COLOUR OP THE SEA. 29 



greatest caution : and also that "trading vessels some- 

 times visit these springs in order to provide themselves, 

 in the midst of the ocean, with a supply of fresh 

 water." 



The colour of the sea has been variously reported, 

 Most of our early poets, familiar only with the shallow 

 seas surrounding the British islands, use the epithet 

 "green" in speaking of the sea; and "sea-green" is 

 as well recognised a colour as "pea-green" or "grass- 

 green." But the father of poetry describing the waters 

 of the Mediterranean, calls them " caerulean,"* " violet 

 colour," "purple," and "glaucous ;" and since our 

 modern poets have become travellers, they have intro- 

 duced us to " darkly, deeply, beautifully blue " water. 

 Far from land, beyond ordinary soundings, the sea is 

 invariably blue, and such seems to be the proper 

 colour of any deep column of pure water, whether in 

 the fluid or solid state. Those who have clambered 

 over Alpine ice, will remember the intense azure of a 

 deep crevasse, and particularly the heavenly blue of the 

 caverned extremity of the glacier of Rosenlai. The 

 tourist in Italy will call to mind the prevalent blue of 

 the Mediterranean, and the almost spectral blue of the 

 " Azure cave " at Capri ; while the valetudinarian, re- 

 turned from Madeira, may descant on the intensely 

 ultramarine tint of the Bay of Funchal. The open sea 

 is usually of a paler, but still a very decided blue colour. 

 Near coasts the hue depends on the depth of the water, 

 the presence or absence of extraneous matter, and the 

 colour of the bottom. Where it is dark blue, the 



* Kuavfos, icoSrjs, iropfyvptos, and yAa.uK.os, &c. 



