IN THE DEPTHS 



67 



the fresh element in them. And, of course, 

 much apparent body is imparted to sea color- 

 ing by the depth of the waters. When taken 

 up in an ordinary glass salt water is apparently 

 colorless. There is not enough of it to make 

 a tint. Air at short range is just as negative, 

 but when seen several miles in depth the color 

 of the element is very noticeable. 



The sea water is not so subtile, not so deli- 

 cate, in hue as the air. N"o one can guess how 

 many strata of atmosphere we look through 

 to gain the blue sky over, say, Mexico. A hun- 

 dred miles away we can see the blurred forms 

 of the Mexican sierras melting into air, and 

 feel the blue haze in between; but it has no 

 such intensity as the blue overhead. The sea 

 water is infinitely denser. And yet looking 

 down into it who can say where the coloring 

 begins or where it ends! It is no surface 

 veneer. It gains by depth, and is wonderfully 

 beautiful because of its transparency and lumi- 

 nosity. The color increases with the layers of 

 water, deepening and darkening from the blue- 

 green of turquoise to the darker hue of ame- 

 thyst and the deep blue of lapis-lazuli. 



And still there may be a further cause for 

 sea coloring that I am tempted to suggest at 

 least. The deepest hues are to be found at 



Coloring by 

 depth of 

 ualer. 



Color o! 

 water and 



Beauty of 

 sea crilor. 



