A Camel with its Owner
Photograph by John Thomson
Until the advent of the railways, the camel
was the main form of transport throughout north China and into
Central Asia. This animal was held in high esteem among the
Mongols, for it is physically adapted for traversing the sandy
plains of the Gobi Desert. The camel's stomach has bladders that
enable it to carry a store of fresh water, and, in like manner, its
humps are furnished with a store of food in the shape of fatty
matter that can be absorbed in times of need.