ARTESIAN WELLS. 



433 



rial they are washing, but not a trace is discoverable, and yet 

 it pays an immense profit to the gold-washers." 



There are two more modes of extracting water, which will 

 be but cursorily mentioned. 



The reader will remember that water finds its own level, and 

 that the terrific power of hydraulic mining is owing to the fact 

 that the water expends its force against the solid rock instead 

 of ascending into the air. 



It is now found that, even without artificial assistance, water 

 has a habit of finding its own level, and that, if it be allowed 

 its own course, it will contrive to find its way nearly to the 

 highest point whence it derived its origin. On this principle 



ARTESIAN WELL. 



NORTON'S TUBE. 



are based the Artesian Wells, which, when they " strike 

 water," spurt it up in a torrent, as is the case with the now 

 celebrated Norton Tubes, which are screwed down into the earth 

 like hollow gimlets, and which always contrive to extract the 

 water hidden beneath the surface of the earth. 



The success of our army in Abyssinia was greatly owing to 

 these Norton Tubes, which, being of small diameter and of 

 peculiar make, could be screwed into the ground when the 

 troops made a halt, unscrewed when they left the spot, and 

 used again for the next halt. 



Similarly, the French used the Artesian-well system with 

 wonderful success in Northern Africa. Water is the chief 

 necessity of life in that part of the world, and a nation who 

 could cause pure cold water to spring out of the hot and thirsty 

 sands was naturally looked upon as something more than 

 human. 



Yet the principle was exactly the same in both cases. Water 



F F 



