Cuar. VIL.] THEIR SIMPLICITY AND UTILITY. 107 
with little expense in building his ice-house, and 
an economical mode of filling it, manages to secure 
an abundant supply for preserving his fish during 
the hot summer months. 
“It now, I think, becomes a question whether we 
could not build ice-houses at less expense and more 
efficient, upon the Chinese plan, than upon the old 
under-ground system common in England. The 
accompanying sketch will enable you to form an 
idea of the appearance which these ice-houses 
present to the traveller, in going up the Ning-po 
river. Ning-po, August, 1844.” 
Since this letter was published I have had fre- 
quent opportunities of testing the qualities of the Chi- 
nese ice-house, both at Ning-po and also at Chusan 
and Shanghae, and I have found that it answers 
the purpose admirably. The winter of 1844-1845 
was unusually mild in this part of China ; little 
or no ice was formed on the ponds and canals, and 
of course the ice-houses could not be filled; but 
many of them contained large quantities which had 
been laid up the year before, and by this means the 
market was supplied with ice which had been in 
store at least a year anda half, and would probably 
have kept some time longer. 
This ice is of great importance to the Chinese, 
who depend so much for their food upon the fish 
which is caught in their waters. They are enabled 
by this means to keep their fish during the hottest 
weather for a considerable time, and transmit them 
in this way to different parts of the country. 
