Ourguide，Ramotobi，whohadspenthisyouthintheDesert，declaredthat，thoughappearanceswereagainstus，therewasplentyofwaterathand。
Wehadourmisgivings，forthespadesweresoonproduced；
butourguides，despisingsuchnew-fangledaid，beganingoodearnesttoscrapeoutthesandwiththeirhandsTheonlywaterwehadanypromiseofforthenextseventymilesthatis，forajourneyofthreedayswiththewagonswastobegothereBytheaidofbothspadesandfingerstwooftheholeswereclearedout，soastoformpitssixfeetdeepandaboutasmanybroadOurguideswereespeciallyearnestintheirinjunctionstousnottobreakthroughthehardstratumofsandatthebottom，becausetheyknew，ifitwerebrokenthrough，“thewaterwouldgoaway。”Theyarequitecorrect，forthewaterseemstolieonthisflooringofincipientsandstoneThevalueoftheadvicewasprovedinthecaseofanEnglishmanwhosewitswerenoneofthebrightest，who，disregardingit，dugthroughthesandystratuminthewellsatMohotluani：
thewaterimmediatelyflowedawaydownward，andthewellbecameuseless。
Whenwecametothestratum，wefoundthatthewaterflowedinonallsidesclosetothelinewherethesoftsandcameincontactwithit。