THE RHINE. 
199 
the sun rose higher the upper river became a sheet 
of living silver, suddenly dashing down the falls like 
an avalanche, shot with green or springing up into 
the air in a shower of sparkling diamonds, tinged 
here and there with pink. By midday the upper 
reach of the river was deep violet, the lower water 
blue, gleams with green, and the white foam carried 
down into the depths showed much more distinctly, 
seeming to swim about in the blue like water spirits 
spreading out white arms. 
In the afternoon the water above became almost 
black, that below green with scarcely any blue. To- 
wards sunset it appeared again bluer, and the upper 
water lost much of its colour. 
In the fall itself there was less change from hour 
to hour. It was brilliantly white, and the water 
seemed to spring from rock to rock with restless glee. 
Towards evening, however, greenish tints appeared 
here and there. 
At present the Rhine-falls appear to be under- 
going little change. The oldest drawings and de- 
scriptions give very nearly the present details. This 
is mainly due to the absence of sand and gravel. 
The main work of the Rhine now is — accumulation 
between Chur and the lake; from the lake to the en- 
trance of the Thur little change is taking place; and 
