09-the ponds-第3章

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　　　　This　rise　and　fall　of　Walden　at　long　intervals　serves　this　use

at　least；　the　water　standing　at　this　great　height　for　a　year　or

more；　though　it　makes　it　difficult　to　walk　round　it；　kills　the

shrubs　and　trees　which　have　sprung　up　about　its　edge　since　the　last

rise　　pitch　pines；　birches；　alders；　aspens；　and　others　　and；

falling　again；　leaves　an　unobstructed　shore；　for；　unlike　many　ponds

and　all　waters　which　are　subject　to　a　daily　tide；　its　shore　is

cleanest　when　the　water　is　lowest。　　On　the　side　of　the　pond　next　my

house　a　row　of　pitch　pines；　fifteen　feet　high；　has　been　killed　and

tipped　over　as　if　by　a　lever；　and　thus　a　stop　put　to　their

encroachments；　and　their　size　indicates　how　many　years　have　elapsed

since　the　last　rise　to　this　height。　　By　this　fluctuation　the　pond

asserts　its　title　to　a　shore；　and　thus　the　shore　is　shorn；　and　the

trees　cannot　hold　it　by　right　of　possession。　　These　are　the　lips　of

the　lake；　on　which　no　beard　grows。　　It　licks　its　chaps　from　time　to

time。　　When　the　water　is　at　its　height；　the　alders；　willows；　and

maples　send　forth　a　mass　of　fibrous　red　roots　several　feet　long　from

all　sides　of　their　stems　in　the　water；　and　to　the　height　of　three　or

four　feet　from　the　ground；　in　the　effort　to　maintain　themselves；　and

I　have　known　the　high　blueberry　bushes　about　the　shore；　which

commonly　produce　no　fruit；　bear　an　abundant　crop　under　these

circumstances。

　　　　Some　have　been　puzzled　to　tell　how　the　shore　became　so　regularly

paved。　　My　townsmen　have　all　heard　the　tradition　　the　oldest

people　tell　me　that　they　heard　it　in　their　youth　　that　anciently

the　Indians　were　holding　a　pow…wow　upon　a　hill　here；　which　rose　as

high　into　the　heavens　as　the　pond　now　sinks　deep　into　the　earth；　and

they　used　much　profanity；　as　the　story　goes；　though　this　vice　is　one

of　which　the　Indians　were　never　guilty；　and　while　they　were　thus

engaged　the　hill　shook　and　suddenly　sank；　and　only　one　old　squaw；

named　Walden；　escaped；　and　from　her　the　pond　was　named。　　It　has　been

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　mon