English boys have ridden upon an ass. In Arabia the ass is a handsome and
spirited creature. The horse is strong and swift, and yet obedient and
gentle. The camel is just suited to Arabia. His feet are fit to tread
upon the burning sands; because the soles are more like India-rubber than
like flesh: his hard mouth, lined with horn, is not hurt by the prickly
plants of the desert; and his hump full of fat is as good to him as a bag
of provisions: for on a journey the fat helps to support him, and enables
him to do with very little food. Besides all this, his inside is so made
that he can live without water for three days.

A dromedary is a swifter kind of camel, and is just as superior to a
camel as a riding-horse is to a cart-horse.


THE THREE PRODUCTIONS OF ARABIA.

These are coffee, dates, and gums.

For these Arabia is famous.

The coffee plants are shrubs. The hills are covered with them; the white
blossoms look beautiful among the dark green leaves, and so do the red
berries.

The dates grow on the palm-trees; and they are the chief food of the
Arabs. The Arabs despise those countries where there are no dates.

There are various sweet-smelling gums that flow from Arabian trees.