WHY CAMELS GET THE HUMP.

Cromwell Argus, Volume LXI, Issue 3167, 15 June 1931, Page 2

WHY CAMELS GET THE HUMP.

The greatest obstacle to a sympathetic understanding with the camel 1> the nose rope. Arabian camels have halters, but throughout the eastern half of Asia the leading rope is made fast to a wooden pin through the nostrils. The thin membrane between the nostrils is punctured when the camel is about, two years old, and a peg five inches or so long is put through, with a knob at one end and a notch for the leading string at the other, near the point.

The rope is attached to the pin by a light string, which will break before any injury can be done the beast's noße in case he falls. But a heavyhanded person can give this rope a jerk that is extremely painful without breaking the string, and no camel. Is long a beast of burden without bavin* had many such jerks.

The result Is that, when a#y one approaches a camel with outstretched hand, he throws bis head as high as be can get it, edges clumsily away and screams his protests. If the man who reaches up-for the rope is a stranger, the -camel will probably spatter him fiom head to foot with its foul-smelling cud, and a bad-tempered old stallion may even bite or kick. If you can reach up and take the leading rope of your camel without exciting him to any such demonstration (says Rodney Gilbert in "Asia"), you may be sure that you have won his confidence and had never hurt his nose.

It requires infinite patience to Inspire this degree of faith; but, once your mount does have such confidence in you, he regards you as a friend, and will not only let you take the rope. but will kneel readily at the commanJ "Sok!" (pronounced "soak" and not "sock"), and will even lower his head and gurgle affectionately as a hint that he would enjoy having the base of his ears scratched.