SALTNESS OF THE SEA. 
17 
belongs to the Rio Bianco, or White River, and to many other rivers, 
bhe Ohio in America, the Torgedale, the Groetha, the Traua at Ischl, 
and most of the Norwegian rivers, are of a delicate limpid green. The 
lellow River and the Blue River in China are distinguished by the 
characteristic tint of their waters. The Arkansas, the Red River, and 
the Lobregat in Catalonia, are remarkable for their red colour, which, 
like the Dart and other English rivers, they owe to the earth over 
which they flow, or which their waters hold in suspension. 
The water of the sea is essentially salt, of a peculiar flavour, slightly 
acrid and hitter, and a little nauseous. It has an odour perfectly sui 
generis, and is slightly viscous. In short, it includes a great number 
of mineral salts and some other compounds, which give it a very dis- 
agreeable taste, and render it unfit for domestic use. It contains 
nearly all the soluble substances which exist on the globe, but princi- 
pally chloride of sodium, or marine salt, and sulphates of magnesia, of 
potassium, and of lime. 
Pure water is produced by a combination of one volume of oxygen 
and of two volumes of hydrogen, or in weight 100 oxygen and 12-50 
hydrogen. Sea water is composed of the same ; but we find there, 
besides, other elements, the presence of which chemistry reveals to us. 
In 1000 grains of sea water the following ingredients are found : 
WatGi* 
Chloride of sodium 27-1 
Chloride of magnesium 5-4 
Chloride of potassium 0-4 
Bromide of magnesia n j 
Sulphate of magnesia 1-2 
Sulphate of lime 0-8 
Carbonate of lime n-1 
Leaving a residuum of .... 2-9 
1000 
consisting of sulphuretted hydrogen, hydrochlorate of ammonia, iodine, 
iron, copper, and even silver in various quantities and proportions, 
according to the locality of the specimen. In examining the plates 
ot copper taken from the bottom of a ship at Valparaiso which 
had been long at sea, distinct traces of silver were found deposited by 
the sea. Finally, we find dissolved in the ocean a peculiar mucus 
which seems of a mixed animal and vegetable nature ; organic matter 
