CAMEL-RIDING. 263 the snn. If the heat is very great, it is a good plan to wear a pad about eight inches broad hanging down the back. The helmet should not be too light, or it is apt to be blown off by the winds, which are often very strong. If spectacles are worn, it is better to have " London smoke," not blue ones, and the frames should be horn or silver. The saddle is very important, and should always be personally examined before starting, to be quite sure that both it and its pads are in good order and fit the back of the camel. The drivers are not sufficiently careful in these matters, but always say all is right, and if one trusts to them, often after an hour's ride the saddle slips or breaks, the guide rein is found to be rotten, or some similar mishap occurs, making a whole journey miserable. The saddle should not sit too low over the camel's hump ; some people prefer stirrups, but I cannot say that I found much benefit from them ; when one becomes accustomed to the Arab mode of crossing the legs in front of the pommel, that mode seems to me the best. Whether intending to travel with or without a large caravan, it is better to have a '* begin " or riding camel for personal use. They are much less tiring to ride, and it is not necessary for the traveller to be so many hours in the saddle at a time, for he can ride forward in advance of the caravan and rest until it comes up. Before starting on a desert ride the water-skins should also be inspected ; they should be