CLIMATE OF THE KARROO. 83 



ally, in very heavy thunder-storms, the glorious supplies 

 pour in too lavishly ; the embankment, unable to resist 

 the pressure, gives way ; and the disappointed farmer, 

 who has ridden up in the hope of feasting his eyes on 

 watery wealth, beholds his treasure flowing uselessly 

 and aimlessly away across the veldt. 



Then, too, even the noblest of dams must dry up in 

 a long drought ; and that landowner is wise who does 

 not depend solely on this form of water-supply, but 

 who takes the precaution of sinking one or more good 

 wells. This is expensive work — especially when, as in 

 our case, the hard rock has to be blown away by dyna- 

 mite ; a party of navvies, encamped on the farm for 

 weeks, progressing but slowly and laboriously at the 

 rate of about one foot per day, for which the payment 

 is £5 a foot ; but the advantage is seen during the pro- 

 tracted droughts. Then, on farms which only possess 

 dams, the ostriches and other stock are seen lying dead 

 in all directions, a most melancholy sight. Where there 

 is a well, however, the animals can always be kept 

 alive. The water may go down rather low, and the 

 supply doled out to the thirsty creatures may not be 

 very plentiful ; but with careful management no stock 

 need be lost durin<T the long^est of drouichts. But, even 

 with our good well, we found it necessary to be very 

 economical ; and the few small eucalypti and other 

 trees which, with great difficulty, we kept alive near 

 the house, have often for weeks too^ether been obliofed 

 to content themselves with the soapy water from the 

 baths ; while our poor little patch of kitchen-garden 



