TRAVELS IN 
renders fprings very rare, the Koraquas wonl<3 
be unable to inhabit it, had they not found the 
means of remedying this fcarcity of water. 
For this purpofe, they dig in the earth a kind of 
cifterns or rather wells, to which they defcend 
gradually by fteps ; and thefe people are the 
only African nation among whom I ever 
found the fame mark of induftry. 
As their wells always contain little water, 
and as none is to be loft, they take care to fe^ 
cure it even from the birds, by clofing up the 
mouth of the hole with ftones and the branches 
of trees ; fo that, unlefs one knows the fpot, 
it is impoffible to find it. They go down 
into it every day, to fetch up as much .water as 
may be neceflary for the confumption of their 
people and cattle. They draw it in a kind of 
vefTels made of a piece of hollowed wood, 
and pour it into the fkins of buffaloes or gi- 
raffes, placed in a concave form on the ground 
to hold it ; but they diftribute it with the ut- 
moft parfimony, and never draw more thaa 
they abfolutely have occafion for. 
Notwithftanding this ftri£t economy, the 
wells often become dry, and in that cafe the 
horde is obliged to remove to fome other place. 
4 Among 
