THE OPEN SEA 
129 
If the ocean surface is very smooth, one 
may occasionally see at sunset the double sun— 
that is, the sun’s reflection as a round, fiery light 
in the water, just below the sun itself on the 
western horizon. If the water is ruffled, we 
have, instead of the round light, a long flicker- 
ing pathway across the waves. It takes the 
coloring of the sun, and is in fact only its 
broken reflection. When the sun is high up in 
the heavens and is beating down diagonally on 
slightly ruffled water, this pathway is less 
marked in color, but broader and more brilliant 
in light. At times when looking at it with 
half-closed eyes one can see, or at least imagine, 
the sun’s rays striking the water like shot and 
splashing up light by the impact. The long 
trail of moonlight on the ocean which we all 
love to watch, and think about romantically as 
the same moonlight shining on the river at 
home, is a similar appearance, only the light is 
feebler and more mellow, and the apparent 
splash of the falling rays striking the water is 
not so noticeable. 
Cloud-shadows are as conspicuous on ruffled 
water as upon the land, and the number of color- 
changes on the sea surface caused by clouds 
is little short of astonishing. Sometimes these 
Sunlight 
on the sea. 
Moonlight. 
