SHIPS THAT PASS 



249 



sail — except a great, colored sail. The cruise 

 of a yachting squadron up the Atlantic coast 

 in July, the schooners careening under clouds 

 of white canvas, is certainly impressive. Not 

 only lightness of movement is there, but count- 

 less combinations of shadow and color as well. 

 By comparison the fishing boats that put off 

 from Ragusa or Corfu are heavy in their move- 

 ments. The lateen sails sway easily enough, 

 but the barcas ride low and careen little. Color, 

 however, saves them. A few miles away, where 

 form and movement become less apparent, the 

 yellow, orange, and red sails show merely as 

 triangular spots on the blue sea; and blending 

 as they do into the rosy strata of sea air they 

 become marvelous in depth of hue. 



Nothing connected with ships is quite so col- 

 orful as this. The Venetian sails coming up 

 the Adriatic at sunset — ruby lights upon a sea 

 of pearl — have been pictured many times; but 

 the gem-like quality of the coloring has never 

 been painted. Compared with them the can- 

 vas of the Gloucester fleet moving toward the 

 Banks is a dismal gray, and the Concarneau 

 boats, coming home at evening, appear as 

 wedges of dull chocolate-brown. The sails of 

 the Adriatic, famous since the days of the Bu- 

 centaur, are still wonderful to behold. 



A white 

 yachting 

 squadrun. 



Colored 

 sails of the 

 Adriatic. 



Venetian 

 fish I II (J 

 boats. 



