A description of the nature of four-footed beasts with their figures en[graven in brass] / written in Latin by Dr. John Johnston ; translated into English by J.P.

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Title
A description of the nature of four-footed beasts with their figures en[graven in brass] / written in Latin by Dr. John Johnston ; translated into English by J.P.
Author
Jonstonus, Joannes, 1603-1675.
Publication
Amsterdam :: Printed for the widow of John Jacobsen Schipper, and Stephen Swart,
1678.
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Subject terms
Animal behavior -- Early works to 1800.
Zoology -- Pre-Linnean works.
Natural history -- Pre-Linnean works.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A46231.0001.001
Cite this Item
"A description of the nature of four-footed beasts with their figures en[graven in brass] / written in Latin by Dr. John Johnston ; translated into English by J.P." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A46231.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 19, 2025.

Pages

ARTICLE I. Of the Camell.

THus far of the Horned-beasts chew∣ing the cud.* 1.1 Those that have no horns, are the Camell, and the Camell-pan∣ther.

The Camell is so called either from the He∣brew Gamal,* 1.2 or the Greek Kamnoo, to labour, since hee is a Beast of carriage; or from Cha∣mai, lowly; because hee kneels to take up his burden;* 1.3 or from Kammeros, crooked, from his manner of bending.* 1.4 Hee is cloven-footed, but behind on one fashion, afore on another; the clefts like the Gooses are filled.* 1.5 The Bunch on their back differences them from all other beasts: Hee hath another below like it, that seems to support his body, it is about the ben∣ding of the knee. The female hath four teats like the Cow: Tayled like the Asse. The Geni∣tal behind, and so sinewy, that with it men bend the strongest bows:* 1.6 On either thigh a knee; nor more folds, but they seeme so many, because they come under the belly. The ankle like the Oxes. The buttock answers the bulk of the body: The gall is not distinct, but confounded with certain veins.* 1.7 Hee hath no fore-teeth

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above. Hee alone of the hornles beasts hath a double stomack, to disgest his thorny hard food.* 1.8 Therefore the skin that covers his mouth and stomack, is througout rough: Some write of their marrow and sewet. They are found in Africa and Asia,* 1.9 in Bactria especially and Ara∣bia, and in Ionia by the city Clazomenia, where they leave whole fields for them to feed in. Mi∣thridates* 1.10 being overcome by the river Rhijn∣dacus, they were first (saith Salust) seen at Rome; but there wee of them seen in the Achaian and Asian warre. Ptolomy at Lagus* 1.11 shewed a Bactrian one all over coleblack among his sights. They delight in thorny and woody food; they brows also on bulrush tops, nor refuse they barly alone, or with hay, or thin low grasse; sometimes content with thistles:* 1.12 Now a dayes they that travell through the de∣serts of Arabia, give each five barly cakes a day, as bigh each as an Quince: They can goe four dayes together without drinke; but when they come to water, they drinke so much, as not on∣ly quenches thirst,* 1.13 but serves for the day fol∣lowing. They love muddy, and avoid cleare water: they stamp on purpose in their water to thicken it. The later ones they say can refrain from drinking 12, nay 15 dayes together, if need be; and some eye-witnesses affirme that in Biled Elgerid, if they feed on fresh grasse, they never drinke. About their Engendring, the po∣strue and manner read Pliny, and Aristotle. In coupling-time they retire into lonely places;* 1.14 when none can safely come near them, but their keeper. Some say the female goes ten months, and in the eleventh brings forth; and a year intermitted couples again.* 1.15 They bring forth in the spring, and some say, they pre∣sently after couple. Writers differ about it. They have three enemies,* 1.16 the Horse, the Lion, and the Gadfly. Cyrus with his Camels worsted Craesus his Horse;* 1.17 for Horses cannot endure their smell And the Arabs smeare their Camels with fish fat, to keep away the flies from vexing them.

They are troubled with the gout, whereof they dy,* 1.18 and shedding all their hair, is another of their diseases.* 1.19 They run mad sometimes through lust, and remember a wrong, and kill whoever they meet, even their guides. This frensie lasts fourty dayes.* 1.20 Some say, Hierom writes of one in Bactria, that had killed divers men; there were above thirty men to master him with strong ropes, and a great out-cry. His eyes were blood-red, he fomed at mouth, his tongue swelled, and he roared hideously. Some live fifty years,* 1.21 some last hundred, un∣lesse change of hair bring them into diseases, they live longest in Bactria.* 1.22 Their disposition, nature, appears in their revengefulnes, teachable∣nesse, love of musick, modesty, and naturall af∣fection. He layes up an injury long,* 1.23 being stro∣ken, and watches occasion to be revenged. He may be taught by a drum to lead a dance;* 1.24 they use a yong one to tread on a hote floor, which makes him lift up his feet by turns;* 1.25 a drum being still beaten at door. They use him to it a year in this school; and after, when ever he hears a drum, he falls a capring; when he be∣gins to tire, musick will invite him on, when blows cannot force him.* 1.26 He will not couple with his dame. If being blinded he be betrayed to it, in revenge he will kill the causer of it. He is compassionate. He eats all night; but for∣beares, if any in the stable be sick. This the Indians observed. When they would have them speedy▪ they take their yong ones along some miles with the dame; Shee will double her pace to returne to her yong ones. He is very usefull. In medicine, the flesh provokes urine.* 1.27 The fat of the bunch smoked helps the Hemrods. The brain dried, with vineger, the fal∣ling sicknesse. The blood furthers conception, and is good against the stoppings of the mo∣ther, if used after the moneths. The milk eases the belly, being thin and waterish, it helps the cramp, and wakens appetite. The urine, (which fullers also use) whitens and cleanses the teeth. The tayl dried loosens.* 1.28 The dung with oyl makes the hair curl. The same, white, pounded with hony, allays swellings, and clenses wounds. It is said,* 1.29 that the bristles of the tayl wreath, and tied to the left arme cures the quartane; if you will beleeve it, we know that the Arabs eat the milk.* 1.30 Galen saith, the Alexandrians eat the flesh. Heliogabalus, Apicius like, fed on it some∣times at supper; and the heels being tenderest. The Jews of old made it their food. Some reckon that,* 1.31 and the milk among dainties. This, in those that are near foaling, is of a lesse cheesy, and buttery substance. Historians re∣late their use in war. Hence some armes have their names, as we shall shew, if God give leave, in our Philology.* 1.32 In Arabia, Aegypt, &c. they travell not without them. They are good for carriage, but stinted to so much weight; usually six hundred pound; for a need, a thousand. While they are loaden, and unloaden, they ly down on their belly; and feeling they have their just load, they rise up, and will carry no more. The African Camels will travell with ease fifthy dayes together without intermis∣sion. Some are fat,* 1.33 some leane, there are red∣dish, and white. The swiftest are called Drome∣daries; these are lower then the other. They will travell above an hundred mile in one day. They are fleeter then Nisaean horses.* 1.34 The females are swiftest.* 1.35 The Arabian are double-bunched on the back, called thence Dityloi. The Bactrian are held strongest, and have one bunch under the belly to ly on. The Caspian are as big as the greatest horse. The African are of three kinds; the first is called Hugium, who are indeed huge great,* 1.36 and strong, able to carry a 1000 pound weight. The second sort are lesse, double-bunched on the back, called Beceti, fit for carriage, and to ride on; the Asians know no other. The last they call Raguahil, they are lanke, and slender; fit onely for the sadle, he will carry a man an hundred miles a day. On these the King of Tambutus uses to send his messengers to Segelmessis, or Darha, 900 miles of, in the space of eight dayes,

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without any baiting, or resting by the way.

Notes

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