76 



Enough was proved, however, to satisfy us that our conjecture 

 respecting the influence of the boulder bed, in causing the freezing of 

 the well, was sustained. 



Extract from Mr. Blake's notes, Oct. 25, 1859 : — 

 " During the past summer there remained in the cold well at Bran- 

 don, until about the 10th of August, a ring of ice upon the curb- 

 stones, formed by the surface water trickling down and freezing, 

 indicating thereby a temperature below 32° Fah. This ring of ice 

 was near the surface of the water in the well, and was several inches 

 in thickness. Ice also formed above it, upon the stones, of lesser 

 thickness, to the height of about four and a half feet. 



At this time a party visited the well, one of whom descended and 

 broke oif all the ice, and for about a fortnight after, or until about 

 the 23d of August, lumps of ice were occasionally drawn up in the 

 bucket with the water. Since that *ime there has been no ice seen. 

 The temperature of the water gradually increased to 40° Fah. At 

 this time, Oct. 22d, it is 38° Fah. 



During the summer the well received numerous visitors. One of 

 the committee was there many times during June, July, and August. 

 One of the warmest days of the past summer he drew ice from the 

 well ; the temperature of the air at the time in the shade was 93° Fah. 

 On the 30th of August was commenced a shaft, seventy feet distant 

 from the well, in a south-easterly direction. The first two feet was 

 through very tough and compact clay ; the next three feet was through 

 very fine sllicious sand ; then loose gravel and cobble stones from the 

 size of an egg to a half barrel, for the distance of four feet ; through 

 this the stones were encrusted, for the most part on the under side, 

 with carbonate of lime- 

 On the 4th of September, at 7^ o'clock, A. m., the shaft had been 

 sunk twelve feet. The temperature of the earth in the bottom was 

 50° Fah. ; that of the air at the surface at the same time was 60° Fah. 

 On the 7th of September a depth of fifteen feet was attained, and at 

 7 o'clock, A. M., the temperature of the earth at the bottom was found 

 to be 46° Fah. ; that of the air at the surface 52° Fah. On the 13th, 

 a depth of twenty feet having been reached, the temperature of the 

 earth in the bottom was found to be 48° ; that of the air at the sur- 

 face at the time 64° Fah. On the 1 7th, at the depth of twenty-six 

 feet, the earth in the bottom of the shaft indicated the same tempera- 

 ture as on the 13th. On the 20th, at the depth of twenty-nine feet, 

 found water, and discontinued further sinking. The temperature of 

 the water was 46° Fah. ; the air at the surface at the time was 52° 

 Fah. The temperature in the cold well was taken at the same time, 

 and found to be 40° Fah. The character of the gravel in this shaft 

 remained the same till the last foot was reached, in which there was 



