BAY OF AMPHILA.' 173 
tion, that the leaves of the rack, though exceedingly bitter and 
acrid to the taste, form the chief support of the numerous droves 
of camels kept on the coast, which, from this circumstance, are 
esteemed more stout and capable of bearing fatigue, than any 
others fed in a different manner.* 
The supply of water on this coast depends upon a number of 
wells, rudely hollowed put by the natives. Those immediately 
in the neighbourhood of the villages are fit for use only during a 
short time after the rains have fallen, being at other periods dry 
or impregnated with salt water. The best wells are found on 
Amphila Point, about six miles east by south from the harbour, 
which afford a sufficient, <g[u,antity of water /or the supply of a 
fleet ; but they are not very convenient, on account of their lying 
at the distance of uearly three-quarters of a mile from the beach. 
These reservoirs are excavated to the depth of twelve and four* 
teen feet from the surface, but we never observed the water 
in them to rise more than one foot from the bottom ; so that 
in filling a large cask it often became exhausted, and occasion-^ 
ed a delay until a fresh supply had trickled in again from the 
sides. 
It frequently happened that the water was salt in one well, 
and fresh in another, though not lying more than ten or twelve 
yards asunder. This variation in the quality of the water 
seemed to depend in a great measure upon the height of the 
tide, as it was found that the salt water predominated at the 
flowing of the spring, and the fresh water during the preva- 
lence of the neap tides. This circumstance favours the supposition, 
* This appears to me a complete answer to the 74th question proposed by Michselis. 
