He rejected the idea
of salt as the cause of ice, and came to the conclusion that the cave
was in fact nothing more than a good natural ice-house, being protected
by dense trees, and a thick roof of rock, while its opening towards the
north sheltered it from all warm winds. He accounted for the original
presence of ice as follows:--In the winter, stalactites form at the
edges of various fissures in the roof, and snow is drifted on to the
floor of the cave by the north winds down the entrance-slope. When the
warmer weather comes, the stalactites fall by their own weight, and,
lying in the drifted and congealed snow, form nuclei round which the
snow is still further congealed, and the water which results from the
partial thaw of portions of the snow is also converted into ice. Thus, a
larger collection of ice forms in winter than the heat of summer can
destroy; and if none of it were removed, it might, in the course of
years, almost fill the cave. At the time of his visit (August), M.
Prevost found only one column, from 6 to 8 feet high.
In 1783 (August 6), M.
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