Page:The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous substances 2.djvu/352

 cloth, which is used in its natural color, and is extremely warm, soft, and light." According to Prosper Alpinus, (Hist. Nat. Ægypti, l. iv. c. 7. p. 225.) the Egyptians manufactured from the hair of their camels not only coarse cloth for their tents, but other kinds so fine as to be worn not only by princes but even by the senators of Venice.

Elphinstone, in his account of Cabul (p. 295.), mentions, that "Oormuck, a fine cloth made of camels'-wool," is among the articles imported into Cabul from the Bokhara country. This country lies North of the Oxus, and East of the Southern extremity of the Caspian Sea, and is probably the country, to which Ctesias more especially referred. A still more recent authority is that of Moorcroft, who informs us, that "Cloth is now made from the wool of the wild camels of Khoten in Chinese Tartary," and that "at Astrakhan a fine cloth is manufactured from the wool of the camel foal of the first year ."