The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-05-15
LIFE UNDER THE OCEAN
As WAVE.

AS every san carries within him-
self an innepself, hidden life, that
casual acquaintance know nothing
OF, so the ocean has within it's bo.om
q life which 10 never revealed except
to long acquaintance and an almost
loving familiarity. 1t has a lite
more multitudinous, quite as won
derful, and not less beautiful than
that Of the land. It's mountains
rise higher than Mont Blanc. It's
valleys and georges are unequaled
by those of the Lebsnou, the Pyr-
enees, or even the Himalayas. 1t
has great steppes and immense plains,
which rival those of orth America
or Central Asia. 1t has vast and
|1llirnitable forests, which the eye of
man has never discerned. and never
shall, in their carbohydrates that
are fuller by far of busy life THAI
the most prolific of the tropics.
The terrestrial forests. 'says Charles
Darwin, ''do not contain anything
like the number OF animals that those
OF the sea do" The surface of the
waters, which, plowed by storms,
are such source of dread to man,
are the protection of these children
OF the mother ocean. At $50 faith
oms there is perfectly uniform
temperature, sthe same in all lati-
tudes. No cold pierces this wonder
full coverlet, no storm ever disturbs
the waters beneath Here in their
hidden home, safe from the distur-
Dances OF this upper life, are myri-
ads of creatures, living, marrying
dying, warning one upon the other;
organizing into Kingdoms, republics.
families; working in every form of
manufacture, as spinners, weaveps,
architects gbnilders; endowed with
mysterious instincts which are Iquits
as wonderful in their way as our
higher reason, and bound together
by mysterious ties which we are
equally unable to comprehend or to
call in question. 50 true is it that
the mysteries of science far outweigh
those of morals and theology.
These inhabitants of the sea are
found in absolutely CO untless num-
bers. No census of old Ocan's pop
ulation ever has been taken, or ever
can be. They exist in all waters,
the hot as well as the cold, the fresh
as we'll as the salt. The mariner In
the troplc sea is startled TO find the
ocean all about him growing lumin-
Gus, as though the very water be-
meath the hot equatorial sun had
turned to flame. Flashes of vermil-
ion colored light dart from the keel
OF his vessel il plows the surface
OF The waters, and streams of light
like lightning sparkle and play upon
It's waves. If, overcoming his SUI
perstitious fears by growing acc US
toned to the sight, he drops bucket
into the luminous sea. he brings up
what seems less like water than like
molten lead. 1t lights the forecas-
tie like a torch. He plunges his
hand into the water. 1t comes out
covered with luminous par icles gilt
terins like diamonds full of light.
How innumerable must be these al
most Infinite imal glow-worms ofthe
sea, thus to convert The OCEAN into a
sea Of light!
Sometimes these tiny creatures
tint instead of illuminating the sea.
Insects whose diameter is less than
that Of a hair, 300 of whom placed
in line would not make an inch in
length, whiten the waters of the
ocean by their presence, and make
what the Dutch sailors call the Milky
Sea. or Sea of Snow. In 1854, in
the Bay of Bengal, Captain Kingman
passed for thirty miles through the
middle OF large patch Of sea white
with these creatures, Thirty miles
OF anlmalcules 300 of whom would
hardly constitute an inch! Seamen
sometimes meet with red fogs,"
Especially IN the vicinity of the
Cape &c Vera Islands. Ehrenberg
has examined this fog with his mi
croscope. He finds that it's tint is