The Ponds

whenaweekoldasthedayitwasdipped,andhadnotasteofthepump.Whoevercampsforaweekinsummerbytheshoreofapond,needsonlyburyapailofwaterafewfeetdeepintheshadeofhiscamptobeindependentoftheluxuryofice. TherehavebeencaughtinWaldenpickerel,oneweighingsevenpounds,tosaynothingofanotherwhichcarriedoffareelwithgreatvelocity,whichthefishermansafelysetdownateightpoundsbecausehedidnotseehim,perchandpouts,someofeachweighingovertwopounds,shiners,chivinsorroach(Leuciscuspulchellus),averyfewbreams,andacoupleofeels,oneweighingfourpounds,—Iamthusparticularbecausetheweightofafishiscommonlyitsonlytitletofame,andthesearetheonlyeelsIhaveheardofhere—also,Ihaveafaintrecollectionofalittlefishsomefiveincheslong,withsilverysidesandagreenishback,somewhatdace-likeinitscharacter,whichImentionherechieflytolinkmyfactstofable.Nevertheless,thispondisnotveryfertileinfish.Itspickerel,thoughnotabundant,areitschiefboast.Ihaveseenatonetimelyingontheicepickerelofatleastthreedifferentkindsalongandshallowone,steel-colored,mostlikethosecaughtintheriverabrightgoldenkind,withgreenishreflectionsandremarkablydeep,whichisthemostcommonhereandanother,golden-colored,andshapedlikethelast,butpepperedonthesideswithsmalldarkbrownorblackspots,intermixedwithafewfaintblood-redones,verymuchlikeatrout.Thespecificnamereticulatuswouldnotapplytothisitshouldbeguttatusrather.Theseareallveryfirmfish,andweighmorethantheirsizepromises.Theshiners,pouts,andperchalso,andindeedallthefisheswhichinhabitthispond,aremuchcleaner,handsomer,andfirmerfleshedthanthoseintheriverandmostotherponds,asthewaterispurer,andtheycaneasilybedistinguishedfromthem.Probablymanyichthyologistswouldmakenewvarietiesofsomeofthem.Therearealsoacleanraceoffrogsandtortoises,andafewmuscelsinitmuskratsandminksleavetheirtracesaboutit,andoccasionallyatravellingmud-turtlevisitsit.Sometimes,whenIpushedoffmyboatinthemorning,Idisturbedagreatmud-turtlewhichhadsecretedhimselfundertheboatinthenight.Ducksandgeesefrequentitinthespringandfall,thewhite-belliedswallows(Hirundobicolor)skimoverit,andthepeetweets(Totanusmacularius)“teter”alongitsstonyshoresallsummer.Ihavesometimesdisturbedafishhawksittingonawhite-pineoverthewaterbutIdoubtifitiseverprofanedbythewingofagull,likeFairHaven.Atmost,ittoleratesoneannualloon.Thesearealltheanimalsofconsequencewhichfrequentitnow. Youmayseefromaboat,incalmweather,nearthesandyeasternshore,wherethewateriseightortenfeetdeep,andalsoinsomeotherpartsofthepond,somecircularheapshalfadozenfeetindiameterbyafootinheight,consistingofsmallstoneslessthanahen’segginsize,whereallaroundisbaresand.AtfirstyouwonderiftheIndianscouldhaveformedthemontheiceforanypurpose,andso,whentheicemelted,theysanktothebottombuttheyaretooregularandsomeofthemplainlytoofreshforthat.Theyaresimilartothosefoundinriversbutastherearenosuckersnorlampreyshere,Iknownotbywhatfishtheycouldbemade.Perhapstheyarethenestsofthechivin.Theselendapleasingmysterytothebottom. Theshoreisirregularenoughnottobemonotonous.Ihaveinmymind’seyethewesternindentedwithdeepbays,theboldernorthern,andthebeautifullyscallopedsouthernshore,wheresuccessivecapesoverlapeachotherandsuggestunexploredcovesbetween.Theforesthasneversogoodasetting,norissodistinctlybeautiful,aswhenseenfromthemiddleofasmalllakeamidhillswhichrisefromthewater’sedgeforthewaterinwhichitisreflectednotonlymakesthebestforegroundinsuchacase,but,withitswindingshore,themostnaturalandagreeableboundarytoit.Thereisnorawnessnorimperfectioninitsedgethere,aswheretheaxehasclearedapart,oracultivatedfieldabutsonit.Thetreeshaveampleroomtoexpandonthewaterside,andeachsendsforthitsmostvigorousbranchinthatdirection.ThereNaturehaswovenanaturalselvage,andtheeyerisesbyjustgradationsfromthelowshrubsoftheshoretothehighesttrees.Therearefewtracesofman’shandtobeseen.Thewaterlavestheshoreasitdidathousandyearsago. Alakeisthelandscape’smostbeautifulandexpressivefeature.Itisearth’seyelookingintowhichthebeholdermeasuresthedepthofhisownnature.Thefluviatiletreesnexttheshorearetheslendereyelasheswhichfringeit,andthewoodedhillsandcliffsaroundareitsoverhangingbrows. Standingonthesmoothsandybeachattheeastendofthepond,inacalmSeptemberafternoon,whenaslighthazemakestheoppositeshorelineindistinct,Ihaveseenwhencecametheexpression,“theglassysurfaceofalake.”Whenyouinvertyourhead,itlookslikeathreadoffinestgossamerstretchedacrossthevalley,andgleamingagainstthedistantpinewoods,separatingonestratumoftheatmospherefromanother.Youwouldthinkthatyoucouldwalkdryunderittotheoppositehills,andthattheswallowswhichskimovermightperchonit.Indeed,theysometimesdivebelowthisline,asitwerebymistake,andareundeceived.Asyoulookoverthepondwestwardyouareobligedtoemploybothyourhandstodefendyoureyesagainstthereflectedaswellasthetruesun,fortheyareequallybrightandif,betweenthetwo,yousurveyitssurfacecritically,itisliterallyassmoothasglass,exceptwheretheskaterinsects,atequalintervalsscatteredoveritswholeextent,bytheirmotionsinthesunproducethefinestimaginablesparkleonit,or,perchance,aduckplumesitself,or,asIhavesaid,aswallowskimssolowastotouchit.Itmaybethatinthedistanceafishdescribesanarcofthreeorfourfeetintheair,andthereisonebrightflashwhereitemerges,andanotherwhereitstrikesthewatersometimesthewholesilveryarcisrevealedorhereandthere,perhaps,isathistle-downfloatingonitssurface,whichthefishesdartatandsodimpleitagain.Itislikemoltenglasscooledbutnotcongealed,andthefewmotesinitarepureandbeautifulliketheimperfectionsinglass.Youmayoftendetectayetsmootheranddarkerwater,separatedfromtherestasifbyaninvisiblecobweb,boomofthewaternymphs,restingonit.Fromahill-topyoucanseeafishleapinalmostanypartfornotapickerelorshinerpicksaninsectfromthissmoothsurfacebutitmanifestlydisturbstheequilibriumofthewholelake.Itiswonderfulwithwhatelaboratenessthissimplefactisadvertised,—thispiscinemurderwillout,—andfrommydistantperchIdistinguishthecirclingundulationswhentheyarehalfadozenrodsindiameter.Youcanevendetectawater-bug(Gyrinus)ceaselesslyprogressingoverthesmoothsurfaceaquarterofamileofffortheyfurrowthewaterslightly,makingaconspicuousrippleboundedbytwodiverginglines,buttheskatersglideoveritwithoutripplingitperceptibly.Whenthesurfaceisconsiderablyagitatedtherearenoskatersnorwater-bugsonit,butapparently,incalmdays,theyleavetheirhavensandadventurouslyglideforthfromtheshorebyshortimpulsestilltheycompletelycoverit.Itisasoothingemployment,ononeofthosefinedaysinthefallwhenallthewarmthofthesunisfullyappreciated,tositonastumponsuchaheightasthis,overlookingthepond,andstudythedimplingcircleswhichareincessantlyinscribedonitsotherwiseinvisiblesurfaceamidthereflectedskiesandtrees.Overthisgreatexpansethereisnodisturbancebutitisthusatoncegentlysmoothedawayandassuaged,as,whenavaseofwaterisjarred,thetremblingcirclesseektheshoreandallissmoothagain.Notafishcanleaporaninsectfallonthepondbutitisthusreportedincirclingdimples,inlinesofbeauty,asitweretheconstantwellingupofitsfountain,thegentlepulsingofitslife,theheavingofitsbreast.Thethrillsofjoyandthrillsofpainareundistinguishable.Howpeacefulthephenomenaofthelake!Againtheworksofmanshineasinthespring.Ay,everyleafandtwigandstoneandcobwebsparklesnowatmid-afternoonaswhencoveredwithdewinaspringmorning.Everymotionofanoaroraninsectproducesaflashoflightandifanoarfalls,howsweettheecho! Insuchaday,inSeptemberorOctober,Waldenisaperfectforestmirror,setroundwithstonesasprecioustomyeyeasiffewerorrarer.Nothingsofair,sopure,andatthesametimesolarge,asalake,perchance,liesonthesurfaceoftheearth.Skywater.Itneedsnofence.Nationscomeandgowithoutdefilingit.Itisamirrorwhichnostonecancrack,whosequicksilverwillneverwearoff,whosegildingNaturecontinuallyrepairsnostorms,nodust,candimitssurfaceeverfresh—amirrorinwhichallimpuritypresentedtoitsinks,sweptanddustedbythesun’shazybrush,—thisthelightdust-cloth,—whichretainsnobreaththatisbreathedonit,butsendsitsowntofloatascloudshighaboveitssurface,andbereflectedinitsbosomstill. Afieldofwaterbetraysthespiritthatisintheair.Itiscontinuallyreceivingnewlifeandmotionfromabove.Itisintermediateinitsnaturebetweenlandandsky.Onlandonlythegrassandtreeswave,butthewateritselfisrippledbythewind.Iseewherethebreezedashesacrossitbythestreaksorflakesoflight.Itisrem