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Mr. Parsons, who saw the pilgrim caravan set out from Cairo some years ago, has given the following account. The cavalcade was six hours in passing him. The Camels were arrayed in every variety of splendid trappings, laden with provisions, and clothes, and cookery apparatus, and water-skins, and tents, and artillery, and holy sheiks, and mamelukes.

There were Camels "with two brass field-pieces each;" others "with bells and streamers;" others "with men beating kettle-drums;" others "covered with purple velvet;" others "with men walking by their sides, playing on flutes and flageolets;" others "handsomely ornamented about their necks, their bridles being studded with silver, intermixed with glass beads of all colours, and ostrich feathers on their foreheads ;" and last of all "the sacred Camel, an extraordinary large Camel, with a fine bridle studded with jewels and gold, and led by two holy sheiks, in green, a square house or chapel on his back."

In addition to these Camel splendours, there were horses with every variety of caparison; mamelukes, and pikemen, and janissaries, and agas, and the commander of the pilgrimage in robes of satin, to say nothing of numberless "buffoons playing many pranks."

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THIS animal is four and a half feet high, and five and a half to six feet long. He resembles the camel in form, but, instead of a hump on the back, has one on the breast. His colour is white, gray, and russet, disposed in spots. When in a wild state, the hair is coarse; when domesticated, it becomes fine.

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It is a native of the mountainous districts of Chili and Peru. In their wild state, they associate in immense herds on the highest part of the mountains, and while they are

feeding, a sentinel is stationed to give warning of any hostile intruder.

When domesticated, they are used in the manner of horses. They move at a grave pace, and will sometimes travel four or five days before they seem to require repose. They will then rest spontaneously for twenty or thirty hours. They browse the herbage as they travel, and ruminate at night. Their mode of expressing anger is by ejecting their saliva, which has erroneously been supposed to have a corrosive quality.

The Llama, of which there are two or three varieties, is of the camel kind. The Camel and Llama are the only animals of the race.

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THE GIRAFFE, OR CAMELOPARD.

SIZE.

FORM. COLOUR.

THE Giraffe is the tallest animal known in the world, its neck alone being seven feet long, and the top of its head about seventeen feet from the ground. The body is about the size of the horse, and something similar in shape to the camel. The back is sloping from the shoulders to the tail. The head resembles that of a horse, and is furnished with two blunt erect horns, about six inches long, and covered with a heavy skin. The neck is thin, like that of the stag, and the legs are very slender. The hide is spotted like the leopard, and, when the animal is young, is of a light red, but it becomes of a deeper colour as the age increases, and is at length of a yellow brown in the female, and of a brown approaching to black in the male. This difference of colour enables the male to be distinguished from the female at a distance.

HABITS. COUNTRIES.

The Giraffe is possessed of great strength, but it is gentle and timid. When attacked by the lion, as it sometimes is, it defends itself by kicks, which are made with great rapidity and force. It never employs its horns in resisting an attack. It runs with more speed than the horse, though it does not step so quick, and its walk is fast, but awkward. It feeds on the leaves and twigs of trees, and sometimes on grass, but not often, as the country which it inhabits has but little pasturage. It is known only in a wild state.

It inhabits the southern part of Africa, a little north-west of the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, and especially that part where a particular kind of tree is found, of which it is remarkably fond.

CURIOUS PARTICULARS.

The existence of the Giraffe, which is a peculiar species of animal, was for a long time doubted, on account of its rarity. There are several of these animals now in the gardens of the Zoological Society, at London, but there had been none in Europe for about three hundred and fifty years previous to the year 1727.

The manner in which the Giraffe feeds is interesting, from the singularity in the construction of its tongue. This organ not only has taste, but it has besides nearly all the powers of the proboscis of the elephant, although not possessed of the same strength. It can be extended to the length of seventeen inches, and can be so tapered as to enter the ring of a very small key. On account of its height, and the facility which the tongue has of grasping, by encircling objects, the Giraffe feeds principally on the tops of high trees.

Its mode of resting is, like most quadrupeds, on its sides; but the operation of lying down is curious and peculiar. When it sleeps it bends the neck, and rests the head on the hind quarter. The Giraffe is able to look on all sides, and is in this manner assisted in escaping from enemies.

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