Homesteading I 



The apparatus consists of a derrick some thirty ; 

 feet high, fitted with machinery for lowering r 

 the rods, at the end of which is a bucket of i 

 very strong make, and at the end of this is a \ 

 boring tool. This is driven by a horse gear, the 

 team walking round and round in the familiar 

 style. The machinery is so arranged that the 

 team can withdraw the bucket when full, and 

 also so that rods may be added as the well deepens. 



By an ingenious plan a wooden crib formed 

 of ten-feet lengths, or thereabout, of narrow plank- 

 ing held together by wire is put down to support 

 the sides. 



Stones, often very large ones, are constantly 

 met with, making it needful to descend and put 

 in a blast, and the whole well-digging business 

 is a somewhat hazardous undertaking. 



They stopped work for a minute or two as we 

 all drove up, and Billy, the well-borer, explained 

 that they had reached a depth of sixty feet but 

 found little water. The clay, however, was 

 coming up wet, and he was hopeful of getting 

 through the bed of that material soon. 



His boy started the well-trained white team 

 on again, and we strolled round the site and 

 held a sort of informal committee meeting. 



In this we were joined by Thompson, a settler 

 from far New Zealand, and also one of the trustees, 



104 



