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II
WALKS AND MEDITATIONS
IN NEW YORK
From May 10 to the last week in November, 1843, Thoreau had his home with William Emerson, the elder brother of his Concord friend, at Castleton on Staten Island, where he taught the sons of the family in the mornings, and had much time to himself afterwards. His rambles about the island and his descriptions of the views from its high points were utilized by him in The Week; and his studies in Ossian and Chaucer which appear in that volume were mostly made at Staten Island in the autumn of 1843. He says in the "Wednesday" chapter, relating incidents of his life four years later than the actual Merrimac voyage:
"From an old ruined fort on Staten Island I have loved to watch all day some vessel
[63]
