Year: 1872




tions by marking out a rectangular
piece of ground 120 feet long by 20
broad, in an easterly and westerly direc-
ton, from which the soil is removed to
the depth of two feet. This excavation
is smoothed, and is allowed to remain
exposed to the sun to dry, when rice
straw in small sheaves is laid in an OBJ
hque direction in the hollow, with leose
straw upon the top, to the depth of
foot and a half, leaving its surface half
foot below the surface of the ground
Numerous beds of this kind are formed,
with narrow pathways between them,
in which large water; jars are sunk in the
ground for the convenience of having
water near, to fill the shallow unglazed
esrthen vessels in which it is to be
frozen. These dishes are nine inches
in diameter at the top, diminishing to
four and three-tenths inches at the bot
tom, one and three-tenths inches deep,
and three-tenths of an inch in thick
ness, and are 80 porous as to become
moist throughout when water is put into
them.


During the day the loose straw in the
beds above the sheaves is occasionally
turned up, so that the whole may be
kept dry, and the water-jars between
the beds are filed with soft pure water
from the neighboring pools. Toward
evening the shallow earthen dishes are
arranged in rows upon the straw, and
by means OF small earthen pots, tied to
the extremities of long bamboo rods,
each is filed about one-third full with
water. The quantity, however, varies
according to the expectation of ice
which is known by the clearness of the
sky, and the steadiness with which the
wind blows from the north-north
When favorable, about eight ounces of
water is put into each dish, and when
less is expected, from two to four ounces
is the usual quantity; but, in all cases,
more water is put into the dishes near
est the western end of the beds, as the
sun first falls on that part, and the ice
is thus more easily removed, from its
solution being quicker.


There are about 1900 plates in each
of the beds last made, and if we allow
five ounces for each dish, which presents
surface of about four inches, there
will be an aggregate of 239 gallons, and
surface of $50 square feet of water
in each bed.


In the cold season, when the temper
ature of the air at the ice-felds is under
| 50o Fahrenheit, and there are gentle
airs from the northern and western di-
rection, ice forms in the course of the
night in each of the shallow dishes.
Persons are stationed to observe when a
small film appears upon the water in the
dishes, when the contens of several are
mixed together and thrown over the
other dishes. This operation increases
the congealing process; as state OF
calmness has been discovered by the
natives to diminish the quantity of ice
produced. When the sky is clear, with
gentle, steady airs from the north north
west, which proceed from the hills Of
considerable elevation near Bheerboom
about 100 miles from Hooghly, the freez
ing commences before or about mid
night, and continues to advance unit
morning, when the thickest ice is form
ed. have seen it seven-tenths of ar
inch in thickness, and in a few very fa
vorable nights the whole of the water
is frozen, when it is called by the native:
solid ice. When it commences to con
geal between two or three o'clock in the
morning, thinner ice is expected, anc
about four or five o'clock in the morn
ing the thinnest ice is obtained, calles
paper ice.


Upward of two hundred and fifty per
sons, of all ages, are actively employed
in securing the ice for some hours ever,
morning that ice is procured, and thi
forms one of the most animated scene
to be witnessed in Bengal. In a favor
able night upward of ten hundred
weight of ice will be obtained from on,
bed, and frou4 twenty beds upward 0
ten tons.


When the wind attains a southerly O.
easterly direction, no ice is formed. from
its not being sufficiently dry; not ever
though the temperature of the air b.
lower than when it is made with tht


wind from from northern or western
point. The north-northwest is the
most favorable direction of wind fol
making ice, and this diminishes il


power as it approaches the due north


or west. In the latter case more lati


tude is allowed than from the north


northwest to the north. So great is th'


influence of the direction of wind OF


the ice, that when it changes in tn


course of night from north-northw


to less favorable direction, the chang
not only prevents the formation of NOR
ice, but dissolves what may have beer


formed. On such occasions mist ]


seen lowering over the ice-beds, from


the moisture over them, and the quan


tity condensed by the cold wind. /
mist in like manner forms over dec


tanks during favorable nights for maxim
ice.


Another important circumstance il
the production of ice is the amount O
wind. When it approaches breeze n


ice is formed This is explained by sue


rapid currents of air removing the col
air before any accumulation of ice ha
taken place IN the icebeds. 1t is fo


these reasons that the thickest ice is ex
pscued during the day breeze ha
blown from the northwest, which drie
the ground.-Nat,re.


Tough Story from the Hub.
One of Boston's wealthy men was az


preached the other day by real estat
| ouarator who wanted to bI1v thre