22 ENVIRONS OF XERES. 



previously taken, and stopped to examine more particu- 

 larly one of the norias which supply Xeres with water. 

 We entered a stable and ascended to the loft where the 

 mules work: the ascent is without steps, to allow the mules 

 to go up and down. The elevation of this loft was 10 

 feet — the mules were not at work, and the driver lighted a 

 piece of rope and let it down into the well to show us its 

 depth ; the well is about 7 feet in diameter, and 25 varas 

 (about 70 feet) to the water, which has a depth of 1 1 

 feet, making the whole depth of the well about 80 feet. 



The circle round which the mule treads is 30 or 35 

 feet in diameter; the horizontal wheel is 10 feet; the 

 vertical wheel 8. They act upon each other by a series 

 of teeth, which are merely pegs fixed to the outside of the 

 wheel. The teeth projecting from the horizontal wheel 

 were 10 inches; those from the vertical wheel 8 inches 

 in length. The horizontal wheel is turned by a lever at- 

 tached to the top of the beam, about 10 or 11 feet in 

 height, and falling at an angle to the height of the 

 shoulders of the mule. The circular bands, to which are 

 attached the earthen jars, are made of a kind of grass 

 which is in general use for that purpose. The jars are 

 separate about six or seven inches, and are very deep in 

 proportion to their width ; they are fixed between the 

 two bands, by cords passing round the middle (where 

 their girth is least), and near the top; the whole length 

 of the circular bands is of course twice the depth of the 

 well ; the number of the pots is 37, and they are about 

 four feet apart. , When the wheel is set in motion, they 

 descend empty on one side, and passing through the 

 water, rise nearly full on the other side of the well ; there 

 are small holes in the bottom of the jars to allow the air 

 to escape when they enter the water, there is consequently 



