CHAPTER III 



IN THE DEPTHS 



Superficial 

 effect of 

 slorms. 



Shallowness 

 of currents. 



The storms that sweep across the ocean 

 plains — the storms that toss the ships and 

 harry the coast and roar far inland through 

 forests of pine and hemlock — have no more 

 than a superficial effect upon the deep sea. 

 The rough winds irritate the face but do not 

 penetrate far beneath the skin. The hurricane 

 of the North Atlantic or the cyclone of the In- 

 dian Ocean may whip the surface into mist 

 and foam, tear clouds of spray from the wave- 

 crests, and, at times, darken the very sky with 

 flying scud and rack ; but, for lack of duration, 

 never disturb the under-world of water, never 

 so much as hint its presence to the great 

 depths. 



Even the far-reaching currents, with their 

 Amazonian flow through the blue-green ex- 

 panse, are waters that do not run deep. 

 They move forward, they have great breadth, 

 and they reach down much farther than any 

 storm agitation because of their weight and 

 their continuance; but possibly two hundred 



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