Blowing Up Camels

Moorish traders in camels seem to be no more honest than Yankee traders in horses have the reputation of bcing. The author of "Among the Arabs" describes as follows one of their tricks, which, according to bis account, only an expert is likely to detect. On one occasion, while in an Arab villago, he declared his intention of bnying a young camel. No sooner had liis (it-siie become known than at least twenty camels were brought for his inspection. They were all fine looking animáis, in excellent condition, apparently. In fact, the only fault our Frenchman could perceive was that they were too fat. After a proper amount of deliberation and bargaining, he selected the one which appeared to be the leancst, and paid the price agreed upon. The next morning, when he went to look at his fat camel he found a living skeleton, on whose almost fleshless bones the skin hung in large folds, and whose best development was about the joints. The method by which the camels are suddenly "fattened" for the market is thus described: An incisión about an inch In length is made in each ear between the skin and the flesh. Into this a small tube is fitted and secured by a silk cord. There it remains, hielden from the observation of all but the initiated and ready for use at any mome t. When a merchant who is not acquainted with the blowing tip trick comes to buy a camel the dealer takes two tubes, each a yard long, and insertingone end of each in the small tubes just described, through the other ends two Arabs blow with a'.l their might, until the animal has attair jd the requisite degree of plumpness. The mflating tubes are then withdrawn, and the air is prevented frorn escaping by ïneans of a cork smeared with pitch. The poor animal now becomes, apparently, quite lively and ftisky, trying to throw itself on the ground, or to press against the wall or a tree, or whatever other object ïnay be at hand, so as to get rid of the wind. Sometimes it manages to elude the vigilance of the Arab, and if the cork is not very securely f astened the wind escapes with a whistle like that of a steam engine and the fine looking beast suddenly