"Many _people_!" ejaculated Jill. "What a lot of servants for two!"

"Let me explain! In Egypt, Arabia, or Persia, when we speak of sheep
or horses we say so many 'head,' but not so of the camel. The camel is
the most cherished possession of the Arab.

"There are three events which bring joy to us, and which are occasions
of greatest festival, namely, the birth of a son, the birth of a
she-camel, and the birth of a mare. The she-camel provides her master
with food for both himself and his horses; for in an area, or season,
where there is little water but an abundance of juicy grass in which
the camel finds both food and drink, the camel's milk is given to the
horses in lieu of water, the master's covering and tent are made of the
hair, the waterless places are known to him through her. There are
many other ways in which the animal is useful, and for which we daily
return thanks to Allah, therefore we speak of them as persons, so many
persons in a herd, because as the proverb says, 'God created the camel
for the Arab, and the Arab for the camel.'

"Therefore for each resting-place there are two one-humped camels to
carry all things necessary for your night's sojourn."

"Why one-humped?" asked the girl, who was of an inquiring turn of mind,
and was getting slightly mixed with her first endeavour to grasp
something of Eastern life.

"The one-humped or, as we say, the Dyemal-mai, which means water-camel,
although they cannot carry so heavy a load as the Bactrian, can go even
up to eight or nine days without water.