His nostrils are formed so that he can close them at will to keep out the drifting sand, and his stomach is so contrived that it will hold a supply of water sufficient for six or eight days. There are numerous cells or cups in the animal's stomach, and when he has plenty of time for drinking he fills all these cells, and thus accumulates a store for future use. His scent is very keen, and he can discover water at a great distance, and will sometimes break his halter and rush in search of a pool or spring of whose existence his master is not aware. He can get along with a very small quantity of food, and can, moreover, lay in a supply for hard times.
When he is not at work, and has good pasturage, the camel becomes fat, and his hump is especially round and full--it is a mass of fat; and when he is overworked and poorly fed, as he generally is in the desert, the fat goes away from the hump to nourish the rest of the body. This is particularly noticeable of the camels in Asia Minor, where they are in very active use till they get worn to skeletons, and are then turned out to rest and recover their fat.
[Illustration: THE DROMEDARY REGIMENT OF NAPOLEON I.]
Camels are not unfrequently used by the Egyptian Government for military purposes, not only for carrying provisions and other munitions of war, but for mounting troops in regions where it is necessary to make long marches over the desert. Napoleon Bonaparte, during his expedition to Egypt in 1798, organized a regiment of this kind, and found it of great service. Officers and men were mounted on camels or dromedaries, and on one occasion they made a march of ninety miles without halting for food or rest. Napoleon was greatly pleased at the success of his scheme, as it enabled him to move his men more rapidly than by any other means.
It required some time for the party to set out on the ride from Assouan, as there was a good deal of difficulty in getting everybody comfortably seated. As we have before stated, Frank and Fred selected their camels before breakfast, and the Doctor did not take many minutes for making his choice. The three set out in advance of the rest, and proceeded to the quarries that furnished the stone for the obelisks, the coffins of the sacred bulls, and many other things that have become famous in the history of ancient Egypt.