62 ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN WATER. 
contained, within tho memory of people now living 
hippopotami, and pools sufficient to drown both mon and 
catilo. This failuro of water must bo chiefly ascribed to 
tho general dosiccation of tho country, but partly also to 
tho amount of irrigation carried on along both banks of 
tho stroam at the mission-station. This lattor circum- 
stance would havo moro weight wore it not coincident 
with tho failuro of fountains over a wide extent of 
oountry 
Without at present entering minutely into this foaturo 
of tho climate, it may bo remarked that tho Kuruman dis- 
trict presents ovidonco of this diy southern region having 
at no very distant date, boon as well watered as tho country 
north of Lako Ngami is now. Ancient river-beds and 
water-courses abound, and tho very eyes of fountains long 
sinco dried up may bo scon, in which tho flow of centuries 
has worn thoso orifices from a slit to an oval form, having 
on their sides tho tufa so abundantly dopositod from thoso 
primitive waters; and just ./hero tho splashings, mado 
whon tho stream fell on tho rock below, may bo supposed 
to havo reached and ovaporated, tho samo phenomenon 
appears. Many of theso failing fountains no longer flow, 
bocauso tho brink over which they ran is now too high, or 
b«causo tho clovation of tho western sido of tho country 
li*ls tho land away from tho water-supply below ; but let a 
ci’tting bo mado from a lower lovol than the brink, and 
through it to a part below tho surfaco of tho water, and 
wster flows poronnially. Sovcral of these ancient fountains 
hsvo boon resuscitated by tho Bcchunnas p-?ar Kuruman, 
who occasionally show their feelings of self-esteem by 
laboring for months at deep cuttings, which, having once 
begun, they feel bound in honor to persovoro in, though 
told by a missionary that thoy can novor force water to run 
up hill. 
During tho period of my visit at Kuruman, Mr. Moffat, 
who has boon a missionary in Africa during upward of forty 
years, and is woll known bjr his interesting work, “Scene* 
