walking-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　squirrel　tribe；　impelling　them　to　a　general　and　mysterious

movement；　in　which　they　were　seen；　say　some；　crossing　the

broadest　rivers；　each　on　its　particular　chip；　with　its　tail

raised　for　a　sail；　and　bridging　narrower　streams　with　their

deadthat　something　like　the　furor　which　affects　the　domestic

cattle　in　the　spring；　and　which　is　referred　to　a　worm　in　their

tails；affects　both　nations　and　individuals；　either　perennially

or　from　time　to　time。　Not　a　flock　of　wild　geese　cackles　over　our

town；　but　it　to　some　extent　unsettles　the　value　of　real　estate

here；　and；　if　I　were　a　broker；　I　should　probably　take　that

disturbance　into　account。



　　　〃Than　longen　folk　to　gon　on　pilgrimages；

　　　And　palmeres　for　to　seken　strange　strondes。〃



Every　sunset　which　I　witness　inspires　me　with　the　desire　to　go　to

a　West　as　distant　and　as　fair　as　that　into　which　the　sun　goes

down。　He　appears　to　migrate　westward　daily；　and　tempt　us　to

follow　him。　He　is　the　Great　Western　Pioneer　whom　the　nations

follow。　We　dream　all　night　of　those　mountain…ridges　in　the

horizon；　though　they　may　be　of　vapor　only；　which　were　last　gilded

by　his　rays。　The　island　of　Atlantis；　and　the　islands　and　gardens

of　the　Hesperides；　a　sort　of　terrestrial　paradise；　appear　to　have

been　the　Great　West　of　the　ancients；　enveloped　in　mystery　and

poetry。　Who　has　not　seen　in　imagination；　when　looking　into　the

sunset　sky；　the　gardens　of　the　Hesperides；　and　the　foundation　of

all　those　fables？



Columbus　felt　the　westward　tendency　more　strongly　than　any

before。　He　obeyed　it；　and　found　a　New　World　for　Castile　and　Leon。

The　herd　of　men　in　those　days　scented　fresh　pastures　from　afar；



　　〃And　now　the　sun　had　stretched　out　all　the　hills；

　　And　now　was　dropped　into　the　western　bay；

　　At　last　HE　rose；　and　twitched　his　mantle　blue；

　　Tomorrow　to　fresh　woods　and　pastures　new。〃



Where　on　the　globe　can　there　be　found　an　area　of　equal　extent

with　that　occupied　by　the　bulk　of　our　States；　so　fertile　and　so

rich　and　varied　in　its　productions；　and　at　the　same　time　so

habitable　by　the　European；　as　this　is？　Michaux；　who　knew　but　part

of　them；　says　that　〃the　species　of　large　trees　are　much　more

numerous　in　North　America　than　in　Europe；　in　the　United　States

there　are　more　than　one　hundred　and　forty　species　that　exceed

thirty　feet　in　height；　in　France　there　are　but　thirty　that　attain

this　size。〃　Later　botanists　more　than　confirm　his　observations。

Humboldt　came　to　America　to　realize　his　youthful　dreams　of　a

tropical　vegetation；　and　he　beheld　it　in　its　greatest　perfection

in　the　primitive　forests　of　the　Amazon；　the　most　gigantic

wilderness　on　the　earth；　which　he　has　so　eloquently　described。

The　geographer　Guyot；　himself　a　European；　goes　fartherfarther

than　I　am　ready　to　follow　him；　yet　not　when　he　says：　〃As　the

plant　is　made　for　the　animal；　as　the　vegetable　world　is　made　for

the　animal　world；　America　is　made　for　the　man　of　the　Old

World。。。。　The　man　of　the　Old　World　sets　out　upon　his　way。　Leaving

the　highlands　of　Asia；　he　descends　from　station　to　station

towards　Europe。　Each　of　his　steps　is　marked　by　a　new　civilization

superior　to　the　preceding；　by　a　greater　power　of　development。

Arrived　at　the　Atlantic；　he　pauses　on　the　shore　of　this　unknown

ocean；　the　bounds　of　which　he　knows　not；　and　turns　upon　his

footprints　for　an　instant。〃　When　he　has　exhausted　the　rich　soil

of　Europe；　and　reinvigorated　himself；　〃then　recommences　his

adventurous　career　westward　as　in　the　earliest　ages。〃　So　far

Guyot。



From　this　western　impulse　coming　in　contact　with　the　barrier　of

the　Atlantic　sprang　the　commerce　and　enterprise　of　modern　times。

The　younger　Michaux；　in　his　Travels　West　of　the　Alleghanies　in

1802；　says　that　the　common　inquiry　in　the　newly　settled　West　was；

〃'From　what　part　of　the　world　have　you　come？'　As　if　these　vast

and　fertile　regions　would　naturally　be　the　place　of　meeting　and

common　country　of　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　globe。〃



To　use　an　obsolete　Latin　word；　I　might　say；　Ex　Oriente　lux；　ex

Occidente　FRUX。　From　the　East　light；　from　the　West　fruit。



Sir　Francis　Head；　an　English　traveler　and　a　Governor…General　of

Canada；　tells　us　that　〃in　both　the　northern　and　southern

hemispheres　of　the　New　World；　Nature　has　not　only　outlined　her

works　on　a　larger　scale；　but　has　painted　the　whole　picture　with

brighter　and　more　costly　colors　than　she　used　in　delineating　and

in　beautifying　the　Old　World。。。。　The　heavens　of　America　appear

infinitely　higher；　the　sky　is　bluer；　the　air　is　fresher；　the　cold

is　intenser；　the　moon　looks　larger；　the　stars　are　brighter　the

thunder　is　louder；　the　lightning　is　vivider；　the　wind　is

stronger；　the　rain　is　heavier；　the　mountains　are　higher；　the

rivers　longer；　the　forests　bigger；　the　plains　broader。〃　This

statement　will　do　at　least　to　set　against　Buffon's　account　of

this　part　of　the　world　and　its　productions。



Linnaeus　said　long　ago；　〃Nescio　quae　facies　laeta；　glabra　plantis

Americanis〃　（I　know　not　what　there　is　of　joyous　and　smooth　in　the

aspect　of　American　plants）；　and　I　think　that　in　this　country

there　are　no；　or　at　most　very　few；　Africanae　bestiae；　African

beasts；　as　the　Romans　called　them；　and　that　in　this　respect　also

it　is　peculiarly　fitted　for　the　habitation　of　man。　We　are　told

that　within　three　miles　of　the　center　of　the　East…Indian　city　of

Singapore；　some　of　the　inhabitants　are　annually　carried　off　by

tigers；　but　the　traveler　can　lie　down　in　the　woods　at　night

almost　anywhere　in　North　America　without　fear　of　wild　beasts。



These　are　encouraging　testimonies。　If　the　moon　looks　larger　here

than　in　Europe；　probably　the　sun　looks　larger　also。　If　the

heavens　of　America　appear　infinitely　higher；　and　the　stars

brighter；　I　trust　that　these　facts　are　symbolical　of　the　height

to　which　the　philosophy　and　poetry　and　religion　of　her

inhabitants　may　one　day　soar。　At　length；　perchance；　the

immaterial　heaven　will　appear　as　much　higher　to　the　American

mind；　and　the　intimations　that　star　it　as　much　brighter。　For　I

believe　that　climate　does　thus　react　on　manas　there　is

something　in　the　mountain　air　that　feeds　the　spirit　and　inspires。

Will　not　man　grow　to　greater　perfection　intellectually　as　well　as

physically　under　these　influences？　Or　is　it　unimportant　how　many

foggy　days　there　are　in　his　life？　I　trust　that　we　shall　be　more

imaginative；　that　our　thoughts　will　be　clearer；　fresher；　and　more

ethereal；　as　our　skyour　understanding　more　comprehensive　and

broader；　like　our　plainsour　intellect　generally　on　a　grander

seale；　like　our　thunder　and　lightning；　our　rivers　and　mountains

and　forests…and　our　hearts　shall　even　correspond　in　breadth　and

depth　and　grandeur　to　our　inland　seas。　Perchance　there　will

appear　to　the　traveler　something；　he　knows　not　what；　of　laeta　and

glabra；　of　joyous　and　serene；　in　our　very　faces。　Else　to　what　end

does　the　world　go　on；　and　why　was　America　discovered？



To　Americans　I　hardly　need　to　say



〃Westward　the　star　of　empire　takes　its　way。〃



As　a　true　patriot；　I　should　be　ashamed　to　think　that　Adam　in

paradise　was　more　favorably　situated　on　the　whole　than　the

backwoodsman　in　this　country。



Our　sympathies　in　Massachusetts　are　not　confined　to　New　England；

though　we　may　be　estranged　from　the　South；　we　sympathize　with　the

West。　There　is　the　home　of　the　younger　sons；　as　among　the

Scandinavians　they　took　to　the　sea　for　their　inheritance。　It　is

too　late　to　be　studying　Hebrew；　it　is　more　important　to

understand　even　the　slang　of　today。



Some　months　ago　I　went　to　see　a　panorama　of　the　Rhine。　It　was

like　a　dream　of　the　Middle　Ages。　I　floated　down　its　historic

stream　in　something　more　than　imagination；　under　bridges　built　by

the　Romans；　and　repaired　by　later　heroes；　past　cities　and　castles

whose　very　names　were　music　to　my　ears；　and　each　of　which　was　the

subject　of　a　legend。　There　were　Ehrenbreitstein　and　Rolandseck

and　Coblentz；　which　I　knew　only　in　history。　They　were　ruins　that

interested　me　chiefly。　There　seemed　to　come　up　from　its　waters

and　its　vine…clad　hills　and　valleys　a　hushed　music　as　of

Crusaders　departing　for　the　Holy　Land。　I　floated　along　under　the

spell　of　enchantment；　as　if　I　had　been　transported　to　an　heroic

age；　and　breathed　an　atmosphere　of　chivalry。



Soon　after；　I　went　to　see　a　panorama　of　the　Mississippi；　and　as　I

worked　my　way　up　the　river　in　the　light　of　today；　and　saw　the

steamboats　wooding　up；　counted　the　rising　cities；　gazed　on　the

fresh　ruins　of　Nauvoo；　beheld　the　Indians　moving　west　across　the

stream；　and；　as　before　I　had　looked　up　the　Moselle；　now　looked　up

the　Ohio　and　the　Missouri　and　heard　the　legends　of　Dubuque　and　of

Wenona's　Cliffstill　thinking　more　of　the　future　than　of　the

past　or　presentI　saw　that　this　was　a　Rhine　stream　of　a

different　kind；　that　the　foundations　of　castles　were　yet　to　be

laid；　and　the　famous　bridges　were　yet　to　be　thrown　over　the

river；　and　I　felt　that　THIS　WAS　THE　HEROIC　AGE　ITSELF；　though　we

know　it　not；　for　the　hero　is　commonly　the　simplest　and　obscurest

of　men。



The　West　of　which　I　speak　is　but　another　name　for　the　Wild；　and

what　I　have　been　preparing　to　say　is；　that　in　Wildness　is　the

preservation　of　the　World。　Every　tree　sends　its　fibers　forth　in

search　of　the　Wild。　The　cities　import　it　at　any　price。　Men　plow

and　sail　for　it。　From　the　forest　and　wilderness　come　the　tonics

and　barks　which　brace　mankind。　Our　ancestors　were　savages。　The

story　of　Romulus　and　Remus　being　suckled　by　a　wolf　is　not　a

meaningless　fable。　The　founders　of　every　state　which　has　risen　to

eminence　have　drawn　their　nourishment　and　vigor　from　a　similar

wild　source。　It　was　because　the　children　of　the　Empire　were　not

suckled　by　the　wolf　that　they　were　conquered　and　displaced　by　the

children　of　the　northern　forests　who　were。



I　believe　in　the　forest；　and　in　the　meadow；　and　in　the　night　in

which　the　corn　grows。　We　require　an　infusion　of　hemlock；　spruce

or　arbor　vitae　in　our　tea。　There　is　a　difference　between　eating

and　drinking　for　strength　and　from　mere　gluttony。　The　Hottentots

eagerly　devour　the　marrow　of　the　koodoo　and　other　antelopes　raw；

as　a　matter　of　course。　Some　of　our　northern　Indians　eat　raw　the

marrow　of　the　Arctic　reindeer；　as　well　as　various　other　parts；

including　the　summits　of　the　antlers；　as　long　as　they　are　soft。

And　herein；　perchance；　they　have　stolen　a　march　on　the　cooks　of

Paris。　They　get　what　usually　goes　to　feed　the　fire。　This　is

probably　better　than　stall…fed　beef　and　slaughterhouse　pork　to

make　a　man　of。　Give　me　a　wildness　whose　glance　no　civilization

can　endureas　if　we　lived　on　the　marrow　of　koodoos　devoured　raw。



There　are　some　intervals　which　border　the　strain　of　the　wood

thrush；　to　which　I　would　migratewild　lands　where　no　settler　has

squatted；　to　which；　methinks；　I　am　already　acclimated。



The　African　hunter　Cumming　tells　us　that　the　skin　of　the　eland；

as　well　as　that　of　most　other　antelopes　just　killed；　emit