Stranica 169 [169]
OCR
COLOURS IN RIPPLED WATER 103 advantage. Indeed, the Cornish seas almost rival those of the Mediterranean in brilliancy, and are noted for their greener hue. The water is unusually clear, the headlands being of very hard rock separated by shallow sandy bays. This sand is largely composed of broken pieces of pink and yellow shells mixed with shining grains of quartz and mica. Its general colour is orange, and that no doubt, among other causes, influences the apparent colour of the water, making it look greener than it would over a white bottom. The skies of Cornwall are, of course, less blue than those of the Mediterranean, being usually in fine weather light and clear, and it is probably for this reason that the sea does not get so dark towards the horizon, as it does under a southern sky. On other parts of our coast the sea depends for beauty of effect more particularly upon atmospheric conditions of colour and lighting. With a uniformly dull gray sky the water naturally looks dull also, and we have pointed out in Chapter III (page 68) how the local colour is emphasized by direct sunshine. But it is not necessary that the sun should be actually shining on the water in order that its characteristic green should show up strongly. There is often, especially in showery weather, though the sun itself is hidden, © a very bright region of the sky on one side, whilst in another direction a dark, unbroken cloud-mass rises from the horizon, extending high up overhead, so that very little reflected light from that quarter reaches the eye. In this latter direction the colour of the water will be unusually conspicuous, though under
