Black Pond

Black Pond is a small body of swamp water within Bishop Park. It is named after the dark colour of its water caused by the black sediment that makes its base.

Description

The Black Pond is located inside Bishop Park just outside of Hantspire. It has a surface area of approximately 110 square metres and is situated in a large clearing in the northern half of the forest. Due to the amount of black tar-like sediment within the water it is not safe for swimming in. The pond often has a noticeable stench on hot summer days which locals have described as "disturbing". The sediment that gives it the black appearance is mostly made up of decomposing plants, sulphur deposits, and trace amounts of salt deposits. This part of Bishop Park is not very popular among locals but has been of particular interest to researchers.

History

The earliest account of Black Pond comes from the journal of a local farmer sometime in the 19th century. The farmer mentioned the pond while explaining his decision to settle a few kilometres outside of what would become Bishop Park. He described the ponds existence as "out of place" within the otherwise lush and beautiful forest. Without a place to get safe drinking water the farmer had to move further north wear running water could be found. Another account from the time written in a child's diary describes their shock as a squirrel ran out of the woods, into the clearing, and straight into the swampy water. The squirrel did not return from the water, likely due to the thick sediment dragging it down.

Samuel Bishop

• Main article: Samuel Bishop

Conservationist Samuel Bishop described the pond as being "delightfully hideous" during his time researching the area. His outpost is believed to have been located at the edge of the clearing where the pond sits. Bishop wrote multiple entries about the pond where he described its odd appearance, smell, and the effect it had on local wildlife. He noted that he never once saw an animal survive after falling into the pond, due to the heavy sediment dragging them down or clogging their airways. He also lamented that the pond could not be filtered to create safe drinking water, forcing him to either find a stream elsewhere or return to Hantspire to refill his water reserves. The geography of the area did not allow for wells to be dug for permanent water access due to hard granite stone lying below the ground above the water table.

One test that Bishop conducted using the water involved him soaking a log in it. He expected to learn about the decomposing properties of the water and was surprised to find the log mostly decomposed after just the first night. Bishop was shocked by the speed at which the log decomposed as the sediment's chemical properties didn't seem particularly unique from other swamps.

It is theorised that Bishop may have fallen into the pond and drowned in 1919 which would explain his sudden disappearance.

Bishop Park Research Centre

• Main article: Bishop Park Research Centre

The Bishop Park Research Centre was built just on the edge of the clearing where the Black Pond is located. It is widely believed by locals that the Research Centre was built on the site of Samuel Bishop's old outpost. The research centre was operational from November 4th 1946 until it burned down due to a gas leak explosion on September 17th 1980. Not much is known about the research that the centre was responsible for as many of its projects were never made public. It is known that researchers were studying the pond as they could often be spotted collecting samples of the water and sediment.