HEe borrows his name from the Camel,* 1.1 whom in bulk he resembles, and from the Pard, or Panther, whom he resembles in his spotted skin. The name, and the beast came first from Alexan∣dria to Rome. He bears other names, as, wilde Sheep; from his gentlenesse, and living in de∣serts, and Nabis,* 1.2 Nabuna; by the Ethiopians, Anabula, & Saffarat, and Orasius, but falsly. Since that is a beautifull, this a misshapen beast; of late, Giraffa, corruptly Saffarat. Nor Aristotle, nor Aelian mention him; Strabo, and other ancients,* 1.3 differently describe him. One writes, that he is so long-necked, that he can reach his food from the highest trees, and that his skin is checkered like a hinds, and streaked; he is lower behind,* 1.4 then afore: sitting, he seems as high as an Ox, he is taller then the Camell, and gentle as tame cattell. Pliny makes him horse-necked, ox-thighed, camel-headed, with glistering white spots. He is slender, and swan∣necked. Bellonius saith,* 1.5 he saw three in Cair, each had two small horns, sticking six fingers long out the forehead,* 1.6 and a bunch out the midst of the forehead, like another horn, about two fingers long,* 1.7 the neck seven foot long; and when he stretcheth it out, it is sixteen foot from the ground, he is eighteen foot from the tayl to the top of his head; that his legs are of an equall length;* 1.8 on his thighs afore stand much higher then those behind; his back, from his tayl to the top of his head, rises like a ladder, and as a ship-keel, the whole body marked with great spots, like a deers, foure∣squared, nine inches broad, the ends white, and a finger broad. The whole body, like a net, the spots are not round like the Leo∣pards, the foot cloven, like the oxes. The up∣per-lip hangs far over the lower. The tayl is thin and small, hairy at top. He hath a mane like a horse, reaching from the back to the top of his head. He seems to halt, as he goes, now on the right side, anone on the left; but on legs, and sides wagling; and when he would either eat, or drink any thing from the ground, hee straddles wide afore, and bends his legs; otherwise he cannot eat. His tongue is two foot long, of a darke violet-colour, round as an eel, wherewith he licks in boughs, leaves, grasse, nimbly, and even undiscernally.
Purchas, out of Fernando the Jesuite, writes, that he is so vast and tall, that a man on horse∣back can passe under his belly; he is found in Africa among the Troglodites, and in Ethiopia. Caesar the Dictator,* 1.9 made them first a part of his Shew at Rome. After him Gordianus shewed 10. Aurelia also led some of them in Triumph. The Ethiops presented one to Leo the Emperor. A Sultan of Babilon, another to Frederick;* 1.10 and another Sultan, another to Laurence de Medices. His keeper can easily lead him with a head-stall,* 1.11 as he list. The Jews might not eat of them, whence perhaps they come to abound so in Judaea.