The water world, or, The ocean: its laws and elements ...

Front matter

V

S '

The Ocean: Its Laws and Elements; Climatic and Commercial Influence; Polar Lands and Seas; Minute and Mammoth Wonders of Animal and Vegetable Life; Coral, Pearl and Sponge Fisheries; Monsters and Mysteries; Seal, Whale and Mackerel Fisheries; Shells, Sea-Birds and Supersti¬ tions; Sub-Marine Scenery. Phe¬ nomena and Hidden Treasures,

Introduction

To Behold the Ocean!

This is the delight

of the dwellers by the sea and the desire of those who live far away from its borders. No other part of the created universe has such a peculiar and distinctive power of im¬ pressing itself upon the mind or memory of man as the boundless ocean. Yet of none other has there been so little written for the people. Learned scientists in every age have given it the most thorough study and profoundest in¬ vestigation, but the results of their labors and discoveries are to be found only in great tomes filled with ponderous phrases and technical nomenclature wholly unintelligible to the gen¬ eral reader. The reason for this can not be found in the lack of interest felt by the people to know more of the ocean, its laws and elements, the part it performs in the economy of the universe, and its intimate relation to the well-being and progress of the human race, but the rather in the proneness of the schoolmen to ignore the needs and de¬ sires of the many. The object of this volume is to give to the people in a simple, popular and attractive form, that which hitherto has been almost solely within reach of the scientific specialist.

The influence of the ocean in the general economy of the globe is of the first importance and on it all the phenomena of planetary life depend.

“Water is the chief of all!” exclaimed Pindar in the early days of Hellenic civilization. .

Science reveals that in the bosom of the seas continents 4

INTRODUCTION.

are elaborated, and without them, earth, like a metallic sur¬ face, could give birth to no organic life. Almost all the cosmogonies of primitive nations poetically declare “ Earth is the daughter of Ocean.”

The ebb and flow of the waves exercise a great power upon all mankind. Commerce spreading over land and sea, laying hold upon products of man and nature scattered far and wide, circulates them from one to another like as it were the life blood of nations.

The Ocean is the great laboratory of nature. It receives all the water that flows from the land, so it returns that water, fresh and pure, in the shape of vapor to the skies, where, in the form of clouds, it is conveyed to those parts of the earth where its presence is most needed, and descends in the form of rain and dew, fertilizing the soil, replenishing rivers and lakes, penetrating the earth’s deep caverns, whence it bubbles up in the shape of springs, and after hav¬ ing gladdened the heart of man by driving his mills and causing his food to grow, it finds its way again into the sea, and thus the good work goes ceaselessly on.

The climate of every clime in the world is subject to the influence of the mighty currents of the ocean, the greatest of which is the Gulf Stream, that mighty river of hot water flowing through the Atlantic from the Equator to the Pole. Their influence upon navigation, and as a consequence upon commerce, is of equal potency. These, together with the tides, trade-winds, typhoons and specific gravity of the sea and other laws and phenomena — all in their wondrotfs workings, having a direct and practical bearing and connec¬ tion with the pursuits and progress of man are fully de¬ scribed and elaborately treated in the various chapters allotted to them.

“ The Polar Eegions ”— land and sea—exhibit phenomena so grand, so wonderful and so varied that they are given distinct and separate treatment, and as fully as space would

INTRODUCTION.

permit, and the purposes of this publication demanded, the results of the latest Arctic expeditions are also given.

Our information has been gathered from many sources, ohief among which is that most valuable and delightful of all books, treating of the ocean, “ Maury’s Physical Geogra¬ phy of the Sea.” From this most admirable volume are clrawn the quotations and deductions found in the chapters upon the Laws and Phenomena of the Ocean.

The Whale, Herring, Cod and Mackerel Fisheries are given that special attention which their commercial importance demands. The immense amount of animal and vegetable life that exists in the ocean in myriad forms of brilliant beauty and wondrous workmanship, is made the subject of several chapters replete with thrilling interest and valuable instruction. Among these we would call special attention to the chapters upon “ Coral,” “ Pearls,” “ Sponges,” “ Odds and Ends about Fishes,” “ Submarine Scenery,” and “ Float¬ ing Navigators.”

The yalue of the investigations presented in the chapter upon “ Deep Sea Soundings,” does not appear at first sight to the unscientific, but a moment’s reflection forces the con¬ clusion upon any intelligent mind that the search after Truth is one of the most useful as well as elevating pur¬ suits in which man can engage. These soundings are but :searchings to discover the true surface formation of the’ocean bed. Thus was the comparatively shallow plateau or ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean between Ireland and New¬ foundland discovered; a discovery turned to practical account by this plateau being made the bed upon which was laid the electric telegraph between Europe and America. The chapter upon the “ Signal Service ” embodies much never before published, so as to be accessible or intelligible to the general reader. The operations of this department of our government having such a positive and practical bear¬ ing upon the life and pursuits of every branch of industry

INTRODUCTION.

T and enterprise, must possess a peculiar and valuable interest to all.

“Navigation and Ocean Steamships,” “ Life-Saving Serv¬ ice ” and “ Light-Houses and Beacons,” as described in the last three chapters, we believe, will not be deemed devoid of interest. In the preparation of this volume there has been a studied effort to avoid the use of all technical terms and phrases borrowed from “ the dead tongues,” and to present the investigations, discoveries and teachings of science in language plain but pure, simple yet comprehensive, making this work valuable alike to the student and savant, to the teacher and general reader.

An experience extending through several years impressed upon the mind of the writer, the great need for a plain, popular, yet scientifically correct text or reading book, upon the ocean for use in our public schools. That “ Water World,” if properly used will, to a certain extent at least, supply that need is believed. It should be placed in the hands of pupils as a general reading book supplementary to the study of Physical Geography, and from its pages teach¬ ers can select subjects for many Topical Talks of peculiar and practical interest to their scholars. To learn of the Ocean not only contributes to the mental and material progress of man but to his moral and spiritual elevation. In its life, movements and mechanism are revealed, the wondrous wis¬ dom and power of the Infinite. Its boundless expanse, evercircling waves and fathomless depths are typical of the un¬ resting, unending cycles of eternity. It calls to us in the thunder of the tempest or in the whispers of the calm — in the crashing billows and gentle murmurs, voicing the love, the power and majesty of Him who rides upon the storm and rules the wave. J- W. C. J.

Chicago,

November , 1886.

Chapter I. The Ocean—its Laws And Elements

Page

Vastness and sublimity of creation—The sea a laboratory—The many wonderful objects it contains—The ocean essential to the exist ence of man and vegetation—If the existing waters were increased only one-fourth—There is perhaps nothing more beautiful—What is water?—The saltness of the ocean—Why was the sea made salt?—Currents—The Gulf Stream—Its influence on climate— Utilizing currents to carry messages—Brig towed by the under¬ current—Recent invention—Gulf Stream the great “ weather breeder” of the North Atlantic—Its influence on commerce—

Tides—Wind waves—The crossing of waves—Variety of color—

Milky sea—Luminosity of the sea—Divisions of the ocean—Atlan¬ tic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic—Extreme breadth of Atlantic—Its relation to civilized countries—Mediterranean Sea—

The central ocean of the ancients—Pacific discovered by Balboa—

Indian Ocean...... 21

Chapter II. The Polar Regions

Human endurance of cold—Experiences of Dr. Kane, Captain Mc¬ Clure and Parry—Esquimaux—Discovery of Northwest passage —Day and night at the poles—Sir John Franklin—A vessel adrift thirteen years in the frozen ocean—Frozen to death—Captain Hall—The “Polaris”—The Jeannette expedition—The Greely expedition—Routes to the Polar ocean—Voyage of Tegetthoff— Weyprecht’s international circumpolar system—Greely’s voyage to Lady Franklin Bay—Arrives Aug, 12, 1882—Fort Conger— “Proteus” returns—Two years at Discovery Harbor—Results— Relief expedition of Beebe in 1882—Fails to reach Greely—Gar-

Contents

lington’s disastrous attempt in 1883—Greely abandons Fort Conger —Camp Clay—Third relief expedition in 1884—Rescue—Return—

The problem unsolved.;.. 40

Chapter III. Icebergs

Icebergs among the wonders of the ocean world—Grand and im¬ posing—Imitating every style of architecture—Differ in color— Strange and sudden formations—Many of great height—Origin— Greenland—Glaciers—Their immense length—Birthplaces of ice¬ bergs—Moved by powerful currents—Dangers from icebergs on their floating voyages—Terror excited by them among the early navigators—Awful sublimity of the floating ice mountains—Hair¬ breadth escape—Supposed loss of the “President” and other vessels from collisions with icebergs—Danger of mooring vessels to icebergs—A picnic on an iceberg—The “Resolute” exploring ship—Formation and destruction of ice—Beautiful provision of Nature . 66

Chapter IV. Life In The Ocean

Sublime ideas of the infinite—Mystery of life—Two great powers—

Death is the foster mother of life—Life maintains life—Exuber¬ ance of life—The ocean in its profoundest depths—Sea influ¬ ences—Seashore deposits—Source of greatli wealth—Unity and diversity. 76

CHAPTER Y.

MINUTE ANIMAL LIFE.

Vastness of organic life in the ocean—Food to the larger marine animals—Abundance in the Northern seas—Sea nettles—They color the waters—Microscopic determinations—A naturalist’s calculation of the number of animalculse—Animals in a drop of wa ter—Illustrates the immensity of creation—Seaweeds—Ani¬ mated worlds—Minute creation governed by the same laws as larger—Jelly-fish — Abound in the South Atlantic—Curious shapes—Sea-worms—Sea-mouse—Its beautiful color—Curious

CONTENTS.

arms of marine worms—Nereids—Beautifully colored—White rag worms •— Sea-leech — Leaping-worms — “ Jumping Johnnies ”.

CHAPTER YI.

CORAL—THE ROCK BUILDERS.

Beauty of color—Its curious form in the ocean—Formerly supposed to be marine plants—Discovered to be the work of minute ani¬ mals—Coral wonders described—How their habitations are made—Coral examined under the microscope—Continents built by the polyps—Wonderful instinct of the coral workers by building walls on the windward side—Qualities and varieties of coral described—Manufacture of false coral—Superstitions re¬ specting the changing of color—Perils of the coral reefs—An incident of shipwreck.

CHAPTER VIL

PEARLS.

Rare and valuable objects of creation—Perilous employment of the divers—Condemned criminals formerly employed—Character¬ istics of the pearl divers—Shark charmers—Pearl fishing in the Gulf of Manaar—Off the Bahrein Islands—Cingalese divers— Separation of the pearl from the oyster—Extent of the pearl fishery in Ceylon—System pursued at the Pearl Islands—Oriental pearls—Their preparation for market—How pearls are formed in the oyster—Amusing account given by Pliny—Suppositions re¬ specting pearls—Curious methods pursued by the Chinese—The pearl oyster not the only mollusk which produces pearls—Pearls found on the British coasts-—Incidents—Extravagant fancy of the ancients—Names applied to various kinds—Largest pearls on record—Runjeet Sing and his string of pearls.

CHAPTER VIII.

SPONGES.

Ancient use of the sponge for helmets, etc.—One of the most valuable spoils taken from the ocean—Long undecided whether sponges

CONTENTS.

belonged to the animal or vegetable kingdom-^llanked as “ zoophytes ” or animal plants—Aristotle’s definition of the sponge—Finest qualities come from the Ottoman Archipelago— Sponge fishery at the island of Calymnos—Numbers of persons engaged in the sponge fishery—Depth at which sponges are found—Methods pursued in diving—Average quantity taken— Preparation for market—The sponge in its natural state—Growth and increase of the sponge—Article of commerce—Digestion and respiration.

CHAPTER IX.

SEALS.

Arctic summer the proper season for seal fishing—Divisions of labor by the Esquimaux—Seal’s flesh their chief food—Ancient super¬ stitions—Use of blubber—Methods of capturing the seals—Seal fishing the great employment of the Greenlanders—Dangers at¬ tending—Different species of seals—The sea-calf—Peculiar char¬ acteristics—Enemies of seals—The bearded or great seal—The lioop-seal—The fur seal—Description, habits, and use—Seals fond of music—Tame seals—Incidents—The marbled seal—Con¬ trast between seals of northern and southern seas—Sea elephant—

The sea leopard—The otaries—Sea lions. 119

Page

CHAPTER X.

THE MONARCH OF THE OCEAN.

Peculiarities in whales—Distinct from fishes and land animals, though resembling both—Description—Strength and utility of its tail—Size of the head—Smallnes3 of the throat—Food of the whale—Whalebone—Tongue of the whale—The skin—The blub¬ ber—Quantity of oil taken from a whale—Ears, eyes, and fins of the whale—Age when they attain their growth—Anecdotes rela¬ tive to the capture—Different species—The northern rorqual— The smaller rorqual—The sperm whales—The white whales— The deductor—Great capture of whales—Fight between a whale and a grampus—Other enemies of the whale—Anecdotes—Attach¬ ment of whales to their young...

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XI.

THE WHALE FISHERY AND ITS PERILS.

Pagb

Description of ships employed in the whale fishery—Hard work in the Polar seas—Mode of fishing—The harpoon—Struggles of the whale—Disappointment of a Dutch whaler—Dead whales—Cut¬ ting up the whales—Whale fishery in the southern seas—Inci¬ dent to the Essex in the Pacific Ocean—Ship destroyed by a collision with a whale—Story of a Dutch liarpooner—New Zealand Tom—Incident in the Pacific to the whaling vessel Independence—Paying out the rope—Incident to the whaling vessel Aimwell—Loss of the Princess Charlotte—Wonderful escape of the Trafalgar—Calamities of a whaling squadron—The Rattler—The Achilles. 146

CHAPTER XII.

THE PIRATE OF THE OCEAN.

Fossil sharks—Enormous teeth—The white shark—Its extreme ve¬ racity—Great tenacity of life—Its preference for human flesh— Horrible tragedy—Habit of bounding out of the sea—Punishing a shark—Manner of catching sharks in the South Sea Islands— Captain Basil Hall’s account of the capture of a shark—Worship of sharks by the inhabitants—Rapacity of the shark—Hooks for shark fishing—Fearful incident to the crew of the “ Magpie”—

The hammer headed shark—The smooth shark—Dog fish—Angel fish—Greenland shark—Basking shark—Taken for the sea ser¬ pent—Pilot fish—Companion to the shark—Pilot fish described.. 166

CHAPTER XIII.

SEA-HORSES AND NARWAHLS.

The morse walrus or sea-horse—Description—Immense slaughter of them—For what purposes—Ferocity when attacked—Affec¬ tion for its young—Battles between the walrus and the Polar bear—The sword fish a fierce enemy—Sea unicorn—Described— Color—Their habits—Mode of catching them—Herd in flocks— Playfulness—Its speed........

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE FLOATING NAVIGATORS OF THE OCEAN.

The nautilus “ the ocean mab” and “ fairy of the sea”—The fish de¬ scribed by Prof. Owen—Real method of its propulsion—The paper nautilus—Its supposed sails—Glaucus a real rover on the ocean—A wonderful builder—Intelligence displayed—Pearly nautilus—Gem of the deep—The argonaut—Sea bladder or Por¬ tuguese man-of-war—Beauty of its colors—Appear like prismatic shells—Their stinging properties—Specimens of fossil nautili in the British museum—Ammonite—Most beautiful of all fossils— Petrified snakes—The cuttle fish—One of the feasts of fisher¬ men—Their ink bags—Prodigious size of some species—Mode of fishing with the cuttle fish described by Columbus—Belongs to a period before the flood.

CHAPTER XV.

MODES OF FISHING IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES.

Use of nets dates from the earliest times—Great improvements of late in the manufacture of nets—Variety of nets used by fisher¬ men—Description of them—Fishing by electric light—Birds trained to catch fish—Their wonderful sagacity—South Sea Islanders expert fishermen—Singular mode of taking the needle fish—Fishing by the light—Indians’ method of taking the candle fish—The white porpoise—Fishing for the sea pike—The tunny fishery—Sturgeon fishery—Conger-eel fishery—Great conger-eel described—Sand-eel fishery—Mackeral fishery—Nets employed— Herring fishery—Modes of fishing—Curing herring—Dog fish— Hake—Pilclierd—Sprats and white bait, and how taken—The Sardine—Cod fishery on the banks of Newfoundland—The modern cod sinock—The haddock—The coal fish—Common hake—The turbot—The turtle—Modes of taking them—Crabs—Mode of taking them—Hermit crab—King crab—Prawns and shrimps— Mussels—Mussel farms—Oyster farming—Age at which the oyster is ready for the table—Its best qualities—The enemies of The oyster—Lobsters—King herring.

CHAPTER XVI.

ODDS AND ENDS ABOUT FISHES.

Strange and varied characters of fishes—The money of commerce in some countries—Form of fishes—The tail the great organ of

CONTENTS.

Page

motion—Air or swimming bladder—Respiration—Baits made attractive by scents—Nostrils of fishes—Taste—Touch—Scales—

Eyes—Teeth—Hearing—Brain—Eggs—Uses of fish—Curative properties of certain fish—The torpedo—Violent shocks—Electric apparatus described—Effects produced on fishermen—The elec¬ tric eel—Its physical properties—The sting ray—Enormous fins—

The great and little weever—Stinging powers of the pliysalis— Sucking fishes—Sea owl—Snail—Lumpsucker—The sea lam¬ prey—Its powerful sucker—Lampreys fed on human fiesli—The gunard fish—Peculiarities—Many species remarkable for beauty of colors—-The sea scorpion—Sticklebacks—The flying gunard—

Emits phosphoric light—Flying fishes—Musical fish—The devil fish—Its enormous size and strength—Devil fish taken in Dela¬ ware Bay—Monstrous skates—The fishing frog or angler— Description—Mode of attracting its prey—Capture of an immense saw fish—An East Indiaman attacked by a sword-fish—Dolphin— Atlantic species—Cat-fish—Sucking fish—Sea peacock—Blue fish—The true dolphin described—Pursue the flying fish—The common mackerel a beautiful fish—The John Dory—The boar fish—The opah or king fish—The red mullet—Purchased at enormous prices—The basse or sea perch—The Mediterranean Apogon—The lettered seranus—The choetocion—The Archer—

A favorite with the Chinese—The Riband shaped fish family—

The butterfly fish—Wrasses, or old wives of the sea—The rain¬ bow—Parrot fish—The scarus—The sea horse—The chimera or rabbit fish—Repulsive form—Beauty of colors intended for the admiration of man. 250'

CHAPTER XVII.

SHELLS.

Wonderful shaping and moulding of shells—The structure of shells adapted to the requirements of the inhabitant—Apparatus of tws shelled animals—Power over the valves—Concliology—Shells formerly regarded as toys—Shells of southern Europe—Greater portion of shell animals carnivorous—Shells of tropical America- Western coasts of Africa—The harp shell—The cockle—The cowry—Beautiful and rare shells found on the coasts of Austra¬ lia—Deep sea shells—Lowest part of the earth consist of shell remains—Shells used for making roads—Helix or snail genus— The clam or bear’s paw—Varieties of shells—Formation of

CONTENTS.

shells—Sea shells perform an important part in the economy of nature—Use of shells multifarious—Trumpet shell—Shell fish as an article of food—Giant clams—Porcelain shells—Roaring buckie harp shells—Fountain shells — Razor shells — Trough shells....

Pagh m

CHAPTER XVIIL

fcEA BIRDS.

Number and variety of marine birds—Roosting places—The gull family—General description—Some gulls expert in breaking the shells of inollusks—Tricks played by seamen on gulls—The skuas—The petrels—Among the most interesting of marine birds—The storm petrel—Sea swallows—The albatros—A great fish eater—The divers—Expert fishers—Tne guillemots—The great ausk—Puffing or sea parrot—The penguins—Darwin’s de¬ scription of the “jackass” penguin—The cormorant—Trained to fish by some nations—The pelican--Peculiar pouch for storing fish—The ganet—Assemble at breeding times in myriads on the bass rock—The hooper or wild swan—The great sea eagles—The osprey and its fishing habits—The tropic sea birds—The frigate bird—Its tyrannical treatment of the booby;. 312

CHAPTER XIX.

SUPERSTITIONS CONNECTED WITH THE OCEAN.

Seamen naturally superstitious—Incidents regarded as prodigies— Phantom ship—Power of raising tempests at sea by witchcraftincident to James VI. of Scotland—Wind pillars—Double sight —Apparitions at sea—Rats leaving a ship—Omens for good or evil—Crows as guides to mariners—The ancient mariner—Carry¬ ing dead bodies in ships—Good luck—Bad luck. 342

CHAPTER XX.

MARINE MONSTERS.

The Krasken a wonderful sea monster—Able to pull men-of-war to the bottom of the ocean—The sea serpent—Marvelous stories re-

CONTENTS.

Page

lated by our sailors—Account forwarded to the admiralty—Fishes of the ribbon family may give rise to what are called sea serpents —Mermaids and women—Icelandic description of a mermaid—

P. T. Barnum’s famous exhibition — The manatee — The dugong.. • • • 355

CHAPTER XXI.

PRODIGIES OF THE DEEP-SEA DRAGONS.

Gigantic reptiles inhabiting the ocean before the deluge—Huge sea lizards—Limestone rocks at Lyme Regis—Dragons in story books —Description of the Fish lizard—Head like a crocodile—Numer¬ ous immense teeth—Enormous eyes—Body like that of a fish—

The plesiosaurus—Peculiarities of this huge monster—Head like a lizard—Teeth of a crocodile—Neck of enormous length—Body roundel like that of a marine turtle—Its habits described—The teleosaurus—The great pirate of the ocean—Armed to the teeth —Its enormous jaws—Able to swallow animals as large as an ox —The maesasaurus—Thought to be a crocodile. 364

CHAPTER XXII.

SUBMARINE SCENERY—ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE.

The earth has its counterpart in the ocean—Glory of submarine scenery—In the tropics—China seas—Deepest colors of fishes and marine vegetation in the tropical seas—The Indian Ocean— Splendid colors of tropical fishes—Flowers of the ocean—Abun¬ dance and beauty of marine fauna—Wonders of coral scenery—

Coput medusae, or basket fish—Anemones the loveliest ornaments of sea-gardens—Sea ane nones a hungry class—Clearness of the waters of the red sea—Sea slug and sea cucumber—Waters of the North Sea remarkable for its transparency—Submarine forests and meadows—A sea covered with weeds—Enormous expanse of the Atlantic Ocean covered with vegetation—Seaweeds brought from a great depth—The true seaweed—Beauty of smaller varie¬ ties—Marine plants vie with land-flowers— Seaweeds as food— Numerous applications of seaweeds.. 369

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE BED OF THE OCEAN. DEEP SEA SOUNDINGS.

Beauty of the tropical ocean—Average depth of the sea—Long a diffi- PAGE ‘ cult question—First determined by the U. S. navy—Mode of taking soundings—Brooks’ sounding apparatus—The telegraph plateau—No currents below 3,000 feet—No decomposition at extreme depths—The sea a great nursery—Animal life at extreme depths—Preservation of marine life—Conclusions of Professors Bailey and Ehrenburg—Deep sea dredging expeditions—Food of deep water animals—Limestone formations...,. 392

CHAPTER XXIY.

PHENOMENA OF THE OCEAN.

Optical illusions in Arctic seas—The mirage—Vivid description by Dr. Hayes—Aurora Borealis, or “Northern Daybreak’’—Origin supposed to be electrical—Other luminous meteors—Halos and mock suns—The ice blink—Tide rip and sea drift—Evaporation and precipitation—Formation of water-spouts—Perilous escape from a water-spout—Tornadoes and typhoons—The trade winds— Explanation of atmospheric currents — Their functions — The monsoon—Its beneficial effects—Hurricanes and cyclones—De¬ scription of the Bore and Egre—Sub-marine earthquakes and volcanoes—Islands rising from the sea—Cause—Home of the earthquake — Seismoscopes and seismometers — Red fog, or shower-dust. 414

CHAPTER XXY.

TREASURES RECOVERED FROM THE DEEP.

Millions of coins lost—Whole cities and islands submerged—The div¬ ing-bell and how it is employed—James Phipps recovered great treasures—Loss of the “Royal George”—Great loss of life — What was recovered in later years — Smeaton’s improved diving-bell—A fatal experiment by John Day — Diving dress and its adaptation—Loss of the “Lutine” — Recovery of “Lady Char¬ lotte ”—American enterprise—Immense amount of money recov¬ ered—Spanish banker—Freaks of nature—Experience of a diver and what is seen in the depths.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXVI.

OCEAN STEAMSHIPS.

Page.

Ancient ships — Commerce — Crusades—Portuguese shipbuilders— English naval supremacy—Monitor and Merrimac—Peacemaker —First steamboat—Steamships of to-day—City of Rome—Nina—

New motors. 467

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE SIGNAL SERVICE.

Signal service of the United States army—Schools of instruction— Establishment of the weather bureau—Verification of its predic¬ tions—Simultaneous observations—Weather maps—Tri-daily fore¬ casts—Farmer’s Bulletin—Storm and weather signals—Railway weather signals—Practical results—Sea-coast telegraph lines— Connection with the life-saving service—International code of signals—State service. 483

CHAPTER XXVIII.

LIFE-SAVING SERVICE.

Lake and sea-coast—Life-saving stations—Wreck of “ The Hortzell ”

—Life boat coming—Terrible journey—Perilous descent—The Rescue—Wreck of ‘ ‘ The Goodman ”—The crew saved—Origin of the life-car—Joseph Francis—First iron life-boat—Wreck of “The Ayrshire”—One of the world’s benefactors. 510

CHAPTER XXIX.

LIGHTHOUSES AND BEACONS.

The world’s dumb sentinels—Pharos light-house—The Eddystone— The Bell-rock—The great French light-house—American light¬ houses—Minot’s ledge—Lightships—Fresnel and his method of illumination—Life-keepers code—Fog-signal—Efficiency and ex¬ tent of light-house service.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Frontispiece.

Albatross.132-

Aurora Borealis.

Arclier-fish.

Boats Stranded by the Tide_

Basaltic Island.

Cramp-fish, The.

Dolphin, The.

Devil-fish.

Drag-net. : .

Diver at Work.

Esquimaux Seal Hunters.

Eagre, The.

Eddystone Lighthouse, The....

Flying-fish, The.

Fleet of Medusae.

Fishing-frog.

Frozen to Death.

Glacier Ice.

Greenland Whale.

Gigantic Cuttlefish.

Globe-fish.

Gurnard.

Herring Fishing.

Halibut, The.

Icebergs, Breaking up of.

Ice Blink.

Ichthyosaurus.

Lamprey Eel, The.

Luminosity of the Sea.

Lump-fish... .

Life-boat, Launching of.

Mussel-farm. 242

Mussels, Basket-work Covered

with. 242

Mirage. 415

Nautilus, The. 189

Nina, The.481

Ocean Cable, Sections of. 413

Pearl Divers at Work. .. 105

Pearl-Producing Shells. 110

Penguins.132-321

Peacemaker ...473

Pipe Fish, The . 259

Plesiosaurus. 366

Rabbit Fish, The.259

Spring Tide. 32

Sponge Divers at Work. 112

Sponge. 114

Sea Lions. 132

Shark Fishing. 169

Stickleback Fish.270

Skates. 284

Sea Swell. 341

Sub-marine Scenery of the In¬ dian Ocean.373

Submarine Scenery. 386

Steamship City of Rome.478

Signal Flags.495

Seal, Tame. 129

Walrus. 177

Waterspouts.427

White Bear, Stratagem of. 182

“Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty’s form Glasses itself in Tempests: in all time,

Calm or convuls’d—in Breeze, or Gale, or Storm,

Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime Dark heaving,—boundless, endless and sublime,— The image of eternity—the Throne

Of the Invisible. Even from out thy slime The monsters of the deep are made; each zone Obeys thee; thou goest forth, Dread, Fathomless, Alone.”

—BYRON.

Chapter I. The Ocean—its Laws And Elements

the beginning,” the sacred historian informs us, “ God created the heavens and the earth r and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, ani> the Spirit of God moved upon the face'

OF THE WATERS.”

How wondrously solemn and grand are these inspired and holy words! What human imagination can fully realize their sublimity? In a few plain but soul-stirring sentences the great mystery of creative power is unfolded, and the mind gets bewildered in the contemplation of such vastness, beauty, and beneficence. We may exclaim with the royal psalmist, “ Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host; the earth, and all things that are therein; the seas, and all that are therein; and Thou preservest them all.”

On the second day, or generation, uprose progressively the fine fluids or waters of the firmament, and filled the blue ethereal void with a vital atmosphere. The third day, or generation, the waters more properly so called, or the grosser or more compact fluids of the general mass, were gathered together into the vast bed of the ocean, and dry land began to make its appearance.

No subject, surely, could be more delightful than the study of the “ world of waters ” and its strange inhabitants, and there is none upon which the mind of man has been more absorbed in inquiry and research.

THE OCEAN—ITS LA WS AND ELEMENTS.

We never tire of the sea; it is a laboratory in which de¬ lightful processes are continually being wrought out for our admiration and use. Its flora and its fauna, its waves and its tides, its salts and its currents, all afford grand and profit¬ able themes of study and thought. But, as interesting as they are separately, and as wonderful, too, they are not half so marvelous as the offices which, with their aid, the sea performs in the physical economy of our planet.

Viewed in this light, the ocean, its inhabitants, and its vapors, is a mechanism constructed by the All Wise, of per¬ fect workmanship.

It is so fixed and true in its work that nothing can throw it out of gearing; and yet its returns are so delicate that the task of preserving them is allotted to the minutest of sea dwellers, and to agents apparently the most subtle and fickle.

They preserve its intricate relations, making its adjust¬ ments, in beauty and sublimity of effect, to vie with the heavens. These marvelous wonders proclaim, in songs di¬ vine, that they, too, are the work of holy fingers.

We may but imperfectly represent this great body of water and the many wonderful objects it contains, but any deficiencies maybe supplied later, when the open book of nature is read by thoughtful minds eager for knowledge.

The ocean is essential to the existence of man and of all vegetation; it is the great moderator and equalizer of terres¬ trial climates, purifying the atmosphere that we breathe, and sending off a perpetual supply of vapors, which condense into clouds, and are the sources of moisture and fertility to the soil. We must also think of the facilities afforded for intercourse with distant nations. It has been remarked that contact with the ocean has unquestionably exercised a bene¬ ficial influence on the cultivation of the intellect and form¬ ation of the character of many nations, on the multiplication of those bonds which should unite the whole human race, on

ESSENTIAL TO EXISTENCE.

the first knowledge of the true form of the earth, and on the pursuit of astronomy, and of all the mathematical and physi¬ cal sciences.

Since Columbus was sent to unbar the gates of ocean, man has boldly ventured into intellectual as well as geo¬ graphical regions before unknown to him. How perfect, 0 Infinite One, are all thy works, and how shortened our aspirations !

If the existing waters were increased only one-fourth of their present area, they would drown the earth, with the exception of some high mountains. If the volume of the ocean were augmented only by one-eighth, considerable por¬ tions of the present continents would be submerged, and the seasons would be changed all over the face of the globe. Evaporation would be so much extended, that rains would fall continually, destroy the harvests, fruits, and flowers, and overturn the whole economy of nature.

There is, perhaps, nothing more beautiful in our whole system than the process by which the fields are irrigated from the skies, the rivers are fed from the mountains, and the ocean restrained within bounds which it never can ex¬ ceed so long as that process continues on the present scale. The vapor raised from the sea by the sun floats wherever it is lighter than the atmosphere; condensed, it falls upon the earth in water. And what is water? It is composed of two parts of hydrogen, and one part of oxygen—two impor¬ tant gases—these being, probably,the two most abundant and essential substances in nature, as regards ourselves and our earth.

These, when combined, become converted into vapor, many gallons of them in this state forming one small drop of fluid water. It is the simplest of combinations, and the eompound most resembling a simple element; the most uni¬ versal solvent at all temperatures; the most widely di^ tributed substance in nature; the most powerful agent* the

SALTNESS AND CURRENTS OF THE OCEAN most perfect representation of perpetual motion, penetrating everything, passing everywhere, always present, in sight or out of sight, and everywhere producing a marked effect. When it is remembered that a very large proportion of the weight of every living being, animal or vegetable, consists of water, and that for life to continue at all, an incessant supply of fresh fluid is required, the necessity of water will be fully understood.

The Saltness which distinguishes the waters of the ocean is explained by the circumstance that chloride of sodium (common salt) and other dissolvable salts, which form essen¬ tial ingredients of the earth, are being constantly washed out of the soil and rocks by rain and springs, and carried down by the rivers; and as the evaporation which feeds the rivers carries none of the dissolved matter back to the land, the tendency is to accumulate in the sea. We know that beds of rock-salt, of enormous thickness, form part of the crust of the globe; and we may infer that immense banks of salt exist in the bed of the deep. The uniformity of this saltness is preserved by the constant movement of the waters, caused by the regular and perpetual action of the winds. It has been said that if all the salts of the sea were spread equally over the northern half of this continent, it would cover the ground to the depth of one mile ! What force could move such a mass of matter on dry land ? Yet, the machinery of the ocean, of which it forms a part, is so wisely, marvelously, and wonderfully adjusted, that the most gentle breeze that plays on its bosom—the tiniest in¬ sect that secretes solid matter for its sea-shell—is capable of putting it instantly in motion. Still, when solid and placed in a heap, all the mechanical contrivances of mankind, aided by the tremendous forces of all the steam and water power of the world, could not move so much as an inch in centuries of this matter, which the sunbeam, the zephyr, and the in¬ fusorial insect keep in perpetual motion and activity.