HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



29 



This straw is spread lightly and loosely on all the 

 beds; and upon it, as closely as possible, are placed 

 the little saucers. 



In the evening, when there is a fair promise of a 

 clear, bright, still night, with whatever zephyr 

 there may be from the north or north-east, men 

 come and, with long ladles, dip out water from the 

 tubs and pour a little into each of the saucers, of 

 which there are sometimes 10,000 set up in a single 

 night. Should all go well, and the thermometer 

 fall as low as 44° Fahr., without fog or wind, a thin 

 coating of ice may be expected on every pan. 

 Should, however, clouds get up or wind, the little 

 which may have heeu formed will rapidly melt. 



We will, however, suppose that all goes well, 

 when, long before daylight, there may be heard the 

 beating of many small drums, called "Tam-tams," 

 to summon a host of women and children from all 

 the surrounding hamlets to gather in the harvest. 



The water in the large tubs having been ex- 

 pended in filling the little pans, large open-work 

 wicker baskets are placed on their tops, in which 

 the ice has to drain and be weighed, ere it is de- 

 posited in the ice-pits. 



The small baskets are spread everywhere along 

 the paths. Each worker is provided with some tool 

 for scratching out the ice from the pan, either a 

 knife or a small sickle, or even a bit of iron hoop. 



Men are appointed to superintend ; aud now 

 commences a strange scene. Hundreds, nay thou- 

 sands, are sometimes employed all at once, and 

 every one is in a hurry. The clattering of the 

 scnipers, the rushing hither and thither, and the 

 constant chatter, are quite bewildering. 



However, all work with a will, and in less than 

 an hour the ice is all gathered and the empty little 

 pans piled in heaps in the corner of each bed. 

 Many small baskets have filled the large one, and, 

 in the aggregate, perhaps 2,000 lb. of ice have 

 been collected. 



The thickness of a florin is considered to pro- 

 duce a very excellent crop, whilst it is often gathered 

 when only half that thickness. 



The cause of the formation of ice at the high 

 temperature of 42° to 44° Eahr. is doubtless the 

 rapid evaporation of the water which percolates 

 through the earthen pans in some degree, there 

 also being a current of air through the loose under- 

 lying straw, occasioned by the dryness of the 

 atmosphere. Directly the air becomes moist with 

 fog or otherwise, all formation of ice, as above 

 noted, ceases. 



These ice-fields often occupy several acres, so 

 that it can easily be imagined what a number of 

 people must be employed. Directly the work is 

 finished, all assemble at a known spot, where stands 

 a man with a sack of pice, or small copper money, 

 two or three of which are given to each. 



This ice is generally gathered about Christmas, 



although I have known good takes in January and 

 February, and the pits are not opened for use till 

 April or May, when the hot weather is setting in 

 in earnest. 



One share generally costs about £5, and for this 

 the shareholder receives at the pit's mouth, by 

 weight, eight pounds of dirty flake ice every other 

 morning. The distribution takes place before day- 

 light, i.e., at what is held to be the earliest time 

 of the twenty-four hours. The servant receives it 

 and places it in a rough dry blanket, ties it up 

 tightly in a bundle, and beats it well on the outside 

 with a wooden mallet which he brings for this pur- 

 pose, in order to drive out the water. He then places 

 the bundle in a covered basket made of "sholah" (2Es- 

 chjnomene Indica) the pith of a plant often used for 

 making hats, and a great non-conductor of heat. This 

 basket is wadded within and without with cotton, 

 and then covered with cloth. Arrived at his mas- 

 ter's house, he again beats it and puts it in the ice- 

 box. Here are placed the bottles of water, wine, 

 beer, butter, &c, which it is wished to cool, and 

 then, with a beating once or twice a day, this ice 

 will last for at least two days, till the next supply 

 comes in. On an average the supply holds out for 

 four or four and a half months ; so that the cost is. 

 about 2d. or 24d. per pound. Of course the cost 

 of production varies immensely. A series of bad 

 nights after preparations have been made, or of in- 

 efficient ice-gatherings, will enhance it much; whilst 

 four or five good nights will often fill the pits. 



The great secret of keeping the ice is to allow no 

 moisture, and to surround it with non-conductors 

 of heat as much as possible ; and it may, perhaps, 

 not be out of place here to describe what appears 

 to be the best form of ice-box which can be made 

 up anywhere, and which may prove useful to colo- 

 nists and others either unable to get ice-safes, or 

 unwilling to go to the great expense of purchasing 

 them. There are now many freezing-machines in 

 use, and the ice made in them may be kept in a 

 similar manner. 



Fig. 15. Section of Ice-box. 



