarians, Cordians, Dalemians, and Turconians vse them in Asia, and the Turkish prin∣ces conuey all their carriages vpon them in Europe: Likewise doe all the Arabians in Af∣fricke. But it must be obserued, that the Affrican Camels, are much more woorth then the Asian, for they can endure trauaile for fortye and fifty daies togither, with very little or no meat, except sometimes in the euening when they are vnloaded, they go to the hed∣ges, thornes, and other greene places, and there eat any small thing they meet withall, as [ 10] leaues and such like, wherewith they remaine satisfied, whereas the Asians can performe no such iourney, except they be kept fat and well fed: and it hath beene proued by good experience, that one of the Affricans hath trauailed fifty daies without meat, first wearing away the fat in their bunchy backe, then about their skinne and breast, and lastly about their ribbes, neuer giuing ouer till it was not able to beare one hundred waight.

But the Asians, must alway carry prouender to sustaine their beastes, neuer trauailing but they haue one camell loaden with meat, for the other loaden with carriage, and so in∣dure a double charge: and when the Affricans go to any Martes or fayres being to returne emptie and vnloaded, they take no thought for their Camels food. Of these camels there be three kindes, one of them called Hugiun, (being broad and tall) and therefore apt to [ 20] beare packes and burthens, but not before they be foure yeare olde, and after their ordi∣nary loade, is one thousand waight of Italian measure, being taught by the ierking of a small rod, on the brest and knees, to lie downe for their burthens and afterward to rise vp againe. And the Affricans do vse to geld their camels, reseruing but one male for the co∣uering of ten females.

Another kind of their camels they cal Bechetos, such as haue two bunches, one for bur∣then, and the other for a man to ride vppon: and the third sort are called Ragnahil, which are of lower stature and leaner bodies then the residue, vnfit for burthen, and therefore are vsed for the saddle, by all the Noble men of Numidia, Arabia, and Libia: being able to runne an hundred miles a day, and performing long iourneyes with little or no prouen∣der: for the King of Tombuto being to send to Dara, or Selmessa, (which is distant from [ 30] his court, nine hundred miles) his messenger performeth it vpon one of these Ragnahils, within the space of eight dayes.

In the beginning of the springe they are most frolicke and vnruely, because then they incline to generation: at which time, they rage and fall vpon many that come vnto them, and especially those from whome they haue receiued blowes, remembring at that time, and requiting their former iniuries, vppon such as wronged them, whome if they can take in ther mouth, they lift them vp into the ayre, and then cast them downe againe vn∣der their feet, and tread vpon them, in which distemperd venerous fury, they remain for∣ty daies.

They can easily endure thirst, fiue, nine, or fifteene daies, in necessity; neither wil their [ 40] keeper giue them drinke at three daies thirst, for feare to harme them. As these camels are plesant & profitable, so also they seem to participate with the nature of mā; for they being wearied, no spur or stroke can make them hasten to their iourneyes end, therfore in Ethy∣opia and Barbary, they sing certaine songs behind the Beast, which so reuiue their decai∣ed sprits, that they set forward so fast, forgetting their tyred lims, to their iourneyes end, that their keepers can hardly follow.

I haue also seene in Alcair, a camell, that could dance at the sound of a Timbrell, being thereunto taught when he was young by this meanes; first he was brought into a roome like a stable, the pauement wherof was made hot by a fire vnderdeath it, and without doors stood a musitian playing on his timbrell, the camell not for loue of the musick, but for the [ 50] heat vnder his feete, lifted vp first one foot, and then another, as they doe which daunce, and so the heat increasing, he likewise did lift vp faster, whereunto he was accustomed for the space of ten moneths, at euery time one houre and a halfe, during which time the tim∣brell still sounded; so that at last, vse framed nature to such a straine, that he hearing a tim∣brell, he instantly remembred the fire that was wont to punish his feet, and so presently would leap to and fro like a dancer in publick spectacle, to the admiration of all beholders. Thus farre Leo Afer.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The descrip∣tion of a D••o¦medary, and the Etymolo¦gie of his name,
• * 1.2

  Didymus. Isidorus.
• * 1.3

  History.
• * 1.4

  Aelianus.
• * 1.5

  Diodorus
• * 1.6

  A relation of Ioh. Leo A∣fer, out of his ninth Booke of the descrip¦tion of Af∣fricke.