CHAPTER VI.CAMELS-WOOL AND CAMELS-HAIR.

Camels’-wool and Camels’-hair—Ctesias’ account—Testimony of modern travellers—Arab tent of Camels’-hair—Fine cloths still made of Camels’-wool—The use of hair of various animals in the manufacture of beautiful stuffs by the ancient Mexicans—Hair used by the Candian women in the manufacture of broidered stuffs—Broidered stuffs of the negresses of Senegal—Their great beauty.

We are informed by Ctesias, in a fragment of the 10th Book of his Persic History, that there were camels in a part of Persia, whose hair, soft as Milesian fleeces, was used to make garments for the priests and the other potentates[402].

[402]Apollonii Mirabilia xx. Ælian, Hist. An. xvii. 34. Ctesiæ Fragmenta, a Bähr, p. 224.

John the Baptist wore a garment of camels’-hair; but this must be supposed to have been coarse. (Matt.iii. 4.,Marki. 6.)[403]. This passage of scripture is illustrated by Harmer in the following observation[404]:

“This hair, Sir J. Chardin tells us (in his MS. note on 1Sam.xxv. 4.) is not shorn from the camels like wool from sheep, but they pull off this woolly hair, which the camels are disposed to cast off; as many other creatures, it is well known, change their coats yearly. This hair is made into cloth now. Chardin assures us the modern dervishes wear such garments.”

[403]“And the same John had his raiment of camels’-hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.”—Matt.iii. 4, also in Mark:“And John was clothed with camels’-hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey.”—Marki. 6.[404]Ch. xi. Obs. 83. vol. iv. p. 416. ed. Clarke.

[403]“And the same John had his raiment of camels’-hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.”—Matt.iii. 4, also in Mark:

“And John was clothed with camels’-hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey.”—Marki. 6.

[404]Ch. xi. Obs. 83. vol. iv. p. 416. ed. Clarke.

Campbell, the poet, mentions a tent of camels’-hair cloth, which he saw at an Arab encampment between Oran and Mascara in the kingdom of Algiers. It was 25 feet in diameter and very lofty. (Letters from the South, 1837,vol.ii.p.212.) He also mentions (vol.i.p.161.) that the Kabyles or Berbers, who live in the vicinity of Algiers, and are descended from the original occupants of the country, dwell in “tents of camels’-hair.” We are informed that the Chinese makecarpetsof the same material[405].Coverletsof goats’ or camels’-hair are used by the soldiers in Turkey to sleep under[406]. “The Circassians, when marching, or on a journey, always add to their other garments a cloak made from camel or goats’-hair, with a hood, which completely envelopes the whole person. It is impenetrable by rain; and it forms their bed at night, and protects them from the scorching sun by day[407].”

[405]China, its Costume, Arts, Manufactures, &c., by Bertin: translated from the French. London, 1812, vol. iv.[406]Travels in Circassia, by Edmund Spencer, vol. i. p. 202.[407]Ibid. vol. ii. p. 219.

[405]China, its Costume, Arts, Manufactures, &c., by Bertin: translated from the French. London, 1812, vol. iv.

[406]Travels in Circassia, by Edmund Spencer, vol. i. p. 202.

[407]Ibid. vol. ii. p. 219.

Fortunatus, in his life of St. Martin (l. iv.), describes a garment of such cloth; but it may be doubted whether he took his description from actual knowledge of the use of it, or only from the account in Matthew of the dress of John the Baptist already quoted.

Camels’-hair of annual growth would vary in fineness according to circumstances, and might be used either for the coarse raiment of prophets and dervises,or for the costly shawls, to which Ctesias alludes. Fine wool, adapted to the latter purpose, might also grow, as in the goat and beaver, beneath the long hair of the camel. It has been doubted whether cloth so fine and beautiful as Ctesias asserts, could possibly be obtained from camels. The following accounts by modern travellers illustrate and justify the statement of the suspected ancient.

Marco Polo, who travelled in the 13th century, in his account of the city of Kalaka, which was in the province of Tangut and subject to the Great Kahn, says[408], “In this city they manufacture beautiful camelots, the finest known in the world, of the hair of camels and likewise of fine wool.” According to Pallas, (Travels, vol. ii. § 8.,) “From the hair of the camel the Tartar women in the plains of the Crimea manufacture a narrowcloth, 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.

[408]Book i. ch. 52. p. 235. of Marsden’s Translation.

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[409].”

[409]Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. i. p. 241, 242.It is customary in many parts of the East, as it was in Mexico in the time of Cortes (SeePart Third, Chapter I.) to use the hair of various animals in embroidering garments. The Candian women even embroider with their own hair, as well as that of animals, with which they make splendid representations of flowers, foliage, &c.: they also insert the skins of eels and serpents.According to M. de Busson, the negresses of Senegal, embroider the skins of various beasts, representing figures, flowers, and animals, in every variety of color.

[409]Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. i. p. 241, 242.

It is customary in many parts of the East, as it was in Mexico in the time of Cortes (SeePart Third, Chapter I.) to use the hair of various animals in embroidering garments. The Candian women even embroider with their own hair, as well as that of animals, with which they make splendid representations of flowers, foliage, &c.: they also insert the skins of eels and serpents.

According to M. de Busson, the negresses of Senegal, embroider the skins of various beasts, representing figures, flowers, and animals, in every variety of color.

Plate V.Drawn from the life.INDIAN LOOMwith the process of Winding off theTHREAD.

Plate V.

Drawn from the life.INDIAN LOOMwith the process of Winding off theTHREAD.

Drawn from the life.

INDIAN LOOMwith the process of Winding off theTHREAD.

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