CAMEA. See CAMEA

(1.) * CAMEL. n. f. [camelus, Lat.] An animal very common in Arabia, Judea, and the neighbouring countries. One fort is large, and full of flesh, and fit to carry burdens of 1000 lb. weight, having one bunch upon its back. Another have two bunches upon their backs, like a natural fad dle, and are fit either for burdens, or men to ride on. A third kind is leaner, and of a finaller fize, called dromedaries, becaufe of their fwiftnefs; which are generally ufed for riding by men of quality.Camels have large folid feet, but not hard. Camels will continue ten or twelve days without eating or drinking, and keep water a long time in their ftomach, for their refrelhment. Calmet. Patient of thirst and toil,

: Son of the defart ! even the camel feels, Shot through his wither'd heart, the fiery blaft. Thomfon. (2.) CAMEL, in geography, a river in the county of Cornwall; alfo called ALAN.

(3.) CAMEL, in mechanics, a kind of machine ufed in Holland for raifing or lifting fhips, in order to bring them over the Pampus, at the mouth of the river Y, where the fhallowness of the water hinders large fhips from paling.. It is alfo'ufed in other places, particularly at the dock of Péterfburg, the veffels built there being, in their paffage to Cronstadt, lifted over the bar by means of camels. Thefe machines were originally invented by the celebrated De Wit, for the purpose above mentioned; and were introduced into Ruffia by Peter the Great, who obtained the model of them when he worked in Holland as a common fhip. wright. A camel is compofed of two feparate parts, whofe outfides are perpendicular, and whofe infides are concave, thaped fo as to embrace the hull of a fhip on both fides. Each part has a small cabin with 16 pumps and to plugs, and contain zo men. They are braced to a flip underneath by means of cables, and entirely enclose its fides and bottom; being then towed to the bar, the plugs are opened, and the water admitted until the camel finks with the fhip and runs a-ground. Then, the water being pumped out, the camel rifes, lifts up the vellel, and the whole is towed over the bar. This machine can raife the fhip 11 feet, or, in other words, make it draw 11 feet leis

swater.

(4.) CAMEL, in zoology. See CAMFLUS.

CAMELEON. See CHAMELEON, & LACERTA. (1.) CAMELFORD, a borough town of Cornwall feated on the Camel, confitting of about ico houfes, badly built; but the streets are broad and well paved. It has a great market for yarn, and 4 fairs, on the 1st Friday after 10 March, 26 May, ig July, and 17 Sept. It fends two members to parliament. It lies 24 miles from Launcefton, and 229 W. by S. of London. Lon. 4. 55. W. Lat. 50.42. N.

(2.) CAMELFORD, a village in Yorkshire, near Ferrybridge, on the inland navigation. CAMELINA, in botany. See CHENOPODIUM. CAMELLIA, in botany : A genus of the polyandria order,, belonging to the monadelphia clafs

leaves larger than the exterior. There is but one fpecies, a native both of China and Japan. The berg, in his Flora Japonica, defcribes it as grew ing every where, in the groves and gardens or ja pan, where it becomes a prodigioully large and tall tree, highly esteemed by the natives for the elegance of its large and very variable blooms, and its evergreen leaves. It is there found with fingle and double flowers, white, red, and purple, produced from April to October. Reprefente tions of this flower are frequently met with in Chinefe paintings. With us, the Camellia is pe nerally treated as a ftove plant, and propagated by layers; it is fometimes placed in the green. houfe; but it appears to its to be one of the pro pereft plants imaginade for the confervatory. At fome future time it may, perhaps, not be unco mon to treat it as a LAURUSTINUS OF MAGYO LIA: the high price at which it has hitherto be fold, has probably prevented its being hazarded in this way. The bloffoms are of a firm teatur, but apt to fall off long before they have lo ther brilliancy. Some ftick fuch deciduous blo, e on frefh buds, where they continue to look wil for a confiderable time. Petiver confidered this plant as a fpecies of tea tree; and future cllex tions will probably confirm his conjecture.

CAMELODUNUM, the ancient Roman nore, 1. of DONCASTER in Yorkshire: and 2. of Mal DEN in Effex. See CAMALODUNUM.

(1.)* CAMELOPARD. n. f. [from camelu and pardus, Lat.] An Abyffinian animal, taller than an elephant, but not fo thick. He is fo named, becaufe he has a neck and head like a camed; he is fpotted like a pard, but his fpots are white s pon a red ground. The Italians call him giaraja. Trevoux.

(2.) CAMELOPARD. See ASTRONOMY, (3.) CAMELOPARD, or in zoology, the in CAMELOPARDALIS, vial name of a pe cies of CERVus.

(.) * CAMELOT. CAMLET. m. [from came 1. A kind of ftuff originally made by a mixture of hilk and camels hair; it is now made with wo and filk.-This habit was not of camels fkin, nor any coarfe texture of its hair, but rather fore finer weave of camelot, grograin, or the like; as much as thefe Tuffs are fuppofed to be made of the hair of that animal. Broren's Vulgar Errath 2. Hair cloth.

Meantime the paftor shears their hoary beards, And eates, of their hair, the loaden herds : Their camelots warm in tents the foldier hold, And thield the fhiv'ring mariner from cold.

Dri

probably the origin of the term; but these are reprefented as ftrangely coarfe, rough, and prickly, and feem to have been chiefly uled among the monks by way of mortification, as the hair fhirt of later times. We have no camlets made in Europe of the goats hair alone; even at Bruffels, they add a mixture of woollen thread. England, France, Holland, and Flanders, are the chief places of this manufacture. Bruifels exceeds them all in the beauty and quality of its camlets: thofe of England are reputed the fecond.

(3.) CAMELOTS, FIGURED, are thofe of one colour, whereon are ftamped various figures, flowers, foliage, &c. by means of hot irons, which are a kind of moulds, paffed together with the stuff, under a prefs. Thefe 'are chiefly brought from Amiens and Flanders: the commerce of these was anciently much more confiderable than at prefent. (4) CAMELOTS, WATERED, thote which, after weaving, receive a certain preparation with water; and are afterwards paffed under a hot-prefs, which gives them a fmoothnefs and luftre.

(5.) CAMELOTE, WAVED, are those whereon waves are impreffed, as on tabbies; by means of a calender, under which they are paffed and repaffed feveral times. The manufacturers, &c. of camlets ought to take care they do not acquire any needlet's plaits; it being almost impoffible to get them out again. This is notorious, even to a proverb: we fay, a perion is like camlet, he has taken his plait.

CAMEL, QUEEN'S. See QUEEN-CAMEL. CAMELUS, the CAMEL, in zoology, a genus of quadrupeds belonging to the order of pecora. The characters of the camel are thefe: It has no horns; it has fix fore-teeth in the under jaw; the daniarii are wide fet, three in the upper, and two is the lower jaw; and there is a fiffure in the upper lip, refembling a cleft in the lip of a hare. There are 4 fpecies.

I. CAMELUS BACTRIANUS, the Bactrian camel, has two bunches on the back, but is in all respects like the DROMEDARIUS, (fee N° 2.) of which it seems to be a mere variety, rather than a different species; and is equally adapted for riding or carrying loads. It is ftill found wild in the deforts of the temperate parts of Afia, particularly in those between China and India. Thefe are larger and more generous than the domefticated race. The Ba&rian camel, which is very common in Afia, is extremely hardy, and in great ufe among the Tartars and Mongols, as a beat of burden, from the Cafpian Sea to the empire of China. It bears even fo fevere a climate as that of Siberia, being found about the lake Baikal, where the Burats and Mongols keep great numbers. They are far lefs than thofe which inhabit Western Tartary. Here they live during winter on willows and other trees, and are by this diet reduced very lean. They lofe their hair in April, and go naked all May, amidft the frofts of that severe climate. To thrive, they muft have dry ground and falt marthes. There are feveral varieties of this fpecies. The TURKMAN is the largest and ftrongeft. The Arabian is hardy. What is called the DROMEDARY, MAIHARY, and RAGUAHL, is very fwift. The common fort travel about 30 miles a day. The laft, which has a lefs bunch, and more deli

cate shape, and is also much inferior in fize, never carries burdens; but is ufed to ride on. In Arabia, they are trained for running-matches: and in many places for carrying couriers, who can go above roo miles a day on them, for 9 days together, over burning deferts, uninhabitable by any living creature. The African camels are the most hardy, having more diftant and more dreadful deferts to país over than any of the others, from Numidia to the kingdom of Ethiopia. In Western Tartary there is a white variety, very fearce, and facred to the idols and priests. The Chinese have a swift variety, which they call by the expreffive name of Fong Kyo Fo, or camels with feet of the wind. Fat of camels, or, as these people call it, oil of bunches, being drawn from them, is esteemed in many diforders, fuch as ulcers, numbness, and confumptions. This fpecies of camel is rare in Arabia, being an exotic, and only kept by great men. Camels have conftituted the riches of Arabia from the time of Job to the prefent day. The patriarch reckoned 6000 camels among his paftoral treasures, and the modern Arabs estimate their wealth by the number of these useful animals. Without them great part of Africa would be wretched; by them the whole commerce is carried through arid and burning tracts, impaffable but by beafts which Providence formed exprefsly for the fcorched deferts. Their foles are adapted to the fands they are to pass over, their toughness and fpungy foftnefs preventing them from cracking. Their great powers of fuftaining abstinence from drinking,,enables them to pass over unwater ed tracts for many days, without requiring the leaft quid; and their patience under hunger is fuch that they will travel many days fed only with a few dates, or fome fmall balls of bean or barleymeal, or on the miserable thorny plants they meet with in the deferts. The Arabians regard the camel as a prefent from heaven, a facred animal, without whofe affiftance they could neither fubfift, carry on trade, nor travel. Camel's milk is their common food. They alfo eat its flesh, that of the young camel being reckoned highly favoury. Of the hair of those animals, which is fine and foft, and which is completely renewed every year, the Arabians make stuffs for clothes, and other furniture. With their camels, they not only want nothing, but have nothing to fear. In one day, they can perform a journey of yo leagues into the defart, which cuts off every approach from their enemies. All the armies of the world would perish in purfuit of a troop of Arabs. Hence they never fubmit, unless from choice, to any power. With a view to his predatory expeditions, the Arab infructs, rears, and exercifes his camels. A few days after their birth, he folds their limbs under their belly, forces them to remain on the ground, and, in this fauation, loads them with a pretty heavy weight, which is never removed but for the purpose of replacing a greater. Inftead of allowing them to feed at pleasure, and to drink when they are dry, he begins with regulating their meals, and makes them gradually travel long journeys, diminishing, at the fame time, the quantity of their aliment. When they acquire fome strength, they are trained to the courfe. He excites their emulation by the example of horses, and, in time, renIiii 2

ders

ders them more robuft. In fine, after he is certain of the ftrength, fleetnefs, and fobriety of his camels, he loads them both with his own and their food, fets off with them, arrives unperceived at the confines of the defert, robs the firft paffengers he meets, pillages the folitary houfes, loads his camels with the booty, and, if purfued, he is obliged to accelerate his retreat. On thefe occafions he unfolds his own talents and those of the camels. He mounts one of the fleeteft, conducts the troop, and makes them travel night and day, without, almoft, either ftopping, eating, or drinking; and, in this manner, he eafily performs a Sourney of 900 miles in 8 days. During this period of motion and fatigue, his camels are perpetually loaded, and he allows them each day, one hour only of repofe, and a ball of pafte. They often run in this manner 9 or 10 days, without finding water; and when, by chance, there is a pool at fome diftance, they fcent the water half a league off. Thirft makes them double their pace, and they drink as much at once as ferves them for the time that is paft, and as much to come; for their journeys often laft feveral weeks, and their abftinence continues an equal time. Of all carriages, that by camels is the cheapest and most expeditious. The merchants and other paffengers unite in a caravan, to prevent the infults and robberies of the Arabs. These caravans are often very numerous, and are always compofed of more camels than men. Each camel is loaded in proportion to his ftrength; and, when overloaded, he refufes to march, and continues lying till his burden is lightened. The large camels generally carry 1000 or 1200 lb. weight, and the fmalleft from 600 to 700. In thefe commercial travels, their march is not haftened: As the route is often 700 or Spo leagues, their motions and journeys are regulated. They walk only, and perform about from 10 to 12 leagues each day. Every night they are un Joaded, and allowed to pasture at freedom. When in a rich country, or fertile meadow, they eat, in Jefs than an hour, as much as ferves them to rus minate the whole night, and to nourish them 24 hours. But they feldom meet with fuch paftures; neither is this delicate food neceffary for them. They even feem to prefer wormwood, thistles, nettles, broom, calia, and other prickly vegeta bles, to the fofteft herbage. As long as they find plants to broufe, they easily difpenie with drink. This facility of abstaining long from drink proceeds not, however, from habit alone, but is rather an effect of their structure. Independent of the 4 ftomachs, which are common to ruminating animals, the camels have a 5th bag, which ferves them as a refervoir for water. This 5th ftomach is peculiar to the camel. It is fo large as to contain a vast quantity of water, where it remains without corrupting, or mixing with the other aliments. When the animal is presled with thirft, and has occafion for water to macerate his dry food in ruminating, he makes part of this water mount into his paunch, or even as high as the efophagus, by a ample contraction of certain mufcles. It is by this fingular conftruction that the camel is enabled to país feveral days without drinking, and to take at a time a prodigious quan

water, which remains in the refervoir pure

and limpid, becaufe neither the liquors of the body, nor the juices of digeftion can mix with Travellers, when much oppreffed with drought, are fometimes obliged to kill their camels in orde to have a fupply of drink from thefe refervoir. Thefe inoffentive creatures must fuffer much; for they utter the moft lamentable cries, especialy when overloaded. But, though perpetually op preffed, their fortitude is equal to their docility. At the firft fignal, they bend their knees and lie down to be loaded, which faves their condecor the trouble of raising the goods to a great height, As foon as they are loaded, they rife spontaneou ly, and without any affiftance. One of them is mounted by their conductor, who goes before, and regulates the march of all the followers. They require neither whip nor fpur. But, when they begin to be tired, their courage is fupported, or rather their fatigue is charmed, by finging, of by the found of fome inftrument. Their con ductors relieve each other in finging; and, when they want to prolong the journey, they give the animals but one hour's reft; after which, refuming their fong, they proceed on their march for feve ral hours more, and the finging is continued till they arrive at another refting place, when the ca mels again lie down; and their loads, by unloofing the ropes, are allowed to glide off on each fice of the animals. Thus they fleep on their bellies in the middle of their baggage, which, next mor ing is fixed on their backs with equal quickne and facility as it had been detached the evening before. Fatigue, hunger, thirfi, and meagrenes, are not the only inconveniencies to which thefe animals are fubjected: To all these evils they are prepared by caftration. One male is only k for 8 or 10 females; and the labouring camel are generally geldings. They are unquestionably weaker than upmutilated males; but they are more tractable, and at all feafons ready for fervice; while the former are not only unmanage able, but almoft furious, during the rutting feafon, which lafts forty days, and returns annually in the spring. It is then faid, that they foam continually, and that one or two red veficles, a large as a hog's bladder, iffue from their mouths In this feafon they eat little, attack and bite an mals, and even their own mafters, to whom at a others times they are very fubmithiye. Their mode of copulating differs from that of other quadrapeds; for the female, inftead of ftanding, les down on her knees, and receives the males in the fame pofition that the repofes, or is loaded. The posture to which the animals are early accuftoned, must be natural, fince they affume it IpostBeoufly in coition. The time of geftation is near 12 months, and like all large quadrupeds, the ic males bring forth only one at a birth. Her milk is copious and thick; and when mixed with a large quantity of water, affords an excellent nounment to men. The females are not obliged to labour, but are allowed to paflure and produce at full liberty. The advantage derived from thes produce and their milk is perhaps fuperics to what could be drawn from their working. la fome places, however, moft of the females at caftrated, to fit them for labour; and it is aledged, that this operation, inftead of diminishing,