BOOK VI.

159

Our people give the name of water-bags to those very large skins forcarrying water which are made of two, or two and a half, ox-hides. Whenthese water-bags have undergone much wear and use, first the hair comesoff them and they become bald and shining ; after this they becometorn. If the tear is but a small one, a piece of smooth notched stick is putinto the broken part, and the broken bag is bound into its notches on eitherside and sewn together ; but if it is a large one, they mend it with a piece ofox-hide. The water-bags are fixed to the hook of a drawing-chain and letdown and dipped into the water, and as soon as they are filled they are drawnup by the largest machine. They are of two kinds ; the one kind take in thewater by themselves ; the water pours into the other kind when it is pushedin a certain way by a wooden shovel.

When the water has been drawn out from the shafts, it is run off introughs, or into a hopper, through which it runs into the trough. Likewisethe water which flows along the sides of the tunnels is carried off in drains.These are composed of two hollowed beams joined firmly together, so as tohold the water which flows through them, and they are covered by planksall along their course, from the mouth of the tunnel right up to the extremeend of it, to prevent earth or rock falling into them and obstructing the flowof the water. If much mud gradually settles in them the planks are raisedand the drains are cleaned out, for they would otherwise become stopped upand obstructed by this accident. With regard to the trough lying above

A—Trough. B—Hopper.