Page:Horse shoes and horse shoeing.djvu/84

 that the feet of camels were in time of war, or on long journeys, shod. And we infer that the Καρβατιναι mentioned by them were formed of a pliable leather sock covering the foot, stouter perhaps on the sole than elsewhere, and which, passing up the leg, was there fastened by thongs or bandages.

A friend who was for a long period surveying in Africa, and whose duties carried him as far as the Soudan, informed me that horses are but seldom shod on the immense alluvial surface of the Sahara, where, for enormous distances, not a stone the size of a pebble is to be seen. In the rocky or stony regions, however, all are shod, and on long journeys the retention of the shoes and protection of the hoofs is a matter of much concern to the horsemen. To guard against the evil consequences that would follow the loss of one or two shoes by a horse when others could not be readily supplied, the conductors or followers of caravans, as well as the horsemen, are careful always to carry with them a sufficient quantity of leather to make socks to wrap the exposed hoof in. On the death of a camel—an event of frequent occurrence—a piece of the thickest part of the hide is removed; and when this begins to dry, it is subjected to long-continued and almost incessant manipulation, to make it soft and pliable, so as to fit closely to the hoof when required. The Arabs are often observed on the march pulling, rubbing, twisting, and stretching the lately-stripped camel-skin, solely with the intention of using it as a sock for the horses or camels when they become foot-sore.

In Japan, in 1860, the large black bulls used as pack animals, were often seen wearing foot-covers of this