walking-第3节

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us　improve　our　opportunities；　then；　before　the　evil　days　come。







What　is　it　that　makes　it　so　hard　sometimes　to　determine　whither

we　will　walk？　I　believe　that　there　is　a　subtle　magnetism　in

Nature；　which；　if　we　unconsciously　yield　to　it；　will　direct　us

aright。　It　is　not　indifferent　to　us　which　way　we　walk。　There　is　a

right　way；　but　we　are　very　liable　from　heedlessness　and　stupidity

to　take　the　wrong　one。　We　would　fain　take　that　walk；　never　yet

taken　by　us　through　this　actual　world；　which　is　perfectly

symbolical　of　the　path　which　we　love　to　travel　in　the　interior

and　ideal　world；　and　sometimes；　no　doubt；　we　find　it　difficult　to

choose　our　direction；　because　it　does　not　yet　exist　distinctly　in

our　idea。



When　I　go　out　of　the　house　for　a　walk；　uncertain　as　yet　whither　I

will　bend　my　steps；　and　submit　myself　to　my　instinct　to　decide

for　me；　I　find；　strange　and　whimsical　as　it　may　seem；　that　I

finally　and　inevitably　settle　southwest；　toward　some　particular

wood　or　meadow　or　deserted　pasture　or　hill　in　that　direction。　My

needle　is　slow　to　settle；varies　a　few　degrees；　and　does　not

always　point　due　southwest；　it　is　true；　and　it　has　good　authority

for　this　variation；　but　it　always　settles　between　west　and

south…southwest。　The　future　lies　that　way　to　me；　and　the　earth

seems　more　unexhausted　and　richer　on　that　side。　The　outline　which

would　bound　my　walks　would　be；　not　a　circle；　but　a　parabola；　or

rather　like　one　of　those　cometary　orbits　which　have　been　thought

to　be　non…returning　curves；　in　this　case　opening　westward；　in

which　my　house　occupies　the　place　of　the　sun。　I　turn　round　and

round　irresolute　sometimes　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　until　I

decide；　for　a　thousandth　time；　that　I　will　walk　into　the

southwest　or　west。　Eastward　I　go　only　by　force；　but　westward　I　go

free。　Thither　no　business　leads　me。　It　is　hard　for　me　to　believe

that　I　shall　find　fair　landscapes　or　sufficient　wildness　and

freedom　behind　the　eastern　horizon。　I　am　not　excited　by　the

prospect　of　a　walk　thither；　but　I　believe　that　the　forest　which　I

see　in　the　western　horizon　stretches　uninterruptedly　toward　the

setting　sun；　and　there　are　no　towns　nor　cities　in　it　of　enough

consequence　to　disturb　me。　Let　me　live　where　I　will；　on　this　side

is　the　city；　on　that　the　wilderness；　and　ever　I　am　leaving　the

city　more　and　more；　and　withdrawing　into　the　wilderness。　I　should

not　lay　so　much　stress　on　this　fact；　if　I　did　not　believe　that

something　like　this　is　the　prevailing　tendency　of　my　countrymen。

I　must　walk　toward　Oregon；　and　not　toward　Europe。　And　that　way

the　nation　is　moving；　and　I　may　say　that　mankind　progress　from

east　to　west。　Within　a　few　years　we　have　witnessed　the　phenomenon

of　a　southeastward　migration；　in　the　settlement　of　Australia；　but

this　affects　us　as　a　retrograde　movement；　and；　judging　from　the

moral　and　physical　character　of　the　first　generation　of

Australians；　has　not　yet　proved　a　successful　experiment。　The

eastern　Tartars　think　that　there　is　nothing　west　beyond　Thibet。

〃The　world　ends　there；〃　say　they；　〃beyond　there　is　nothing　but　a

shoreless　sea。〃　It　is　unmitigated　East　where　they　live。



We　go　eastward　to　realize　history　and　study　the　works　of　art　and

literature；　retracing　the　steps　of　the　race；　we　go　westward　as

into　the　future；　with　a　spirit　of　enterprise　and　adventure。　The

Atlantic　is　a　Lethean　stream；　in　our　passage　over　which　we　have

had　an　opportunity　to　forget　the　Old　World　and　its　institutions。

If　we　do　not　succeed　this　time；　there　is　perhaps　one　more　chance

for　the　race　left　before　it　arrives　on　the　banks　of　the　Styx；　and

that　is　in　the　Lethe　of　the　Pacific；　which　is　three　times　as

wide。



I　know　not　how　significant　it　is；　or　how　far　it　is　an　evidence　of

singularity；　that　an　individual　should　thus　consent　in　his

pettiest　walk　with　the　general　movement　of　the　race；　but　I　know

that　something　akin　to　the　migratory　instinct　in　birds　and

quadrupedswhich；　in　some　instances；　is　known　to　have　affected

the　squirrel　tribe；　impelling　them　to　a　general　and　mysterious

movement；　in　which　they　were　seen；　say　some；　crossing　the

broadest　rivers；　each　on　its　particular　chip；　with　its　tail

raised　for　a　sail；　and　bridging　narrower　streams　with　their

deadthat　something　like　the　furor　which　affects　the　domestic

cattle　in　the　spring；　and　which　is　referred　to　a　worm　in　their

tails；affects　both　nations　and　individuals；　either　perennially

or　from　time　to　time。　Not　a　flock　of　wild　geese　cackles　over　our

town；　but　it　to　some　extent　unsettles　the　value　of　real　estate

here；　and；　if　I　were　a　broker；　I　should　probably　take　that

disturbance　into　account。



　　　〃Than　longen　folk　to　gon　on　pilgrimages；

　　　And　palmeres　for　to　seken　strange　strondes。〃



Every　sunset　which　I　witness　inspires　me　with　the　desire　to　go　to

a　West　as　distant　and　as　fair　as　that　into　which　the　sun　goes

down。　He　appears　to　migrate　westward　daily；　and　tempt　us　to

follow　him。　He　is　the　Great　Western　Pioneer　whom　the　nations

follow。　We　dream　all　night　of　those　mountain…ridges　in　the

horizon；　though　they　may　be　of　vapor　only；　which　were　last　gilded

by　his　rays。　The　island　of　Atlantis；　and　the　islands　and　gardens

of　the　Hesperides；　a　sort　of　terrestrial　paradise；　appear　to　have

been　the　Great　West　of　the　ancients；　enveloped　in　mystery　and

poetry。　Who　has　not　seen　in　imagination；　when　looking　into　the

sunset　sky；　the　gardens　of　the　Hesperides；　and　the　foundation　of

all　those　fables？



Columbus　felt　the　westward　tendency　more　strongly　than　any

before。　He　obeyed　it；　and　found　a　New　World　for　Castile　and　Leon。

The　herd　of　men　in　those　days　scented　fresh　pastures　from　afar；



　　〃And　now　the　sun　had　stretched　out　all　the　hills；

　　And　now　was　dropped　into　the　western　bay；

　　At　last　HE　rose；　and　twitched　his　mantle　blue；

　　Tomorrow　to　fresh　woods　and　pastures　new。〃



Where　on　the　globe　can　there　be　found　an　area　of　equal　extent

with　that　occupied　by　the　bulk　of　our　States；　so　fertile　and　so

rich　and　varied　in　its　productions；　and　at　the　same　time　so

habitable　by　the　European；　as　this　is？　Michaux；　who　knew　but　part

of　them；　says　that　〃the　species　of　large　trees　are　much　more

numerous　in　North　America　than　in　Europe；　in　the　United　States

there　are　more　than　one　hundred　and　forty　species　that　exceed

thirty　feet　in　height；　in　France　there　are　but　thirty　that　attain

this　size。〃　Later　botanists　more　than　confirm　his　observations。

Humboldt　came　to　America　to　realize　his　youthful　dreams　of　a

tropical　vegetation；　and　he　beheld　it　in　its　greatest　perfection

in　the　primitive　forests　of　the　Amazon；　the　most　gigantic

wilderness　on　the　earth；　which　he　has　so　eloquently　described。

The　geographer　Guyot；　himself　a　European；　goes　fartherfarther

than　I　am　ready　to　follow　him；　yet　not　when　he　says：　〃As　the

plant　is　made　for　the　animal；　as　the　vegetable　world　is　made　for

the　animal　world；　America　is　made　for　the　man　of　the　Old

World。。。。　The　man　of　the　Old　World　sets　out　upon　his　way。　Leaving

the　highlands　of　Asia；　he　descends　from　station　to　station

towards　Europe。　Each　of　his　steps　is　marked　by　a　new　civilization

superior　to　the　preceding；　by　a　greater　power　of　development。

Arrived　at　the　Atlantic；　he　pauses　on　the　shore　of　this　unknown

ocean；　the　bounds　of　which　he　knows　not；　and　turns　upon　his

footprints　for　an　instant。〃　When　he　has　exhausted　the　rich　soil

of　Europe；　and　reinvigorated　himself；　〃then　recommences　his

adventurous　career　westward　as　in　the　earliest　ages。〃　So　far

Guyot。



From　this　western　impulse　coming　in　contact　with　the　barrier　of

the　Atlantic　sprang　the　commerce　and　enterprise　of　modern　times。

The　younger　Michaux；　in　his　Travels　West　of　the　Alleghanies　in

1802；　says　that　the　common　inquiry　in　the　newly　settled　West　was；

〃'From　what　part　of　the　world　have　you　come？'　As　if　these　vast

and　fertile　regions　would　naturally　be　the　place　of　meeting　and

common　country　of　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　globe。〃



To　use　an　obsolete　Latin　word；　I　might　say；　Ex　Oriente　lux；　ex

Occidente　FRUX。　From　the　East　light；　from　the　West　fruit。



Sir　Francis　Head；　an　English　traveler　and　a　Governor…General　of

Canada；　tells　us　that　〃in　both　the　northern　and　southern

hemispheres　of　the　New　World；　Nature　has　not　only　outlined　her

works　on　a　larger　scale；　but　has　painted　the　whole　picture　with

brighter　and　more　costly　colors　than　she　used　in　delineating　and

in　beautifying　the　Old　World。。。。　The　heavens　of　America　appear

infinitely　higher；　the　sky　is　bluer；　the　air　is　fresher；　the　cold

is　intenser；　the　moon　looks　larger；　the　stars　are　brighter　the

thunder　is　louder；　the　lightning　is　vivider；　the　wind　is

stronger；　the　rain　is　heavier；　the　mountains　are　higher；　the

rivers　longer；　the　forests　bigger；　the　plains　broader。〃　This

statement　will　do　at　least　to　set　against　Buffon's　account　of

this　part　of　the　world　and　its　productions。



Linnaeus　said　long　ago；　〃Nescio　quae　facies　laeta；　glabra　plantis

Americanis〃　（