' : So wird dieses" im Kalksteinkomplexe aufgespeiclierte 

 Wasser zu einer unerschopflichen Quelle des Lebens in dem 

 ganzen riesigen Gebiete, indem es einerseits stándige Fliisse 

 tind Quellen sehafft, anderseits in Bohrbrunnen das notige 

 Wasser fiir die extensive Bewirtschaftung der hoher gele- 

 genen Gebiete gibt, welehe ohne diesen erreicbbaren unter- 

 irdischen Wasservorrat zur Bewirtschaftung fast ungeeignet 

 ^áren. Es kann als ganz sicher gelten, dass man erst 

 nach Jahren diese oekonomische Wichtigkeit dieser Grund- 

 wasseraufspeicherung wird voli zu wiirdigen lernen, bis man 

 eben im Nordterritorium aus den Kinderschuhen der Besie- 

 delungsversuche auswachšen wird. 



the residents on oř abont the Gregory River were óf opinion that 

 the flow of water down that magnificent stream had to some ex- 

 tent given out. I certainly cannot eonfirm this, as after twenty- 

 three years living- in this part, and seeiDg the Gregory on many 

 oceasions (where I háve spent many pleasant days fishing), I can- 

 not think fór one moment that the normál supply of water has 

 deereased. I fancy that the idea of the flow having decreased in 

 this way (and no doubt rightly too) has its origin in the fact that 

 the rainfall at the heads of the river in some years is very much 

 heavier than in others, so that the surf ace drainage is greater and 

 <}ontinues longer in some years than in others, Beyond all doubt 

 the Gregory is fed from the enormous supplies of water stored 

 under the surface, and contained in the limestone formation of 

 the Barkly Tableland. I f eel sure that if careful measurements 

 were made of the supply of water passing a given point in the 

 Gregory River, in dry or very dry years, that the supply would 

 vary very little if any. Once the surface drainage is exhausted 

 then the subterraneán flow would, I feel sure, be very regular. 

 I would here statě that I háve had put down on Rocklands eighteen 

 sub-artesian bore wells, which háve been in use for over f ifteen 

 y^ars, and in no single instance háve I had to l^ngthen my pump 

 casing to reach the water; all háve stood at the samé levels áš 

 When first struck. One pump, the working barrel of which is only 

 6 feet in the water, has been running with engine-power for Weeks 

 and months (double shifts), and has nevěr exhausted the water oř 

 necessitated the lowering of the pump. I would here mention that 

 I had one bore tested very severely with large engine and 4*/* inch 

 pump, and the pump run at barely a safe speed, which gave the 

 splendid result of 120,000 gallons in twenty-four hours, and nevěr 

 reduced the supply as far as wě could telí. This will show you the 

 enormous supply of splendid water under the surface of the Barkly 



