NONSUCH 



stripes over green and gold, weaving in and out 

 in my wake. They had already scented the bit of 

 high bait I was carrying and to them I was only the 

 harmless conveyor of something exciting and edible. 

 A last glance up showed two things — first, a rather 

 nice submarine joke, for close on the tail of the 

 last abudefduf hastened a young angelfish and I 

 chuckled and felt that Jacob in his vision had noth- 

 ing on the realities of Almost Island. Second, I saw 

 a square window opening into my other world — 

 my assistant peering down through the water-glass. 

 I waved and then, the whole upper seascape was 

 obliterated by a rush of my breath bubbles and I 

 turned to the affairs of the island. 



My island is divided almost equally into sand and 

 reef, and these correspond to all the varied phases of 

 dry physical geography — sand taking the place of 

 deserts, plains, pampas and tundras, and a reef 

 embodying mountains, canyons and jungles. 



We do not think of there being weather under 

 water, but if we consider terrestrial weather as heat, 

 cold, dryness, moisture, wind, rain, snow and fog, 

 then my submerged islet has weather in abundance. 

 I may descend in water which feels delightfully 

 warm to my skin but in half an hour I come shiver- 

 ing to the surface with teeth chattering; as to dry- 

 ness we submariners know nothing, except con- 

 cerning our face, and when dryness leaves the 

 helmet, we expire or ascend; of moisture we have 

 nothing else but. 



Wind and fog are interesting ; the latter on land is 



36 



