204 THE OCEAN. 



sea ! old sea ! who yet knows half 

 Of thy wouders and thy pridf> ? 



" Look linw the sea-plants trembling flo^t 

 All like a mermaid's locks, 

 Waving in thread of ruby red. 

 Over those nether rocks. 



" Heaving and sinking, soft and fair, 

 Here hyacinth —there j^reen, — 

 With many a stem of golden grovrth, 

 And starry flowers between. 



" But away ! away ! to upper dav \ 

 For monstrous shapes are liere ; 

 Monsters of dark and wallowing bulk, 

 And horny eyeballs drear : 



" The tu-ked mouth and the spiny fin, 

 Speckled and warted back, 

 The glittering swift and flabby slow, 

 Ramp through this deep sea track. 



" Away ! away ! to upper day ! 

 To glance o'er the breezy brine, 

 And see the nautilus gladly sail. 

 The flying-fish leap and shine !" 



While pursuing our pleasant course amidst these 

 sandy keys, we may often observe the Green Turtle 

 {CJielonia mydas) swimming or floating at the sur- 

 face. In general it is difficult to approach them 

 within less than a few yards, as they are very wary, 

 and dive with great rapidity. The shoals and reefs 

 surrounding the islands, where the sun penetrates 

 and warms the water, are favourite resorts of these 

 marine Eeptilia ; and here, too, grow in abundance 



