THE SEA. 93 



is the " plocamium coccineum" And thus it is with every 

 object we view, a knowledge of it brings us to respect and 

 admire it more and more as that knowledge increases, and 

 none more so than some of the productions of the sea. It is 

 here we find specimens of the star-fish, the sea-urchin, and 

 other radiata. Shells of all kinds both living and dead 

 belonging to the various tribes of mollusca ; crabs, shrimps, 

 and other crustaceans, besides the endless varieties of 

 pebbles and other specimens of worn-down rock, the effects 

 of constant attrition. 



If we turn from the shore and gaze upon the horizon, 

 what a marvellous object it is ever receding as we recede, 

 ever rising as we rise, and never nearer nor farther away. This 

 rising of the horizon, so as to be always opposite to our 

 eyes, is because the higher we are up the more we see. On 

 looking at the horizon we do not look on a perfect level, (if 

 we did, being above it, of course we could not see it at all) 

 but the depression of the line of vision is so slight as to be 

 quite unable to be appreciated ; yet, small as it is, it enables 

 us to see a considerable space of the ocean, and the higher 

 we rise at the same angle the more we see. The edge of 

 the horizon also appears curved, being higher in front of us 

 than on either side. This is only so in appearance, for if any 

 one were to place a piece of string (stretched tightly 

 between the hands) before his eyes, and bring it up till it is 

 on a level with the horizon, he would soon see that the 

 string and the horizon were both perfectly straight and 

 exactly corresponding with each other. 



From the horizon we turn round and look at the chalk 

 cliffs, those white walls from which our native isle has 

 received the name of " Albion." How were they produced ? 

 by the constant lashing of the restless waters, which are con- 

 stantly wearing them, away ; but they are beautiful objects, 

 full of marvels and records of bygone ages, when their tops 

 were at the bottom of the deep seas. 



The sea is a general name given to all the greater collec- 

 tions of water throughout the world, although, in a restricted 

 sense, it is applied to those tracts of water of a secondary 

 size, as the Black Sea, the Baltic, and the Mediterranean, 



