16-the pond in winter-第2章

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　　　　A　factory…owner；　hearing　what　depth　I　had　found；　thought　that　it

could　not　be　true；　for；　judging　from　his　acquaintance　with　dams；

sand　would　not　lie　at　so　steep　an　angle。　　But　the　deepest　ponds　are

not　so　deep　in　proportion　to　their　area　as　most　suppose；　and；　if

drained；　would　not　leave　very　remarkable　valleys。　　They　are　not　like

cups　between　the　hills；　for　this　one；　which　is　so　unusually　deep　for

its　area；　appears　in　a　vertical　section　through　its　centre　not

deeper　than　a　shallow　plate。　　Most　ponds；　emptied；　would　leave　a

meadow　no　more　hollow　than　we　frequently　see。　　William　Gilpin；　who

is　so　admirable　in　all　that　relates　to　landscapes；　and　usually　so

correct；　standing　at　the　head　of　Loch　Fyne；　in　Scotland；　which　he

describes　as　〃a　bay　of　salt　water；　sixty　or　seventy　fathoms　deep；

four　miles　in　breadth；〃　and　about　fifty　miles　long；　surrounded　by

mountains；　observes；　〃If　we　could　have　seen　it　immediately　after　the

diluvian　crash；　or　whatever　convulsion　of　nature　occasioned　it；

before　the　waters　gushed　in；　what　a　horrid　chasm　must　it　have

appeared！



　　　　　　　　　　　　〃So　high　as　heaved　the　tumid　hills；　so　low

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Down　sunk　a　hollow　bottom　broad　and　deep；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Capacious　bed　of　waters。〃



But　if；　using　the　shortest　diameter　of　Loch　Fyne；　we　apply　these

proportions　to　Walden；　which；　as　we　have　seen；　appears　already　in　a

vertical　section　only　like　a　shallow　plate；　it　will　appear　four

times　as　shallow。　　So　much　for　the　increased　horrors　of　the　chasm　of

Loch　Fyne　when　emptied。　　No　doubt　many　a　smiling　valley　with　its

stretching　cornfields　occupies　exactly　such　a　〃horrid　chasm；〃　from

which　the　waters　have　receded；　though　it　requires　the　insight　and

the　far　sight　of　the　geologist　to　convince　the　unsuspecting

inhabitants　of　this　fact。　　Often　an　inquisitive　eye　may　detect　the

shores　of　a　primitive　lake　in　the　low　horizon　hills；　and　no

subsequent　elevation　of　the　plain　have　been　necessary　to　conceal

their　history。　　But　it　is　easiest；　as　they　who　work　on　the　highways

know；　to　find　the　hollows　by　the　puddles　after　a　shower。　　The　amount

of　it　is；　the　imagination　give　it　the　least　license；　dives　deeper

and　soars　higher　than　Nature　goes。　　So；　probably；　the　depth　of　the

ocean　will　be　found　to　be　very　inconsiderable　compared　with　its

breadth。

　　　　As　I　sounded　through　the　ice　I　could　determine　the　shape　of　the

bottom　with　greater　accuracy　than　is　possible　in　surveying　harbors

which　do　not　freeze　over；　and　I　was　surprised　at　its　general

regularity。　　In　the　deepest　part　there　are　several　acres　more　level

than　almost　any　field　which　is　exposed　to　the　sun；　wind；　and　plow。

In　one　instance；　on　a　line　arbitrarily　chosen；　the　depth　did　not

vary　more　than　one　foot　in　thirty　rods；　and　generally；　near　the

middle；　I　could　calculate　the　variation　for　each　one　hundred　feet　in

any　direction　beforehand　within　three　or　four　inches。　　Some　are

accustomed　to　speak　of　deep　and　dangerous　holes　even　in　quiet　sandy

ponds　like　this；　but　the　effect　of　water　under　these　circumstances

is　to　level　all　inequalities。　　The　regularity　of　the　bottom　and　its

conformity　to　the　shores　and　the　range　of　the　neighboring　hills　were

so　perfect　that　a　distant　promontory　betrayed　itself　in　the

soundings　quite　across　the　pond；　and　its　direction　could　be

determined　by　observing　the　opposite　shore。　　Cape　becomes　bar；　and

plain　shoal；　and　valley　and　gorge　deep　water　and　channel。

　　　　When　I　had　mapped　the　pond　by　the　scale　of　ten　rods　to　an　inch；

and　put　down　the　soundings；　more　than　a　hundred　in　all；　I　observed

this　remarkable　coincidence。　　Having　noticed　that　the　number

indicating　the　greatest　depth　was　apparently　in　the　centre　of　the

map；　I　laid　a　rule　on　the　map　lengthwise；　and　then　breadthwise；　and

found；　to　my　surprise；　that　the　line　of　greatest　length　intersected

the　line　of　greatest　breadth　exactly　at　the　point　of　greatest　depth；

notwithstanding　that　the　middle　is　so　nearly　level；　the　outline　of

the　pond　far　from　regular；　and　the　extreme　length　and　breadth　were

got　by　measuring　into　the　coves；　and　I　said　to　myself；　Who　knows　but

this　hint　would　conduct　to　the　deepest　part　of　the　ocean　as　well　as

of　a　pond　or　puddle？　　Is　not　this　the　rule　also　for　the　height　of

mountains；　regarded　as　the　opposite　of　valleys？　　We　know　that　a　hill

is　not　highest　at　its　narrowest　part。

　　　　Of　five　coves；　three；　or　all　which　had　been　sounded；　were

observed　to　have　a　bar　quite　across　their　mouths　and　deeper　water

within；　so　that　the　bay　tended　to　be　an　expansion　of　water　within

the　land　not　only　horizontally　but　vertically；　and　to　form　a　basin

or　independent　pond；　the　direction　of　the　two　capes　showing　the

course　of　the　bar。　　Every　harbor　on　the　sea…coast；　also；　has　its　bar

at　its　entrance。　　In　proportion　as　the　mouth　of　the　cove　was　wider

compared　with　its　length；　the　water　over　the　bar　was　deeper　compared

with　that　in　the　basin。　　Given；　then；　the　length　and　breadth　of　the

cove；　and　the　character　of　the　surrounding　shore；　and　you　have

almost　elements　enough　to　make　out　a　formula　for　all　cases。

　　　　In　order　to　see　how　nearly　I　could　guess；　with　this　experience；

at　the　deepest　point　in　a　pond；　by　observing　the　outlines　of　a

surface　and　the　character　of　its　shores　alone；　I　made　a　plan　of

White　Pond；　which　contains　about　forty…one　acres；　and；　like　this；

has　no　island　in　it；　nor　any　visible　inlet　or　outlet；　and　as　the

line　of　greatest　breadth　fell　very　near　the　line　of　least　breadth；

where　two　opposite　capes　approached　each　other　and　two　opposite　bays

receded；　I　ventured　to　mark　a　point　a　short　distance　from　the　latter

line；　but　still　on　the　line　of　greatest　length；　as　the　deepest。　　The

deepest　part　was　found　to　be　within　one　hundred　feet　of　this；　still

farther　in　the　direction　to　which　I　had　inclined；　and　was　only　one

foot　deeper；　namely；　sixty　feet。　　Of　course；　a　stream　running

through；　or　an　island　in　the　pond；　would　make　the　problem　much　more

complicated。

　　　　If　we　knew　all　the　laws　of　Nature；　we　should　need　only　one　fact；

or　the　description　of　one　actual　phenomenon；　to　infer　all　the

particular　results　at　that　point。　　Now　we　know　only　a　few　laws；　and

our　result　is　vitiated；　not；　of　course；　by　any　confusion　or

irregularity　in　Nature；　but　by　our　ignorance　of　essential　elements

in　the　calculation。　　Our　notions　of　law　and　harmony　are　commonly

confined　to　those　instances　which　we　detect；　but　the　harmony　which

results　from　a　far　greater　number　of　seemingly　conflicting；　but

really　concurring；　laws；　which　we　have　not　detected；　is　still　more

wonderful。　　The　particular　laws　are　as　our　points　of　view；　as；　to

the　traveller；　a　mountain　outline　varies　with　every　step；　and　it　has

an　infinite　number　of　profiles；　though　absolutely　but　one　form。

Even　when　cleft　or　bored　through　it　is　not　comprehended　in　its

entireness。

　　　　What　I　have　observed　of　the　pond　is　no　less　true　in　ethics。　　It

is　the　law　of　average。　　Such　a　rule　of　the　two　diameters　not　only

guides　us　toward　the　sun　in　the　system　and　the　heart　in　man；　but

draws　lines　through　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　aggregate　of　a

man's　particular　daily　behaviors　and　waves　of　life　into　his　coves

and　inlets；　and　where　they　intersect　will　be　the　height　or　depth　of

his　character。　　Perhaps　we　need　only　to　know　how　his　shores　trend

and　his　adjacent　country　or　circumstances；　to　infer　his　depth　and

concealed　bottom。　　If　he　is　surrounded　by　mountainous　circumstances；

an　Achillean　shore；　whose　peaks　overshadow　and　are　reflected　in　his

bosom；　they　suggest　a　corresponding　depth　in　him。　　But　a　low　and

smooth　shore　proves　him　shallow　on　that　side。　　In　our　bodies；　a　bold

projecting　brow　falls　off　to　and　indicates　a　corresponding　depth　of

thought。　　Also　there　is　a　bar　across　the　entrance　of　our　every　cove；

or　particular　inclination；　each　is　our　harbor　for　a　season；　in　which

we　are　detained　and　partially　land…locked。　　These　inclinations　are

not　whimsical　usually；　but　their　form；　size；　and　direction　are

determined　by