10 Mr Scoresby on the Colour (yfihe Greenland Sea. 
It is worthy of remark, that while the ripples proceeded past 
the ship in a north-easterly direction, the ship was ascertained 
to have been set by a current to the north-westward. In the 
above account it is suggested, that the current was incident to 
the ripples alone; but future observers, furnished with good 
chronometers, would do well to ascertain whether this be the 
case or not. The rate at which the ripples themselves proceed, 
and their direction, ought also to be carefully observed. 
Dr Wollaston, upon seeing the above statement, suggested, 
that the ripples might possibly be caused by the meeting of 
great waves coming from different oceans. In the case describ- 
ed, such waves may be supposed to have come from the Bay of 
Bengal, or the northern parts of the Indian Ocean on the one 
hand, and from the southern Indian Ocean on the other. This 
hypothesis is at least extremely ingenious, and worthy of the at- 
tentive consideration of navigators, who may have opportuni- 
ties of re-examining these interesting phenomena. 
Vega. 
Art. III . — On the Colour of the Greenland Sea . — ^By W. 
Scoresby Jww., F. R. S. E.. and M. W. S *. 
The colour of the Greenland Sea varies from ultramarine 
blue to olive green, and from the most pure transparency to 
great opacity. These appearances are not transitory, but 
permanent ; not depending on the state of the weather, but on 
the quality of the water. Hudson, when he visited this quar- 
ter in the year 1607, noticed the changes in the colour of the 
sea, and made the observation, that the sea was blue where 
there was ice, and green where it was most open. This circum- 
stance, however, was merely accidental. Captain Phipps does 
not appear to have met with any of the green water. This 
kind of water occurs in considerable quantity, forming, perhaps, 
one-fourth part of the surface of the Greenland Sea, between 
the parallels of 74° and 80°. It is liable to alterations in its po- 
sition, from the action of the current ; but still it is always re-, 
newed, near certain situations, from year to year. Often it 
constitutes long bands or streams, lying north and south, or 
*. Extracted, by permission of the author, from his Account of the Arctic Re- 
gions, now in the press. — E d. 
