104 



THE OPAL SEA 



The ship's 



■wake. 



Silver light 

 in the wake. 



Phosphores- 

 cent light. 



Frequently there are several of them at once 

 and they travel with the ship, maintaining 

 their form and place, as long as the spray 

 drives and the sun shines. 



Back from the dash of the fore-foot and the 

 spray of the shoulder are the tumbled waters 

 of the stern — the waters beaten into tiny bub- 

 bles by the churn of the propellers. The larger 

 bubbles soon disappear — evanesce as it were — 

 but far away behind the effect remains, the 

 wake is apparent. This slash in the sea shows 

 not blue but green, the local color of the water ; 

 and not until long after the ship has passed 

 does it smooth over and return to its reflected 

 sea-blue. At night the trail of the steamer 

 instead of being green, sometimes looks like a 

 pathway of shining silver running through 

 deep pansy-purple. But this is due to no nor- 

 mal coloring. It is phosphorescent light — 

 something that will bear a word of explanation. 



It seems that the surface of the ocean is, in 

 certain areas, covered with swarms of animal- 

 cule. Drifting upon the water the passing of 

 the ship disturbs these small creatures, and, in 

 fright or anger, they emit a white light like a 

 tiny spark of electricity. It flashes for a mo- 

 ment and then goes out to be renewed again 

 in a few moments. When the ship rushes 



