The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-01-09
miscellaneous.
OCEAN SPLENDORS.

Let him who delights in scenes of
grandeur and beauty, 90 down beside
the deep blue sea, just as the golden
sun is sinking down behind the crested
waves and painting the clouds with GRIM
son hues. Here, upon the rock bound
shores, which for ages have withstood
the rolling tide, let him stand and gaze
far out upon the heaving pillows as they
mount upward to the sky, Or break into
clouds of foam at his very fee'.
AS the sunsets rosy light falls level
over the waves, and then fades away in
to the soft, sweet, summer twilight, and
the gen lie breezes from off the water
fan his brow. and whisper by in accents
soft and low, and then seem to mingle
their no es in blended harmony wi h he
music of the waves; then will his
thoughts expand with new aud lofty
thoughts wor by the inspiration of the
hour ; aud stronger and deeper love Of
nature declares itself from his lips.
There is ever Il beauty and sublimity
about the ocean, with its rocky shores
and emerald islands, which excl es our
admiration, and for hours have we sat
upon some high rock which projected far
out in o the briny deep, and watched the
foanI-capped waves, as one after another
they came rolling in endless succession
against the rocky barriers. There upon
the headlands you may watch the white
winged ships, as they speed onward over
the waves hound to some uistan shore.
here can the appreciatlve eye take in
all he beauties of the scene, and as the
long, slant sunset rays shlmmering the
sea, and the gold aid crimson of the
western clouds, the emerald banks of the
islands rising abruptly from the water,
and the soft, feecy clouds, drifting like
boats through the dark, blue upper sea,
together wi b all the splendors of sum-
mer sunset upon the wave, form pic ure
Of rare and sublime beauty which no
pencil can faithfully portray upon the
canvas.
But not all of the splendors of the
ocean arc to be seen upon its surface or
abont its rugged shores for as we go
do~n h@"!ccai Il the brigh' waves new beau
ties unfold themselves to our view, and
far down upon the oceans bottom are
coral fields of surprising beauty. In
many parts of The ocean the water is
clear and transparent. In the Indian
Ocean il is said THAT the spotted corals
are plainly visible under twenty five
fathonIs Vi water; ard the chrystalne
clearness of the Caribbean sea excl es
the admiration of all who have an eye
for the beautiful.
"ln passing over these so splendidly
adorned grounds" says Schoff, {. where
marine life shows Itself in an endless
variety of forms, the boat, suspended
over the cl Arrest crystal, seems to doat
In the air, 80 that person unaccustomed
to the scenes, easily becomes giddy.-
On the sandy bottom appear thousands
of sea stars, sea urchins, molluscs, and
fishes of u briliancy of color unknown
in our temperate seas. Red, intense
blue, lively green and yellow, perpetu-
ally vary the spec a'or floats over
groves of sea plants, gorgonlas, corals,
.alcyoninms, fabbellums, and sponges,
that afford no less deligh; to the eye,
and are no less gently agi,ated BY the
waters, than the most beautiful garden
on earth when a gcn'ls breeze passes
through the waving boughs."
In other parts of the ocean, especially
that lying between the coast of New
Pounds and and ireland, the bottom is
represented as being covered to a con-
siderable dep with the curious re-
mains of animal Gfe, so ssnaH IN size
as to resemble, at the first sight, the
finest sand or sawdust. Aud through
out every part of the vas watery domain
are ty be found innumerabe specimen.
OF fish and shell of great beauty. Ane