The Journal of Henry David Thoreau, Volume 3

When Henry David Thoreau died in 1862 he left behind a journal of over two million words, more than what most major writers produce in a lifetime. Begun in 1837 at the suggestion of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau's Journal comprises fourteen volumes and, of all his writings, comes closest to the man himself. His journal was his life work, the near-daily record of his thoughts and observations. This third volume of the Journal covers September 1851 to April 1852. During the eight months depicted here, Thoreau added to his observations about nature, specifically the play of light during sunsets and moonlit nights. In the interest of science, he conducted studies of bees and wasps, lichens, and floodwater. About his personal life, he mulls over the nature of his friendship with the Emersons and his love of local farmers. He describes his long walks with his friend Ellery Channing. He also details how he helped a fugitive slave on his way to freedom in Canada. The volume also includes Thoreau's efforts to give aid to the Irish Catholic immigrants of Concord.