328 Mr. Vulli amy’s Account of the Means 
expence would be all lost by so doing; and I determined without 
delay to set about drawing the sand out through the water, by 
means of an iron box made for that purpose, without giving it 
time to harden as before. The labour attending on this operation 
was very great, as it was necessary continually to draw out the 
water, for the purpose of keeping it constantly rising through 
the sand, and thereby to prevent the sand from hardening. 
What rendered this operation the more discouraging was, 
that frequently after having drawn out 6 or 7 feet of sand in 
the course of the day, upon sounding the next morning the 
sand was found lowered only 1 foot in the well, so that more 
sand must have come in again. This, however, did not pre- 
vent me from proceeding in the same manner during several 
days, though with little or no appearance of any advantage 
arising from the great exertions we were making. After per- 
severing, however, for some considerable time, we perceived that 
the water rose a little nearer to the surface, and I began to 
entertain some hopes that it might perhaps rise high enough 
to come above the level of the ground ; but when the water 
had risen a few feet higher in the well, some difficulties oc- 
curred, occasioned by accidental circumstances, which very 
much delayed the progress of the work ; and it remained for a 
considerable time very uncertain whether the water would run 
over the top of the well or not. 
These difficulties being at length surmounted, we continued 
during several days the process before mentioned, of drawing 
out the sand and water alternately ; and I had the satisfaction 
of seeing the water rise higher and higher, until at last it ran 
over the top of the well, into a temporary channel that conveyed 
it into the road. I then flattered myself that every difficulty 
