TREATMENT OF WATER. 287 



Islands generally contribute greatly to the beauty of a 

 piece of water. They serve, still farther, to increase the va- 

 riety of outline, and to break up the wide expanse of liquid, 

 into secondary portions, without injuring the effect of the 

 whole. The striking contrast too, between their verdure, 

 the colour of their margins, composed of variously tinted 

 soils and stones, and the still, smooth water around them, — 

 softened and blended as this contrast is, by their shadows 

 reflected back from the limpid element, gives additional rich- 

 ness to the picture. 



The distribution of islands in a lake or pond, requires 

 some judgment. They will always appear most natural 

 when sufficiently near the shore, on either side, to maintain 

 in appearance some connection with it. Although islands 

 do sometimes occur near the middle of natural lakes, yet the 

 effect is by no means good; as it not only breaks and distracts 

 the effect of the whole expanse by dividing it into two dis- 

 tinct parts, but it always indicates a shallowness or want of 

 depth in the water where it should be deepest. 



There are two situations where it is universally admitted 

 that islands may be happily introduced. These are, at the in- 

 let and the exit of the body of water. In many cases, where 

 the stream which supplies the lake is not remarkable for size, 

 and will add nothing to the appearance of the whole view 

 from the usual points of sight, it may be concealed by an 

 island or a small group of islands, placed at some little dis- 

 tance in front of it. The head or dam of a lake too, is often 

 necessarily so formal and abrupt, that it is difficult to make 

 it appear natural and in good keeping with the rest of the 

 margin. The introduction of an island or two, placed near 

 the main shore, on either side, and projecting as far as pos- 

 sible before the dam, will greatly diminish this disagreeable 



