16-the pond in winter-第3节

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soldering　till　they　find　a　worse　leak　than　that。　　One　has　suggested；

that　if　such　a　〃leach…hole〃　should　be　found；　its　connection　with　the

meadow；　if　any　existed；　might　be　proved　by　conveying　some；　colored

powder　or　sawdust　to　the　mouth　of　the　hole；　and　then　putting　a

strainer　over　the　spring　in　the　meadow；　which　would　catch　some　of

the　particles　carried　through　by　the　current。

　　　　While　I　was　surveying；　the　ice；　which　was　sixteen　inches　thick；

undulated　under　a　slight　wind　like　water。　　It　is　well　known　that　a

level　cannot　be　used　on　ice。　　At　one　rod　from　the　shore　its　greatest

fluctuation；　when　observed　by　means　of　a　level　on　land　directed

toward　a　graduated　staff　on　the　ice；　was　three　quarters　of　an　inch；

though　the　ice　appeared　firmly　attached　to　the　shore。　　It　was

probably　greater　in　the　middle。　　Who　knows　but　if　our　instruments

were　delicate　enough　we　might　detect　an　undulation　in　the　crust　of

the　earth？　　When　two　legs　of　my　level　were　on　the　shore　and　the

third　on　the　ice；　and　the　sights　were　directed　over　the　latter；　a

rise　or　fall　of　the　ice　of　an　almost　infinitesimal　amount　made　a

difference　of　several　feet　on　a　tree　across　the　pond。　　When　I　began

to　cut　holes　for　sounding　there　were　three　or　four　inches　of　water

on　the　ice　under　a　deep　snow　which　had　sunk　it　thus　far；　but　the

water　began　immediately　to　run　into　these　holes；　and　continued　to

run　for　two　days　in　deep　streams；　which　wore　away　the　ice　on　every

side；　and　contributed　essentially；　if　not　mainly；　to　dry　the　surface

of　the　pond；　for；　as　the　water　ran　in；　it　raised　and　floated　the

ice。　　This　was　somewhat　like　cutting　a　hole　in　the　bottom　of　a　ship

to　let　the　water　out。　　When　such　holes　freeze；　and　a　rain　succeeds；

and　finally　a　new　freezing　forms　a　fresh　smooth　ice　over　all；　it　is

beautifully　mottled　internally　by　dark　figures；　shaped　somewhat　like

a　spider's　web；　what　you　may　call　ice　rosettes；　produced　by　the

channels　worn　by　the　water　flowing　from　all　sides　to　a　centre。

Sometimes；　also；　when　the　ice　was　covered　with　shallow　puddles；　I

saw　a　double　shadow　of　myself；　one　standing　on　the　head　of　the

other；　one　on　the　ice；　the　other　on　the　trees　or　hillside。

　　　　While　yet　it　is　cold　January；　and　snow　and　ice　are　thick　and

solid；　the　prudent　landlord　comes　from　the　village　to　get　ice　to

cool　his　summer　drink；　impressively；　even　pathetically；　wise；　to

foresee　the　heat　and　thirst　of　July　now　in　January　　wearing　a

thick　coat　and　mittens！　when　so　many　things　are　not　provided　for。

It　may　be　that　he　lays　up　no　treasures　in　this　world　which　will　cool

his　summer　drink　in　the　next。　　He　cuts　and　saws　the　solid　pond；

unroofs　the　house　of　fishes；　and　carts　off　their　very　element　and

air；　held　fast　by　chains　and　stakes　like　corded　wood；　through　the

favoring　winter　air；　to　wintry　cellars；　to　underlie　the　summer

there。　　It　looks　like　solidified　azure；　as；　far　off；　it　is　drawn

through　the　streets。　　These　ice…cutters　are　a　merry　race；　full　of

jest　and　sport；　and　when　I　went　among　them　they　were　wont　to　invite

me　to　saw　pit…fashion　with　them；　I　standing　underneath。

　　　　In　the　winter　of　'46…7　there　came　a　hundred　men　of　Hyperborean

extraction　swoop　down　on　to　our　pond　one　morning；　with　many　carloads

of　ungainly…looking　farming　tools　　sleds；　plows；　drill…barrows；

turf…knives；　spades；　saws；　rakes；　and　each　man　was　armed　with　a

double…pointed　pike…staff；　such　as　is　not　described　in　the

New…England　Farmer　or　the　Cultivator。　　I　did　not　know　whether　they

had　come　to　sow　a　crop　of　winter　rye；　or　some　other　kind　of　grain

recently　introduced　from　Iceland。　　As　I　saw　no　manure；　I　judged　that

they　meant　to　skim　the　land；　as　I　had　done；　thinking　the　soil　was

deep　and　had　lain　fallow　long　enough。　　They　said　that　a　gentleman

farmer；　who　was　behind　the　scenes；　wanted　to　double　his　money；

which；　as　I　understood；　amounted　to　half　a　million　already；　but　in

order　to　cover　each　one　of　his　dollars　with　another；　he　took　off　the

only　coat；　ay；　the　skin　itself；　of　Walden　Pond　in　the　midst　of　a

hard　winter。　　They　went　to　work　at　once；　plowing；　barrowing；

rolling；　furrowing；　in　admirable　order；　as　if　they　were　bent　on

making　this　a　model　farm；　but　when　I　was　looking　sharp　to　see　what

kind　of　seed　they　dropped　into　the　furrow；　a　gang　of　fellows　by　my

side　suddenly　began　to　hook　up　the　virgin　mould　itself；　with　a

peculiar　jerk；　clean　down　to　the　sand；　or　rather　the　water　　for　it

was　a　very　springy　soil　　indeed　all　the　terra　firma　there　was　

and　haul　it　away　on　sleds；　and　then　I　guessed　that　they　must　be

cutting　peat　in　a　bog。　　So　they　came　and　went　every　day；　with　a

peculiar　shriek　from　the　locomotive；　from　and　to　some　point　of　the

polar　regions；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　like　a　flock　of　arctic

snow…birds。　　But　sometimes　Squaw　Walden　had　her　revenge；　and　a　hired

man；　walking　behind　his　team；　slipped　through　a　crack　in　the　ground

down　toward　Tartarus；　and　he　who　was　so　brave　before　suddenly　became

but　the　ninth　part　of　a　man；　almost　gave　up　his　animal　heat；　and　was

glad　to　take　refuge　in　my　house；　and　acknowledged　that　there　was

some　virtue　in　a　stove；　or　sometimes　the　frozen　soil　took　a　piece　of

steel　out　of　a　plowshare；　or　a　plow　got　set　in　the　furrow　and　had　to

be　cut　out。

　　　　To　speak　literally；　a　hundred　Irishmen；　with　Yankee　overseers；

came　from　Cambridge　every　day　to　get　out　the　ice。　　They　divided　it

into　cakes　by　methods　too　well　known　to　require　description；　and

these；　being　sledded　to　the　shore；　were　rapidly　hauled　off　on　to　an

ice　platform；　and　raised　by　grappling　irons　and　block　and　tackle；

worked　by　horses；　on　to　a　stack；　as　surely　as　so　many　barrels　of

flour；　and　there　placed　evenly　side　by　side；　and　row　upon　row；　as　if

they　formed　the　solid　base　of　an　obelisk　designed　to　pierce　the

clouds。　　They　told　me　that　in　a　good　day　they　could　get　out　a

thousand　tons；　which　was　the　yield　of　about　one　acre。　　Deep　ruts　and

〃cradle…holes〃　were　worn　in　the　ice；　as　on　terra　firma；　by　the

passage　of　the　sleds　over　the　same　track；　and　the　horses　invariably

ate　their　oats　out　of　cakes　of　ice　hollowed　out　like　buckets。　　They

stacked　up　the　cakes　thus　in　the　open　air　in　a　pile　thirty…five　feet

high　on　one　side　and　six　or　seven　rods　square；　putting　hay　between

the　outside　layers　to　exclude　the　air；　for　when　the　wind；　though

never　so　cold；　finds　a　passage　through；　it　will　wear　large　cavities；

leaving　slight　supports　or　studs　only　here　and　there；　and　finally

topple　it　down。　　At　first　it　looked　like　a　vast　blue　fort　or

Valhalla；　but　when　they　began　to　tuck　the　coarse　meadow　hay　into　the

crevices；　and　this　became　covered　with　rime　and　icicles；　it　looked

like　a　venerable　moss…grown　and　hoary　ruin；　built　of　azure…tinted

marble；　the　abode　of　Winter；　that　old　man　we　see　in　the　almanac　

his　shanty；　as　if　he　had　a　design　to　estivate　with　us。　　They

calculated　that　not　twenty…five　per　cent　of　this　would　reach　its

destination；　and　that　two　or　three　per　cent　would　be　wasted　in　the

cars。　　However；　a　still　greater　part　of　this　heap　had　a　different

destiny　from　what　was　intended；　for；　either　because　the　ice　was

found　not　to　keep　so　well　as　was　expected；　containing　more　air　than

usual；　or　for　some　other　reason；　it　never　got　to　market。　　This　heap；

made　in　the　winter　of　'46…7　and　estimated　to　contain　ten　thousand

tons；　was　finally　covered　with　hay　and　boards；　and　though　it　was

unroofed　the　following　July；　and　a　part　of　it　carried　off；　the　rest

remaining　exposed　to　the　sun；　it　stood　over　that　summer　and　the　next

winter；　and　was　not　quite　melted　till　September；　1848。　　Thus　the

pond　recovered　the　greater　part。

　　　　Like　the　water；　the　Walden　ice；　seen　near　at　hand；　has　a　green

tint；　but　at　a　distance　is　beautifully　blue；　and　you　can　easily　tell

it　from　the　white　ice　of　the　river；　or　the　merely　greenish　ice　of

some　ponds；　a　quarter　of　a　mile　off。　　Sometimes　one　of　those　great

cakes　slips　from　the　ice…man's　sled　into　the　village　street；　and

lies　there　for　a　week　like　a　great　emerald；　an　object　of　interest　to

all　passers。　　I　have　noticed　that　a　portion　of　Walden　which　in　the

state　of　water　was　green　will　often；　when　frozen；　appear　from　the

same　point　of　view　blue。　　So　the　hollows　about　this　pond　will；

sometimes；　in　the　winter；　be　filled　with　a　greenish　water　somewhat

like　its　own；　but　the　next　day　will　have　frozen　blue。　　Perhaps　the

blue　color　of　water　and　ice　is　due　to　the　light　and　air　they

contain；　and　the　most　transparent　is　the　bluest。　　Ice　is　an

interesting　subject　for　contemplation。　　They　told　me　that　they　had

some　in　the　ice…houses　at　Fresh　Pond　five　years　old　which　was　as

good　as　ever。　　Why　is　it　that　a　bucket　of　water　soon　becomes　putrid；

but　frozen　remains　sweet　forever？　　It　is　commonly　said　that　this　is

the　difference　between　the　affections　and　the　intellect。

　　　　Thus　for　sixteen　days　I　saw　from　my　window　a　hundred　men　at　work

like　busy　husbandmen；　with　teams　and　horses　and　apparently　all　the

implements　of　farming；　such　a　picture　as　we　see　on　the　f