THE NUBIAN CAMELS.
[To TRIO EDITOR OF TDB " SPECTATOR."] Sin,—The brilliant article (" Africa Translated") in the Spectator of September 22 induced me, as it must have induced many others, to go and see Shero, Ham, and Japhet in calico, rather than in the conventional " ulster " of their period, and much was I pleased, but I could not agree with your contributor as to the melancholy wail of the camel. How could it be otherwise, when caused by the exquisite torture of a wire inserted in the tender skin of one nostril, so that the poor beast should be made to "field up its head and look smart," as some few of our horses are still made to do by the cruel bearing-rein ? The docile, patient camel can evidently be quite easily held in control by a cord round its nose ; the horrible, seton-like wire is only inserted when the orna- mental has to be added to the useful, as in the case of the animal which the priest rode ; and as there were but two more equally wretched victims, possibly they also were tortured to do honour to magnates.
The Nubians having the character of being amiable, this cruelty is perhaps only the result of thoughtlessness, and if your calling attention to the matter should induce an alteration, the reform might possibly spread on their return to Nubia ; and then, who can tell how many thousand camels may have cause to bless the name of the kindly editor of the Spectator ?
I fancy that I shall not in vain ask space for this remonstrance of you, Sir, who are one of that little band which stands, and will continuo to stand, shoulder to shoulder until the accursed prac- tice of vivisection shall be no more. In this hope, I am, Sir, Sm.,
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