92 THE WATEKS. 



close dark habitations of the city from the rattle, excitement, 

 and continual noise of vehicles and human voices from the 

 corroding cares and depressing influences attending the 

 fierce " battle of life " to the cool and gentle breeze, " the 

 wide o'er-arching canopy of heaven," the murmur and ripple 

 of the sea, to the clear and exhilarating air, free from soot 

 and laden with the odour of the ocean Oh what a desirable 

 change ! all human nature seems to own it, and hasten to 

 the shores of the great watery world, that they may con- 

 template one of the greatest and grandest of Grod's works 

 with admiration and thankfulness, and be re-animated by 

 its health-giving powers. 



It is a wonderful sight, and one which fills our minds with 

 reflection ; here we see many of the laws of nature exemplified 

 on a great scale. The laws of gravity keep the surface of 

 the ocean perfectly spherical as a whole, while those of 

 equilibrium keep it in constant and ever- varying motion, the 

 laws of attraction produce the tides, and those of reflection 

 and refraction cause its surface to assume all sorts of colours 

 and tints. 



" Great art them, Ocean, and unknown 

 The creatures springing into life from thee, 

 Earth's farthest shores full proudly thou dost own, 

 The cradle of thy wave from iced to torrid zone." 



The ocean is full of life, both vegetative and animal ; 

 myriads of both classes have their natural habitation in the 

 sea, and the shore is often, after a gale, strewed with 

 curiosities well worth the contemplation of those who devote 

 their minds to thought. How many varieties of sea- weed 

 have you gathered ? perhaps twenty ; not three of them 

 are sea- weed at all ! they are living animals, either zoophytes 

 or molluscs, every branch of that "Jlustra" contains a 

 thousand living beings, every spray of " sertularia " as many 

 more, that other piece is the "bugula neretina" and also 

 owns a colony of animals : the next is indeed a member of 

 the vegetable kingdom, its beautiful crimson colour makes it 

 a conspicuous object, and there are many specimens of the 

 same plant, but of all shades of red, crimson, and purple, it 



