Читать книгу The High Mountains of Crete. The White Mountains, Psiloritis and Lassithi Mountains онлайн

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If you do not have a bucket, form one by putting a plastic-bag-wrapped stone into a carrier bag and, using your length of line, lower this down the well. Water can be strained through a fine weave fabric such as a silk or cotton scarf, then filtered, treated or boiled, or drunk straight off – use your own judgement. However, as worldwide travel and recreational use increases, contamination becomes more likely. Droppings from (chemically treated) sheep may be around the collection area. Some water is clear and tastes good; some tastes awful. Vegetation near the cistern may have unattractively coloured the run-off, but in these dry mountains water of any sort is precious. Replace the logs, or other devices, put there to stop animals from falling in, and re-secure the shepherds’ bucket if you have used it. Buckets are tied up because strong winds can occur at any time.

Be careful not to contaminate or waste any water. If supplies dry out too soon flocks must be taken down to be fed on (stinted) supplies of purchased fodder. If a water trough is empty, goats will let you know if they are thirsty more readily than sheep. They emerge from the shade and look at you with big, pleading eyes. Unless the place is obviously very remote, give them no more than a bucket or two, in case the shepherd is saving this particular cistern for supplies later in the year.