308 MEHEMED ALl'S SLAVE-HUNTS.

necessary articles are furnished. To provisions very little attention is paid, for the harvest terminates with the rainy season, and the soldiers well know by many years experience where to find the supplies of the poor negroes, gained absolutely by the sweat of their brow, but vainly hidden from the rapacious hands of these avaricious barbarians. The province of Dar Hammer is more especially oppressed for the purpose of obtaining camels ; but as the majority consists of young animals which have never borne a weight upon their backs, and must therefore be taught to bend to receive their load or for the convenience of their rider, each soldier is provided with his camel ten to fourteen days before the march, during which interval they are daily exercised in the morning and afternoon. It is really a very imposing sight to behold these hundreds of camels collected together on one spot, where the obstinate animals are being broken in to kneel down. A well-taught camel always exhibits evident signs of displeasure and utters a piercing cry whenever it bends down ; imagine therefore in addition, an immense number of wild unbroken beasts who are frequently obliged to be pulled down on their knees by ropes, and you will be able to form a slight idea of the exercising ground. It frequently happens that a clumsy rider is thrown in mounting, or rather as the animal rises, and receives a severe injury. But even on this occasion we have proof that the animal must succumb to the will of man,