Easily，withafewconvulsivequirks，theygiveuptheirwateryghosts，likeamortaltranslatedbeforehistimetothethinairofheaven。
AsIwasdesiroustorecoverthelonglostbottomofWaldenPond，Isurveyeditcarefully，beforetheicebrokeup，earlyin’46，withcompassandchainandsoundingline。Therehavebeenmanystoriestoldaboutthebottom，orrathernobottom，ofthispond，whichcertainlyhadnofoundationforthemselves。Itisremarkablehowlongmenwillbelieveinthebottomlessnessofapondwithouttakingthetroubletosoundit。IhavevisitedtwosuchBottomlessPondsinonewalkinthisneighborhood。ManyhavebelievedthatWaldenreachedquitethroughtotheothersideoftheglobe。Somewhohavelainflatontheiceforalongtime，lookingdownthroughtheillusivemedium，perchancewithwateryeyesintothebargain，anddriventohastyconclusionsbythefearofcatchingcoldintheirbreasts，haveseenvastholes“intowhichaloadofhaymightbedriven，“iftherewereanybodytodriveit，theundoubtedsourceoftheStyxandentrancetotheInfernalRegionsfromtheseparts。
Othershavegonedownfromthevillagewitha“fifty-six“andawagonloadofinchrope，butyethavefailedtofindanybottom；forwhilethe“fifty-six“wasrestingbytheway，theywerepayingouttheropeinthevainattempttofathomtheirtrulyimmeasurablecapacityformarvellousness。ButIcanassuremyreadersthatWaldenhasareasonablytightbottomatanotunreasonable，thoughatanunusual，depth。Ifathomediteasilywithacod-lineandastoneweighingaboutapoundandahalf，andcouldtellaccuratelywhenthestoneleftthebottom，byhavingtopullsomuchharderbeforethewatergotunderneathtohelpme。Thegreatestdepthwasexactlyonehundredandtwofeet；towhichmaybeaddedthefivefeetwhichithasrisensince，makingonehundredandseven。Thisisaremarkabledepthforsosmallanarea；yetnotaninchofitcanbesparedbytheimagination。Whatifallpondswereshallow？
Woulditnotreactonthemindsofmen？Iamthankfulthatthispondwasmadedeepandpureforasymbol。Whilemenbelieveintheinfinitesomepondswillbethoughttobebottomless。
Afactory-owner，hearingwhatdepthIhadfound，thoughtthatitcouldnotbetrue，for，judgingfromhisacquaintancewithdams，sandwouldnotlieatsosteepanangle。Butthedeepestpondsarenotsodeepinproportiontotheirareaasmostsuppose，and，ifdrained，wouldnotleaveveryremarkablevalleys。Theyarenotlikecupsbetweenthehills；forthisone，whichissounusuallydeepforitsarea，appearsinaverticalsectionthroughitscentrenotdeeperthanashallowplate。Mostponds，emptied，wouldleaveameadownomorehollowthanwefrequentlysee。WilliamGilpin，whoissoadmirableinallthatrelatestolandscapes，andusuallysocorrect，standingattheheadofLochFyne，inScotland，whichhedescribesas“abayofsaltwater，sixtyorseventyfathomsdeep，fourmilesinbreadth，“andaboutfiftymileslong，surroundedbymountains，observes，“Ifwecouldhaveseenitimmediatelyafterthediluviancrash，orwhateverconvulsionofnatureoccasionedit，beforethewatersgushedin，whatahorridchasmmustithaveappeared！