A MEDICINAL SPBINGL 247 



The " camp water " is furnished by an extraordinary 

 spring rising only a few yards distant from where the 

 waggons have stopped, and about twenty from the edge of 

 the lake. A small stream of water wells up among a 

 group of rocks projecting through the sand. It has appa- 

 rently made for itself a circular basin fifteen feet across, 

 and seemingly a foot deep, but really over five, so clear, 

 bright, and transparent is the water. Kunning over the 

 edge of this basin, at the side nearest the lake, it flows a 

 short way and sinks into the sand. 



This water has strong medicinal and remedial qualities, 

 but requires to be drunk very carefully, at first, by both 

 man and beast, or very serious results may ensue. It has 

 one quality in common with The Caves water the more 

 you drink of it the more you want to do so. It is slightly 

 saline in flavour, and decidedly sweet. When first taken 

 from the spring it is too hot to diink ; in fact, the water in 

 the basin is so warm that the hand cannot be long held in 

 it. I have used the water in July, and I have used it in 

 January, and it was of just the same temperature. It is the 

 most delightful water to wash with ever used, has a soft 

 velvety touch to the skin that is delicious, and leaves it in 

 beautiful condition, pure and white like that of Venus 

 Aphrodite, smooth and fine as the coat of a race-horse in 

 high training. But it makes the vilest coffee, and the 

 nastiest tea conceivable. 



The place where we are has some minor annoyances ; 

 rattlesnakes, tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes, horned-toads, 

 lizards, immense ants, are everywhere. They all evince 

 a most friendly and confiding disposition, and are not at 



