16-the pond in winter-第3章

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

determined　by　the　promontories　of　the　shore；　the　ancient　axes　of

elevation。　　When　this　bar　is　gradually　increased　by　storms；　tides；

or　currents；　or　there　is　a　subsidence　of　the　waters；　so　that　it

reaches　to　the　surface；　that　which　was　at　first　but　an　inclination

in　the　shore　in　which　a　thought　was　harbored　becomes　an　individual

lake；　cut　off　from　the　ocean；　wherein　the　thought　secures　its　own

conditions　　changes；　perhaps；　from　salt　to　fresh；　becomes　a　sweet

sea；　dead　sea；　or　a　marsh。　　At　the　advent　of　each　individual　into

this　life；　may　we　not　suppose　that　such　a　bar　has　risen　to　the

surface　somewhere？　　It　is　true；　we　are　such　poor　navigators　that　our

thoughts；　for　the　most　part；　stand　off　and　on　upon　a　harborless

coast；　are　conversant　only　with　the　bights　of　the　bays　of　poesy；　or

steer　for　the　public　ports　of　entry；　and　go　into　the　dry　docks　of

science；　where　they　merely　refit　for　this　world；　and　no　natural

currents　concur　to　individualize　them。

　　　　As　for　the　inlet　or　outlet　of　Walden；　I　have　not　discovered　any

but　rain　and　snow　and　evaporation；　though　perhaps；　with　a

thermometer　and　a　line；　such　places　may　be　found；　for　where　the

water　flows　into　the　pond　it　will　probably　be　coldest　in　summer　and

warmest　in　winter。　　When　the　ice…men　were　at　work　here　in　'46…7；　the

cakes　sent　to　the　shore　were　one　day　rejected　by　those　who　were

stacking　them　up　there；　not　being　thick　enough　to　lie　side　by　side

with　the　rest；　and　the　cutters　thus　discovered　that　the　ice　over　a

small　space　was　two　or　three　inches　thinner　than　elsewhere；　which

made　them　think　that　there　was　an　inlet　there。　　They　also　showed　me

in　another　place　what　they　thought　was　a　〃leach…hole；〃　through　which

the　pond　leaked　out　under　a　hill　into　a　neighboring　meadow；　pushing

me　out　on　a　cake　of　ice　to　see　it。　　It　was　a　small　cavity　under　ten

feet　of　water；　but　I　think　that　I　can　warrant　the　pond　not　to　need

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　invaria