WILD PASTURES 



he lightly floated, toward the sphagnum- 

 bottom pasture swamp beyond. 



I suppose it is well settled, geologi- 

 cally, that a river of pure water flows 

 from some distant northern point, Lab- 

 rador perhaps, under the eastern por- 

 tion of Massachusetts. .Driven wells 

 find this water almost everywhere. In 

 places it rises to the surface in clear 

 ponds which have no apparent inlet, 

 and from which little water flows, but 

 which are clear and sparkling at a 

 good level the year round. Houghton's 

 Pond, in the Blue Hill Reservation, is 

 one of these nearest Boston. Walden 

 Pond is another, and there are plenty 

 more. 



In other places still the water boils 



out of springs through quicksands of 



unknown depths, flowing in clear 



streams through surrounding swamps 



80 



