Artesian Wells. 3^7 



beds soon become nearly dry channels again. They have cut their way 

 through the mountain ranges in deep gorges and have eroded 

 channels, sometimes hundreds of feet in depth in the lower part of 

 their courses, so that their waters cannot be used for irrigating the 

 lands they pass through without heavy expense in pumping. There 

 are no lakes in the Colony, but " pans " or depressions retain fresh 

 water for a while after rains, but these become too brackish to be of 

 any use even to cattle before they dry up. 



SUPPLIES OF WATER. 



For a country so situated, the essential factor of its agricultural 

 development, as well as the primary need of all its communities, is 

 water. The storage, however, of the portion of the rainfall which 

 flows off the surface, and the utilisation of the river waters, have so 

 many especial drawbacks in this Colony that of late years attention 

 has been directed to the possibility of obtaining supplies from the 

 portion of the rainfall which percolates into the ground, and experi- 

 nents in that direction have met with such success that high hopes 

 are entertained that a part of the much-needed supply can be 

 procured from below the surface, instead of being caught upon it. 



UNDERGROUND WATER. 



The advantages of naturally filtered water were so obvious that 

 the only doubt remaining was whether it existed in sufficient volumes 

 at depths below the surface from which it could be economically 

 drawn. It was thought that, although there was plenty of porous 

 rock in the Karroo formations, the iX)sition of the strata was not 

 favourable, and that in other parts of the Colony the older rocks 

 were not water bearing, but these theories have been proved to be 

 incorrect. It was doubted too whether boring would tap water which 

 would rise to the surface of the ground, but all over the country 

 sites have been found where the necessary geological conditions ob- 

 tain and excellent true artesian supplies result, sometimes spouting 

 15 to 30 feet above the surface, but not of any large volume. Ho^v- 

 ever, now that the Government possesses machinerv capable of 

 boring deeper, it is anticipated that, by employing qualified geological 

 assistance in the selection of sites where the requisite conditions 

 prevail, much may be accomplished, especially in the svnclinal folds 

 of the older rocks, which the small machines have not hitherto been 

 able to reach, although it is well understood that no extensive artesian 

 areas, like those in Australia or the United States, exist in this 

 country. From the work done and the experience gained during the 

 last ten years, the important and gratifying fact has been established 

 beyond question that an excellent supply of underground water does 

 exist almost all over the Colonv. 



