AFRICAN WELLS. 
139 
Momingot, after having passed over a low range of hills 
and much stony country that differed entirely from the 
plains, with their white clayey soil, that we had left behind 
us. There were scarcely any inhabitants left in this coun- 
try, almost all the people having gone to the north in 
order to get better grazing for their animals. 
The land rises to 2,000 feet between the Shebeli and 
Ganana rivers, though it has the appearance of being 
very flat. The next march brought us to the highest 
point, where there was a well called Gohulle, and also a 
good many natives, who refused to let us drink. A single 
shot, however, fired over their heads, caused them to flee, 
and at the same time to cry out for us to take the water. 
They came back soon afterwards, and seemed glad to sell 
us two sheep at reasonable prices. The wells were dug 
deep through solid rock, and the water was extremely 
salty. It takes a long time for one to get used to drinking 
water from these wells. The natives allow their sheep 
and camels to stand about the wells the whole morning, 
while they are being watered, and naturally all sorts of 
foul matter is washed into the well. But this is not all, 
for after the animals have been watered the natives them- 
selves climb down and take a bath; so one is obliged to 
drink a sweet solution of all sorts of African life, that is 
too disgusting to wash in, let alone to taste. 
By boiling the water thoroughly, and then letting it 
settle, you may get rid of most of the organic matter it 
contains, but it will still have a very disagreeable taste. 
Adding a little alum to it helps to clear the water, and a 
drop or two of lime juice improves it greatly; but never- 
theless, whatever you do to it does not make it a very 
desirable beverage. 
I was called from my tent to shoot a couple of aoule that 
were grazing only a hundred yards off, but unfortunately 
