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some other varieties of fish, with which this pond seemed to be almost
inconveniently crowded, had all the appearance of veritable flying-fish.
It was almost impossible to believe that they were not absolutely
suspended in the air. A light birch canoe that lay placidly on the
water, was reflected in its minutest fibres with a fidelity unsurpassed
by the most exquisitely polished mirror. A small island, fairly laughing
with flowers in full bloom, and affording little more space than just
enough for a picturesque little building, seemingly a fowl-house--arose
from the lake not far from its northern shore--to which it was connected
by means of an inconceivably light--looking and yet very primitive
bridge. It was formed of a single, broad and thick plank of the tulip
wood. This was forty feet long, and spanned the interval between shore
and shore with a slight but very perceptible arch, preventing all
oscillation. From the southern extreme of the lake issued a continuation
of the rivulet, which, after meandering for, perhaps, thirty yards,
finally passed through the "depression" (already described) in the
middle of the southern declivity, and tumbling down a sheer precipice of
a hundred feet, made its devious and unnoticed way to the Hudson.
The lake was deep--at some points thirty feet--but the rivulet seldom
exceeded three, while its greatest width was about eight. Its bottom and
banks were as those of the pond--if a defect could have been attributed,
in point of picturesqueness, it was that of excessive neatness.
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