Upon one occasion, at a farm of one of my connections, the water gave out in the well, (seventeen feet deep,) which had for years supplied a large number of cattle. In the first place I ordered the well to be cleaned out, for it was very dirty; but there was no improvement. It was then decided to dig another. I found a place about ten feet north of the old well, where I judged there was a small stream, and repeatedly estimated the depth to it by my rule, and came to the conclusion that it was between ten and twelve feet. I was rather astonished at this, for the water, it may be observed, was seventeen feet deep in the old well. However the well was begun. I asked the digger at what depth water ought to be found; he said at seventeen feet; but I made this a test case, and said, "You will find water here between ten and twelve feet, but if I should have to say precisely, I should say at ten feet." Water was found at exactly ten feet, and stood at that point after the well was finished. A peculiar test occurred at Toulon, Illinois. I was talking on the subject with a friend, a lawyer of that place, one dark night at about nine o'clock. He asked, "Can you tell how deep it is to the water in the well in this hotel yard?" I answered at once, "Yes," but said, "it is rather dark, and I know nothing about the yard or the position of the well." However I went out and started at the kitchen door, only asking upon which side of the house I should seek. I traced the stream from the kitchen door, passing back and forth rapidly until I found the well about forty feet from the kitchen and near the barn. When I came to the well I said, "This stream passes five feet from the well and does not go directly into it." I then made some examination with the rod, and pronounced the depth to the water to be fourteen feet, which was found by measurement to be correct. I will add, that I was never before in the hotel yard, did not know where the well was located, and the night was exceedingly dark. The next morning, while paying my bill, the landlord said, "You probably do not know how close was your calculation last night. I had that well dug myself, and we went down forty feet without finding water. Before giving it up the digger had himself lowered into the well, listening as he went to hear the sound of some stream. At fourteen feet he heard water, and boring in laterally five feet, where you said the stream was, he found a plentiful supply, filling the well with twenty-three feet of water."