THE ARCTIC SEAS. 153 



Ihdt the water instead of retaining its usual trans- 

 parency, was densely opaque, and that its hue was 

 grass-green, or sometimes olive-green. It is com- 

 monly known as the "green-water," and though 

 liable to slight shiftings from the force of currents, is 

 pretty constant in its position, occupying about one- 

 fourth of the whole Greenland sea. Mr Scoresby 

 was the first who ascertained the cause of this pecu- 

 liar hue : on examination he found that the water 

 was densely filled with very minute Medusce, for the 

 most part undistinguishable without a microscope. 

 He computes that within the compass of two square 

 miles, supposing these animalcules to extend to the 

 depth of two liuudred and fifty fathoms, there would 

 be congregated a number which eighty thousand 

 persons, counting incessantly from the Creation until 

 now, would not have enumerated, though they worked 

 at the rate of a million per week ! And when we 

 consider that the area occupied by this green water 

 in the Greenland seas is not less than twenty thou- 

 sand square miles, what a vast idea does it give 

 us of the profusion of animal life, and of the bene- 

 ficence of Him who "openeth His hand, and satisfieth 

 the desire of every living thing !" 



Several species of minute Crabs and Shrimps 

 occur also in great numbers, and constitute no small 

 portion of the food of the Whale. One little crea- 

 ture, in particular, was found to swarm even beneath 

 the ice, in the temporary sojourn of the discovery 

 expeditions in winter quarters. The men had often 

 noticed the shrinking of their salt meat which had 

 been put to soak ; and a goose that liad been frozen. 



