Dromedary

DROMEDARY, a sort of Camel called Dromedary, Dromas, or Dromedarius, by reason of its running very swiftly, from a word derived from the Greek, dremo, I run. Dromedaries are smaller than common Camels, slenderer, and more nimble. Upon their backs they have a kind of natural saddle, which is composed of a great deal of hair, that stands up and forms as it were a large bunch. Persons of Quality in the East generally make use of Dromedaries when they would go with speed. We are assured that they can go an hundred miles a-day with them, which make something above three and thirty leagues, at Vincent le Blanc, Voyag. partie 2. c. 22.three miles a league. Vincent le Blanc tells us, that there are some which will travel fifty leagues in a day. Isaiah, chap. xlvi. ver. 20. calls this creature, as Bochart believes, Biccuroth. But the word Bichrim which we meet with in the same Prophet, and is translated by St. Jerom, Dromedaries, Isa. lx. 6.Dromedarii Madian & Epha, signifies, in the opinion of several Expositors, young Camels. Nevertheless, Bichra, the feminine of Bicher, is taken for a Dromedary in Jeremiah, and is so understood by Jerem. ii. 23. קלה בקרהAquila, Symmachus and Theodotion. St. Jerom, Cursor levis, a Courser. The name of Bactrian, which the Dromedary goes by, Aq. Sym. Theod. Δρομάς.comes pretty near the Hebrew, Bikker, a Dromedary, and Bikkerah, or Bikkerath, a female Dromedary. There are two sorts of Dromedaries, one of a larger kind, with two bunches upon its back; the other lesser, with one only. Both are very common in the western parts of Asia, such as Syria and Arabia. That which has but one bunch upon its back, is more commonly called Camel, the other is named Dromedary. They are both capable of very great fatigues; their hair is soft, and short: but about the middle of their backs, Camels have a little eminence covered with hair a foot high upon their bunch, and Dromedaries have two bunches, and two eminencies of hair, which however are very small; and if we rightly consider it, Dromedaries and Camels are no more hunch-back’d than other Animals. They have no sangers and fore-teeth; they have no horn upon their feet, for they are only covered with a fleshy skin. It is said that when they drink, they disturb the water with their feet; for which, different causes are assigned by different persons: some believe they do this to make the water heavier, that it may continue longer in their stomachs. They are said to drink a great deal, and keep it a long time against their being thirsty afterwards; nay, some will have it that travellers upon pressing necessities open their stomachs, take out the water contained in them, and satisfy their thirst with it. The stomach of these creatures is composed of four ventricles, and in the second there are several mouths which open a passage into about twenty cavities made like sacks, that serve them for conservatories of water. The Dromedary is seven feet and a half high, from the ground to the top of its head.

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