THE RANDALL FAMLLY 7/
covered. It was once very large, and, if a deep well is dug within a quarter of a mile, the water will gush up with great fury. This moss is like a towel spread over a tub, and, if you go upon it, you must run to avoid bearing the moss down by your weight, though there is no danger of its letting you through, as it requires a great deal of exer- tion to force a pole through it. There is one way of ap- proaching the pond without any danger, and Mr. Randall took this way, but unfortunately, owing to the late rains, part of the road was overflowed, and after vainly trying to pass this place, we were obliged to postpone our visit. As we regained the highway, it began to sprinkle, but, as Mr. Randall had an umbrella, it did little harm ; besides, it cleared in a short time. We passed a quagmire which cost the town a great deal of trouble, as it was six years before they could build a road through it ! It was not more than a few rods long, too, but it was very quaking, and a rock thrown in would shake all the earth round. If you were to try to cross it, you might see a clump of grass, and, springing forward to gain a hold, the bog would swallow you up suddenly, and you would never be heard of again. Mr. Randall lost an uncle or grand-uncle in this way. We then went to the Old Dam, as it is called, though I could see little resembling a dam. It is situated on the verge of a very pretty wood, and is made by the Elsebeth [Assabet] Brook ; here it flows into a basin, and in sum- mer it is about up to my neck, forming one of the prettiest bathing-places I ever saw. It is some fifty feet long, and perhaps twenty or thirty feet wide, and is pretty near the same depth throughout. At the time I saw it, it was con- siderably over my head and flowed with great force, so that Mr. Randall said that he could not stand against it. On the banks of this charming place, flowers grew in
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