THE GKEAT MIRROR 



71 



probably there was no significance attached to 

 the fact that it was round. And yet that 

 roundness is an apparent truth of the real sea. 

 As we stand upon the deck of a vessel in mid- 

 ocean we find ourselves in the exact center of 

 an enormous circle and the horizon line is the 

 bounding rim. We know that this is merely 

 an illusion, that the sea reaches on three thou- 

 sand miles to France or eight thousand miles 

 to Japan, as the ship sails, that there is no 

 disk of water, and that the appearance is mis- 

 leading; yet in the presence of the sea itself 

 we are almost persuaded to believe our eyes. 

 The great expanse seems circular though it has 

 no such form. 



And we think it lies flat though it curves 

 down and away from us, following the rotund- 

 ity of the globe. Indeed, it often has a very 

 opposite look. Instead of slipping down and 

 away at the horizon it seems to rise up. 

 That the lip of Solomon's brazen reservoir was 

 fashioned to represent the sea horizon is per- 

 haps a far-fetched fancy; but that the sea 

 horizon itself looks like " the brim of a cup " 

 will hardly be questioned. It apparently lifts 

 against the sky line, seems to draw in at times, 

 and is often as smooth, as clean cut, and as 

 sharp in line as any lip of porcelain or brass. 



A pparent 

 roundness 

 of the sea 

 circle. 



TJie ship 

 the center of 

 the circle. 



The "rise- 

 up" of 

 horizon 

 rim. 



