A GARDEN IN VENICE 



talked to it, covered it with mats, and left it till 

 the next morning to see if any drop of outside 

 salt water, la goccia, as their head man called it, 

 might come through despite the talking to and 

 patting. This pretty play went on for weeks in 

 a way that would have delighted the British 

 Union workman's heart until the cutting and 

 paring had nearly reached the bottom of the 

 well, and quite passed the limits of our patience. 

 Seeing us thoroughly out of temper, the cunning 

 men built up the clay wall again with clay fresh 

 from the mainland, much patted and befashioned 

 it, built anew the canna, filled the basin with 

 sand,'and did not wait for the rain to say how 

 elever they were, what a splendid well they'd 

 made, and how cheap I ought to think their 

 outrageous bill. 



The water supply of old Venice, by means of 

 these wells, was by no means bad as long as the 

 clay walls held good. In long droughts only it 

 was insufficient, and water was brought in barges 

 from the neighbouring rivers, the Brenta or the 

 Sile. Now, the supply is excellent. A number 

 86 



