yastomeritaparticulardescription.Itisaclearanddeepgreenwell,halfamilelongandamileandthreequartersincircumference,andcontainsaboutsixty-oneandahalfacresaperennialspringinthemidstofpineandoakwoods,withoutanyvisibleinletoroutletexceptbythecloudsandevaporation.Thesurroundinghillsriseabruptlyfromthewatertotheheightoffortytoeightyfeet,thoughonthesouth-eastandeasttheyattaintoaboutonehundredandonehundredandfiftyfeetrespectively,withinaquarterandathirdofamile.Theyareexclusivelywoodland.AllourConcordwatershavetwocolorsatleastonewhenviewedatadistance,andanother,moreproper,closeathand.Thefirstdependsmoreonthelight,andfollowsthesky.Inclearweather,insummer,theyappearblueatalittledistance,especiallyifagitated,andatagreatdistanceallappearalike.Instormyweathertheyaresometimesofadarkslatecolor.Thesea,however,issaidtobeblueonedayandgreenanotherwithoutanyperceptiblechangeintheatmosphere.Ihaveseenourriver,when,thelandscapebeingcoveredwithsnow,bothwaterandicewerealmostasgreenasgrass.Someconsiderblue“tobethecolorofpurewater,whetherliquidorsolid.”But,lookingdirectlydownintoourwatersfromaboat,theyareseentobeofverydifferentcolors.Waldenisblueatonetimeandgreenatanother,evenfromthesamepointofview.Lyingbetweentheearthandtheheavens,itpartakesofthecolorofboth.Viewedfromahill-topitreflectsthecoloroftheskybutnearathanditisofayellowishtintnexttheshorewhereyoucanseethesand,thenalightgreen,whichgraduallydeepenstoauniformdarkgreeninthebodyofthepond.Insomelights,viewedevenfromahill-top,itisofavividgreennexttheshore.Somehavereferredthistothereflectionoftheverdurebutitisequallygreenthereagainsttherailroadsand-bank,andinthespring,beforetheleavesareexpanded,anditmaybesimplytheresultoftheprevailingbluemixedwiththeyellowofthesand.Suchisthecolorofitsiris.Thisisthatportion,also,whereinthespring,theicebeingwarmedbytheheatofthesunreflectedfromthebottom,andalsotransmittedthroughtheearth,meltsfirstandformsanarrowcanalaboutthestillfrozenmiddle.Liketherestofourwaters,whenmuchagitated,inclearweather,sothatthesurfaceofthewavesmayreflecttheskyattherightangle,orbecausethereismorelightmixedwithit,itappearsatalittledistanceofadarkerbluethantheskyitselfandatsuchatime,beingonitssurface,andlookingwithdividedvision,soastoseethereflection,Ihavediscernedamatchlessandindescribablelightblue,suchaswateredorchangeablesilksandswordbladessuggest,moreceruleanthantheskyitself,alternatingwiththeoriginaldarkgreenontheoppositesidesofthewaves,whichlastappearedbutmuddyincomparison.Itisavitreousgreenishblue,asIrememberit,likethosepatchesofthewinterskyseenthroughcloudvistasinthewestbeforesundown.Yetasingleglassofitswaterhelduptothelightisascolorlessasanequalquantityofair.Itiswellknownthatalargeplateofglasswillhaveagreentint,owing,asthemakerssay,toits“body,”butasmallpieceofthesamewillbecolorless.HowlargeabodyofWaldenwaterwouldberequiredtoreflectagreentintIhaveneverproved.Thewaterofourriverisblackoraverydarkbrowntoonelookingdirectlydownonit,and,likethatofmostponds,impartstothebodyofonebathinginitayellowishtingebutthiswaterisofsuchcrystallinepuritythatthebodyofthebatherappearsofanalabasterwhiteness,stillmoreunnatural,which,asthelimbsaremagnifiedanddistortedwithal,producesamonstrouseffect,makingfitstudiesforaMichaelAngelo.
Thewaterissotransparentthatthebottomcaneasilybediscernedatthedepthoftwenty-fiveorthirtyfeet.Paddlingoverit,youmaysee,manyfeetbeneaththesurfacetheschoolsofperchandshiners,perhapsonlyaninchlong,yettheformereasilydistinguishedbytheirtransversebars,andyouthinkthattheymustbeasceticfishthatfindasubsistencethere.Once,inthewinter,manyyearsago,whenIhadbeencuttingholesthroughtheiceinordertocatchpickerel,asIsteppedashoreItossedmyaxebackontotheice,but,asifsomeevilgeniushaddirectedit,itslidfourorfiverodsdirectlyintooneoftheholes,wherethewaterwastwenty-fivefeetdeep.Outofcuriosity,Ilaydownontheiceandlookedthroughthehole,untilIsawtheaxealittleononeside,standingonitshead,withitshelveerectandgentlyswayingtoandfrowiththepulseofthepondandthereitmighthavestooderectandswayingtillinthecourseoftimethehandlerottedoff,ifIhadnotdisturbedit.Makinganotherholedire