Prof, Silliman m Natural Ice-Houses in Connecticut 855 
the south, and a small brook appears to have formed a channel 
among the rocks. The ice is thick, and well consolidated, and 
its gradual melting in the warm season, causes a stream of ice- 
cold water to issue from this defile. This fact has been known 
to the people of the vicinity for several generations, and the 
youth have, since the middle of the last century, been accus- 
tomed to resort to this place in parties, for recreation, and to 
drink the waters of the cold-flowing brook. 
It was on the 23d of last July (1821), in the afternoon of a 
very hot day, when the thermometer was probably as high as 
85° Fahr., that, under the guidance of Dr Hough, we entered 
this valley. After arriving among the trees, and in the imme- 
diate vicinity of the ice, there was an evident chilliness in the 
air; and, very near the ice, the air was (compared with the hot 
atmosphere which we had just left), rather uncomfortably cold. 
The ice was only partially visible, being covered by leaves, and 
screened from view by the rocks ; but a boy descending with a 
hatchet, soon brought up large firm masses. One of these, 
weighing several pounds, we carried twenty miles, to Newhaven, 
where it was exhibited to various persons, and some of it re- 
mained unmelted during two succeeding nights ; for it was in 
being on the morning of the third day. 
The local circumstances which have been detailed, will pro- 
bably account for this remarkable locality of ice, and scarcely 
need any illustration or comment. 
This is not the only instance of the kind existing among the 
trap rocks of Connecticut. There is a similar place seven miles 
from Ne iwrhaven, near the Middletown Road, in the parish of 
Northford, and township of Branford. The ice here also, (as 
we are assured), endures the year round. This place we have 
not visited, but we are assured that it is at the bottom, or on 
the declivity of a trap ridge. Several years age, we had the 
ice of this place brought to us into Newhaven, in the hottest 
weather of mid-summer. Like that of Meriden, it is very solid ; 
but, like that also, it is soiled with leaves and dirt ; and al- 
though it is unfit to be put into liquids, which are to be swab 
lowed, it is as good as any ice for mere cooling. 
It is perhaps worthy of being mentioned, that an artificial ice- 
house, within tha knowledge of the. witer, is situated on th^ 
