KALEIFE AND HIS DROMEDARY.—The Bedouin and the dromedary, “the ship of the desert,” were very much in evidence at the Ottoman’s Arab camp, or “Wild East Show ‘ The “ship” when under full sail around the encampment was gorgeously decorated, and his driver was not less brightly appareled. Why in a region as warm as the desert is supposed to be so much covering should be deemed a necessity is hard to say, but on all state occasions both the Arabs and their beasts were burdened with a great deal of what was gaudy but not neat. There was a general “flapping” effect when a dromedary with his loosely garmented rider went careering over the grounds. The dromedary appearing in the illustration was counted by his Bedouin owners as a beast of exceptionally good blood and fine points, though to American eyes these desirable qualities were not at once perceptible. In fact, judging from the comments of visitors, the impression seemed to be that a dromedary’s neck curved the wrong way and that the general appearance of its figure and countenance might be much improved upon. Unquestionably picturesque and interesting, though, and in their way, instructive, were the Wild East exhibitions, and in these dromedaries and their riders were necessarily features second only in importance to the troop of wild Arab riders on their blooded horses. Many a visitor was reminded by the curious scene before him of the pictures in the old geographies. If the “Wild East Show” could have given an exhibition of a sirocco the reminiscence would have been complete.

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