Theshoreiscomposedofabeltofsmoothroundedwhitestoneslikepaving-stones，exceptingoneortwoshortsandbeaches，andissosteepthatinmanyplacesasingleleapwillcarryyouintowateroveryourhead；andwereitnotforitsremarkabletransparency，thatwouldbethelasttobeseenofitsbottomtillitroseontheoppositeside。Somethinkitisbottomless。Itisnowheremuddy，andacasualobserverwouldsaythattherewerenoweedsatallinit；andofnoticeableplants，exceptinthelittlemeadowsrecentlyoverflowed，whichdonotproperlybelongtoit，acloserscrutinydoesnotdetectaflagnorabulrush，norevenalily，yelloworwhite，butonlyafewsmallheart-leavesandpotamogetons，andperhapsawater-targetortwo；allwhichhoweverabathermightnotperceive；andtheseplantsarecleanandbrightliketheelementtheygrowin。Thestonesextendarodortwointothewater，andthenthebottomispuresand，exceptinthedeepestparts，wherethereisusuallyalittlesediment，probablyfromthedecayoftheleaveswhichhavebeenwaftedontoitsomanysuccessivefalls，andabrightgreenweedisbroughtuponanchorseveninmidwinter。
Wehaveoneotherpondjustlikethis，WhitePond，inNineAcreCorner，abouttwoandahalfmileswesterly；but，thoughIamacquaintedwithmostofthepondswithinadozenmilesofthiscentreIdonotknowathirdofthispureandwell-likecharacter。
Successivenationsperchancehavedrankat，admired，andfathomedit，andpassedaway，andstillitswaterisgreenandpellucidasever。Notanintermittingspring！PerhapsonthatspringmorningwhenAdamandEveweredrivenoutofEdenWaldenPondwasalreadyinexistence，andeventhenbreakingupinagentlespringrainaccompaniedwithmistandasoutherlywind，andcoveredwithmyriadsofducksandgeese，whichhadnotheardofthefall，whenstillsuchpurelakessufficedthem。Eventhenithadcommencedtoriseandfall，andhadclarifieditswatersandcoloredthemofthehuetheynowwear，andobtainedapatentofHeaventobetheonlyWaldenPondintheworldanddistillerofcelestialdews。Whoknowsinhowmanyunrememberednations’literaturesthishasbeentheCastalianFountain？orwhatnymphspresidedoveritintheGoldenAge？ItisagemofthefirstwaterwhichConcordwearsinhercoronet。
Yetperchancethefirstwhocametothiswellhaveleftsometraceoftheirfootsteps。Ihavebeensurprisedtodetectencirclingthepond，evenwhereathickwoodhasjustbeencutdownontheshore，anarrowshelf-likepathinthesteephillside，alternatelyrisingandfalling，approachingandrecedingfromthewater’sedge，asoldprobablyastheraceofmanhere，wornbythefeetofaboriginalhunters，andstillfromtimetotimeunwittinglytroddenbythepresentoccupantsoftheland。Thisisparticularlydistincttoonestandingonthemiddleofthepondinwinter，justafteralightsnowhasfallen，appearingasaclearundulatingwhiteline，unobscuredbyweedsandtwigs，andveryobviousaquarterofamileoffinmanyplaceswhereinsummeritishardlydistinguishablecloseathand。Thesnowreprintsit，asitwere，inclearwhitetypealto-relievo。Theornamentedgroundsofvillaswhichwillonedaybebuiltheremaystillpreservesometraceofthis。
Thepondrisesandfalls，butwhetherregularlyornot，andwithinwhatperiod，nobodyknows，though，asusual，manypretendtoknow。Itiscommonlyhigherinthewinterandlowerinthesummer，thoughnotcorrespondingtothegeneralwetanddryness。Icanrememberwhenitwasafootortwolower，andalsowhenitwasatleastfivefeethigher，thanwhenIlivedbyit。Thereisanarrowsand-barrunningintoit，withverydeepwaterononeside，onwhichIhelpedboilakettleofchowder，somesixrodsfromthemainshore，abouttheyear1824，whichithasnotbeenpossibletodofortwenty-fiveyears；and，ontheotherhand，myfriendsusedtolistenwithincredulitywhenItoldthem，thatafewyearslaterIwasaccustomedtofishfromaboatinasecludedcoveinthewoods，fifteenrodsfromtheonlyshoretheyknew，whichplacewaslongsinceconvertedintoameadow。Butthepondhasrisensteadilyfortwoyears，andnow，inthesummerof’52，isjustfivefeethigherthanwhenIlivedthere，orashighasitwasthirtyyearsago，andfishinggoesonagaininthemeadow。Thismakesadifferenceoflevel，attheoutside，ofsixorsevenfeet；andyetthewatershedbythesurroundinghillsisinsignificantinamount，andthisoverflowmustbereferredtocauseswhichaffectthedeepsprings。