Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/544

 446 NORTH-WEST AFRICA. guislied by its great height, the grace and elegance of neck and legs, remarkable swiftness, and aiuazing endurance. Even when suffering pain, the raehari utters no cry, for fear of betraying his master. In summer, when on the march and loaded, he can hold out without food for seven days ; in winter he remains two months on the grazing-grounds without requiring to be watered. While the pack animal usually advances at the rate of from 2 to 3 miles an hour, or about 15 miles for a day's march, the mehari easily gets over the same number of leagues in the same time. Foureau mentions the case of an Insalah sheikh who covered a distance of about 180 miles in two days, mounted on one of these mehari. The breeding of camels occupies such a large portion of the life of the Targui, that dozens of terms have been developed to designate the mehari at all ages, in every condition of health or disease, every shade of colour, every state of work or repose. The animal is trained with the most sedulous care both for war and the course, and there are few more beautiful sights than that of a troop of mehari equipped for an expedition, or drawn up in order of battle. The animal with out- stretched neck and his rider with upraised spear seem at a little distance to form a single living being of strange and formidable appearance. The mehari reserved for the use of the women are taught to amble to the soimd of music. When the Tuareg women came to salute the members of Flatters' mission, one of them played some of the national airs on a kind of mandolin, while her mount accompanied the cadence with regular steps executed with surprising accuracy. The Targui always directs the movements of the animal by means of his bare feet. Seated on the high saddle, his back resting against the support, his legs crossed round a sort of cruciform pummel, he presses the camel's neck to the right or left with his feet, thus keeping both arms free to handle his weapons. Hence iu battle his aim is always directed against his opponent's feet. These once maimed, the animal obeys no longer, and ceases to act in concert with his rider. Formidable in war, and indispensable for all purposes of transport, the camel contributes also to the support of the natives. Its milk is almost the only nutri- ment of the family during the grazing season ; its hair is used to make cordage ; its droppings serve as manure for the palms, or else, when dried, as a valuable fuel. It is also at times led to the shambles, its flesh being reserved for the enter- tainment of distinguished guests. Lastly its skin, one of the very best of its kind, is utilised for the manufacture of tents, trappings, harness, and household fittings. For the Targui, the camels are thus a source of inestimable wealth. But they arq relatively far from numerous, the most opulent of these highlanders rarely owning a herd of more than fifty head. The Tuareg Berbers. In the country of the Tuaregs, as well as in Tripolitana, Fezzan, And the Algerian Sahara, stone implements, and other objects dating from prehistoric times, have frequently been found. Travellers have also discovered ancient burial-places,