09-the ponds-第3节

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conjectured　that　when　the　hill　shook　these　stones　rolled　down　its

side　and　became　the　present　shore。　　It　is　very　certain；　at　any　rate；

that　once　there　was　no　pond　here；　and　now　there　is　one；　and　this

Indian　fable　does　not　in　any　respect　conflict　with　the　account　of

that　ancient　settler　whom　I　have　mentioned；　who　remembers　so　well

when　he　first　came　here　with　his　divining…rod；　saw　a　thin　vapor

rising　from　the　sward；　and　the　hazel　pointed　steadily　downward；　and

he　concluded　to　dig　a　well　here。　　As　for　the　stones；　many　still

think　that　they　are　hardly　to　be　accounted　for　by　the　action　of　the

waves　on　these　hills；　but　I　observe　that　the　surrounding　hills　are

remarkably　full　of　the　same　kind　of　stones；　so　that　they　have　been

obliged　to　pile　them　up　in　walls　on　both　sides　of　the　railroad　cut

nearest　the　pond；　and；　moreover；　there　are　most　stones　where　the

shore　is　most　abrupt；　so　that；　unfortunately；　it　is　no　longer　a

mystery　to　me。　　I　detect　the　paver。　　If　the　name　was　not　derived

from　that　of　some　English　locality　　Saffron　Walden；　for　instance

　one　might　suppose　that　it　was　called　originally　Walled…in　Pond。

　　　　The　pond　was　my　well　ready　dug。　　For　four　months　in　the　year　its

water　is　as　cold　as　it　is　pure　at　all　times；　and　I　think　that　it　is

then　as　good　as　any；　if　not　the　best；　in　the　town。　　In　the　winter；

all　water　which　is　exposed　to　the　air　is　colder　than　springs　and

wells　which　are　protected　from　it。　　The　temperature　of　the　pond

water　which　had　stood　in　the　room　where　I　sat　from　five　o'clock　in

the　afternoon　till　noon　the　next　day；　the　sixth　of　March；　1846；　the

thermometer　having　been　up　to　65x　or　70x　some　of　the　time；　owing

partly　to　the　sun　on　the　roof；　was　42x；　or　one　degree　colder　than

the　water　of　one　of　the　coldest　wells　in　the　village　just　drawn。

The　temperature　of　the　Boiling　Spring　the　same　day　was　45x；　or　the

warmest　of　any　water　tried；　though　it　is　the　coldest　that　I　know　of

in　summer；　when；　beside；　shallow　and　stagnant　surface　water　is　not

mingled　with　it。　　Moreover；　in　summer；　Walden　never　becomes　so　warm

as　most　water　which　is　exposed　to　the　sun；　on　account　of　its　depth。

In　the　warmest　weather　I　usually　placed　a　pailful　in　my　cellar；

where　it　became　cool　in　the　night；　and　remained　so　during　the　day；

though　I　also　resorted　to　a　spring　in　the　neighborhood。　　It　was　as

good　when　a　week　old　as　the　day　it　was　dipped；　and　had　no　taste　of

the　pump。　　Whoever　camps　for　a　week　in　summer　by　the　shore　of　a

pond；　needs　only　bury　a　pail　of　water　a　few　feet　deep　in　the　shade

of　his　camp　to　be　independent　of　the　luxury　of　ice。

　　　　There　have　been　caught　in　Walden　pickerel；　one　weighing　seven

pounds　　to　say　nothing　of　another　which　carried　off　a　reel　with

great　velocity；　which　the　fisherman　safely　set　down　at　eight　pounds

because　he　did　not　see　him　　perch　and　pouts；　some　of　each　weighing

over　two　pounds；　shiners；　chivins　or　roach　（Leuciscus　pulchellus）；　a

very　few　breams；　and　a　couple　of　eels；　one　weighing　four　pounds　　I

am　thus　particular　because　the　weight　of　a　fish　is　commonly　its　only

title　to　fame；　and　these　are　the　only　eels　I　have　heard　of　here；　

also；　I　have　a　faint　recollection　of　a　little　fish　some　five　inches

long；　with　silvery　sides　and　a　greenish　back；　somewhat　dace…like　in

its　character；　which　I　mention　here　chiefly　to　link　my　facts　to

fable。　　Nevertheless；　this　pond　is　not　very　fertile　in　fish。　　Its

pickerel；　though　not　abundant；　are　its　chief　boast。　　I　have　seen　at

one　time　lying　on　the　ice　pickerel　of　at　least　three　different

kinds：　a　long　and　shallow　one；　steel…colored；　most　like　those　caught

in　the　river；　a　bright　golden　kind；　with　greenish　reflections　and

remarkably　deep；　which　is　the　most　common　here；　and　another；

golden…colored；　and　shaped　like　the　last；　but　peppered　on　the　sides

with　small　dark　brown　or　black　spots；　intermixed　with　a　few　faint

blood…red　ones；　very　much　like　a　trout。　　The　specific　name

reticulatus　would　not　apply　to　this；　it　should　be　guttatus　rather。

These　are　all　very　firm　fish；　and　weigh　more　than　their　size

promises。　　The　shiners；　pouts；　and　perch　also；　and　indeed　all　the

fishes　which　inhabit　this　pond；　are　much　cleaner；　handsomer；　and

firmer…fleshed　than　those　in　the　river　and　most　other　ponds；　as　the

water　is　purer；　and　they　can　easily　be　distinguished　from　them。

Probably　many　ichthyologists　would　make　new　varieties　of　some　of

them。　　There　are　also　a　clean　race　of　frogs　and　tortoises；　and　a　few

mussels　in　it；　muskrats　and　minks　leave　their　traces　about　it；　and

occasionally　a　travelling　mud…turtle　visits　it。　　Sometimes；　when　I

pushed　off　my　boat　in　the　morning；　I　disturbed　a　great　mud…turtle

which　had　secreted　himself　under　the　boat　in　the　night。　　Ducks　and

geese　frequent　it　in　the　spring　and　fall；　the　white…bellied　swallows

（Hirundo　bicolor）　skim　over　it；　and　the　peetweets　（Totanus

macularius）　〃teeter〃　along　its　stony　shores　all　summer。　　I　have

sometimes　disturbed　a　fish　hawk　sitting　on　a　white　pine　over　the

water；　but　I　doubt　if　it　is　ever　profaned　by　the　wind　of　a　gull；

like　Fair　Haven。　　At　most；　it　tolerates　one　annual　loon。　　These　are

all　the　animals　of　consequence　which　frequent　it　now。

　　　　You　may　see　from　a　boat；　in　calm　weather；　near　the　sandy

eastern　shore；　where　the　water　is　eight　or　ten　feet　deep；　and　also

in　some　other　parts　of　the　pond；　some　circular　heaps　half　a　dozen

feet　in　diameter　by　a　foot　in　height；　consisting　of　small　stones

less　than　a　hen's　egg　in　size；　where　all　around　is　bare　sand。　　At

first　you　wonder　if　the　Indians　could　have　formed　them　on　the　ice

for　any　purpose；　and　so；　when　the　ice　melted；　they　sank　to　the

bottom；　but　they　are　too　regular　and　some　of　them　plainly　too　fresh

for　that。　　They　are　similar　to　those　found　in　rivers；　but　as　there

are　no　suckers　nor　lampreys　here；　I　know　not　by　what　fish　they　could

be　made。　　Perhaps　they　are　the　nests　of　the　chivin。　　These　lend　a

pleasing　mystery　to　the　bottom。

　　　　The　shore　is　irregular　enough　not　to　be　monotonous。　　I　have　in

my　mind's　eye　the　western；　indented　with　deep　bays；　the　bolder

northern；　and　the　beautifully　scalloped　southern　shore；　where

successive　capes　overlap　each　other　and　suggest　unexplored　coves

between。　　The　forest　has　never　so　good　a　setting；　nor　is　so

distinctly　beautiful；　as　when　seen　from　the　middle　of　a　small　lake

amid　hills　which　rise　from　the　water's　edge；　for　the　water　in　which

it　is　reflected　not　only　makes　the　best　foreground　in　such　a　case；

but；　with　its　winding　shore；　the　most　natural　and　agreeable　boundary

to　it。　　There　is　no　rawness　nor　imperfection　in　its　edge　there；　as

where　the　axe　has　cleared　a　part；　or　a　cultivated　field　abuts　on　it。

The　trees　have　ample　room　to　expand　on　the　water　side；　and　each

sends　forth　its　most　vigorous　branch　in　that　direction。　　There

Nature　has　woven　a　natural　selvage；　and　the　eye　rises　by　just

gradations　from　the　low　shrubs　of　the　shore　to　the　highest　trees。

There　are　few　traces　of　man's　hand　to　be　seen。　　The　water　laves　the

shore　as　it　did　a　thousand　years　ago。

　　　　A　lake　is　the　landscape's　most　beautiful　and　expressive　feature。

It　is　earth's　eye；　looking　into　which　the　beholder　measures　the

depth　of　his　own　nature。　　The　fluviatile　trees　next　the　shore　are

the　slender　eyelashes　which　fringe　it；　and　the　wooded　hills　and

cliffs　around　are　its　overhanging　brows。

　　　　Standing　on　the　smooth　sandy　beach　at　the　east　end　of　the　pond；

in　a　calm　September　afternoon；　when　a　slight　haze　makes　the　opposite

shore…line　indistinct；　I　have　seen　whence　came　the　expression；　〃the

glassy　surface　of　a　lake。〃　　When　you　invert　your　head；　it　looks　like

a　thread　of　finest　gossamer　stretched　across　the　valley；　and

gleaming　against　the　distant　pine　woods；　separating　one　stratum　of

the　atmosphere　from　another。　　You　would　think　that　you　could　walk

dry　under　it　to　the　opposite　hills；　and　that　the　swallows　which　skim

over　might　perch　on　it。　　Indeed；　they　sometimes　dive　below　this

line；　as　it　were　by　mistake；　and　are　undeceived。　　As　you　look　over

the　pond　westward　you　are　obliged　to　employ　both　your　hands　to

defend　your　eyes　against　the　reflected　as　well　as　the　true　sun；　for

they　are　equally　bright；　and　if；　between　the　two；　you　survey　its

surface　critically；　it　is　literally　as　smooth　as　glass；　except　where

the　skater　insects；　at　equal　intervals　scattered　over　its　whole

extent；　by　their　motions　in　the　sun　produce　the　finest　imaginable

sparkle　on　it；　or；　perchance；　a　duck　plumes　itself；　or；　as　I　have

said；　a　swallow　skims　so　low　as　to　touch　it。　　It　may　be　that　in　the

distance　a　fish　describes　an　arc　of　three　or　four　feet　in　the　air；

and　there　is　one　bright　flash　where　it　emerges；　and　another　where　it

strikes　the　water；　sometimes　the　whole　silvery　arc　is　revealed；　or

here　and　there；　perhaps；　is　a　thistle…down　floating　on　its　surface；

which　the　fishes　dart　at　and　so　dimple　it　again。　　It　is　like　molten

glass　cooled　but　not　congealed；　and　the　few　motes　in　it　are　pure　and

beautiful　like　the　imperfec