

THE NAM AQUA SUN-BIRD. 159 



that no one can find it ; and he lives a long way 

 off. When he is obliged to send for water, a 

 number of women set off and journey to the place. 

 They have bags filled with egg-shells of the 

 Ostrich, which are the only water-vessels they 

 use. They do not open the well, but each woman 

 inserts a reed into it, plunging it in as deep as it 

 will go. Then she draws up the water with her 

 mouth, and puts it out into the egg-shell by her 

 side, filling shell after shell, until she has enough. 



The water thus slowly procured is carried 

 home, and every drop is as precious as gold. 



When Dr. Livingstone was in this same 

 country, he saw an instance of the great value in 

 which water is held, and that seems scarcely 

 credible to us in this land of streams and rills. 



He saw the natives slowly and painfully 

 digging into the dry bed of the river, in hopes 

 of obtaining a few drops of water, that might be 

 drained out of the soil. The drought had been 

 so severe that the grass crumbled to powder when 

 touched ; and even insects could not live on the 

 heated and dried surface of the ground. 



