THE GKEAT MIIiROR 



77 



you are perhaps surprised to see that spot of 

 water show a local color of lively green, its 

 little facets flashing like emeralds. 



Whether the surface is smooth or rough, the 

 sea is certain to take its light and most of its 

 coloring from the sky overhead. Clouds of 

 rose and lilac that spread around the circle 

 of the horizon at dusk and reach up into 

 the zenith will produce the amethystine sea, 

 which is not by any means an uncommon ap- 

 pearance ; and " the purple seas," that poets 

 delight to talk about, are realities under cold 

 storm clouds. In the same way the sea of gold 

 and the wave of fire come from the chrome 

 yellows and scarlets of the sunset west; and 

 out of the same resourceful sky come broken 

 tones that, seen in the mirror, tell a tale of 

 silver, of steel-blue, of pearl-gray, of opal, of 

 turquoise, of robin's-egg blue. 



But the reflection is very much deadened and 

 often obliterated if the water is lacking in 

 purity. The North Sea, for instance, after a 

 storm has raged for several days and stirred 

 up the yellow muds of the bottom, will not 

 show blue notwithstanding the bluest of skies 

 may beam above it. On such a sea dazzling 

 white clouds make only dull yellow spots, the 

 reds of sunset merely deepen and render more 



Liqht and 

 color camcB 

 frotn sl.y. 



Sunset 

 skies in the 

 water. 



Mvddy 

 waters d'lll 

 reflections. 



