On Abyssinian Tube Wells. 7 



gate post about nine inches square, and four or five feet 

 long. Through this a hole was bored a few inches from one 

 end, and a rope about sixty feet long passed through this 

 hole. Then either end of this rope is passed from opposite 

 sides over each wheel, or sheaf of the pulley-block, so as to 

 come down to the ground at opposite sides, where the men 

 who are to lift the driving block stand. The log or driving 

 block consequently hangs on the middle of the rope when 

 the men pull, and can be lifted about fourteen or fifteen feet 

 from the ground. It is of course necessary to provide for 

 the guiding of the driving block, otherwise when let drop 

 on the top of the pipe, it would fall on one side. My 

 arrangement for this guiding frame is two pieces of hard- 

 wood quartering, fourteen feet long, bolted at each end to 

 two cross pieces of batten, so as to keep them about three 

 inches apart. The lower ends of these are sunk a few inches 

 in the ground to keep them steady, and the upper ends are 

 fixed to the triangle just behind where the block hangs. 

 On the back of the log or driving block, a piece of quarter- 

 ing three inches wide is spiked. This has two cross-pieces 

 of batten bolted to it. The piece of quartering passes up and 

 clown with the driving block in the opening between the 

 sides or pillars of the guiding frame, thus keeping the driving 

 block from falling laterally, and the pieces of batten at the 

 back keep it from falling forward when the block falls on the 

 head of the tube. Such is the description of the pile driving 

 machine, which can be constructed in an hour out of the 

 materials which are at hand on most farms and stations. 



When the driving apparatus is fixed up the first length 

 of the pipe (that with the point on it), must be placed 

 perfectly vertical under the centre of the driving block. To 

 prevent it moving, a piece of batten may be placed at top 

 and bottom between it and the guiding frame, and the man 

 managing the pipe may hold a piece of rope round the pipe, so 

 as to keep it steady in its place during the driving, in order 

 to prevent the top of the pipe going either way when struck 

 by the monkey or driving block, which it is apt to do unless 

 kept perfectly upright. At first the taps on the top of it 

 should be light till the pipe gets well into the ground. When 

 well down, there is little danger of its going to either side, 

 but it is wise throughout to keep it steady under the blows 

 of the monkey. If the first length is carefully attended to 

 and kept perfectly upright, there is little trouble with all the 

 others. 



