SOUNDITiG SHORES 



169 



to stir the bottom muds, they may be clouded, 

 sand-colored, yellowish; but the summer wave 

 that breaks easily, runs up the beach in a flat 

 push of water, and then sucks back under the 

 foot of the new-coming wave, causes no dis- 

 coloration of importance. The most graceful 

 and the most perfect form of the breaker is 

 sho\sTi when the water strikes the beach not 

 at an angle but broadside. With such a wave 

 the crest is not continuous across the whole 

 breadth. On the contrary, there is a tendency 

 in the crest to concentrate at the highest point, 

 and the white lip of foam that rushes forward 

 and do\^Ti usually comes from a well-defined 

 center. Nor is it often that a great lone wave 

 comes in and breaks on the beach with a crash. 

 The beach combers are generally very regular, 

 of short length, and they break very much as 

 white caps in mid-ocean, only more violently. 



It is quite useless, however, to attempt a rule 

 about breakincr waves for thev are far too vari- 

 able. The wind determines the size, form, di- 

 rection, and velocity; and the water but obeys 

 the drive of the wind. Where the waves strike 

 the beach diagonally there is a longer and ap- 

 parently a more continuous breaking of the 

 crest for some distance down the beach; and 

 frequently, when the wind is blowing almost 



Waves on 

 the beach. 



Beach 

 combers. 



Forres of 



bieiiliiity 



waves. 



