Part 30 (2/2)
”No two people see color values just alike,” was the reply, ”and while of course I don't expect you to make a perfect picture, still if your coloring and mine agree, we are nearly sure to have exactly the right shade.”
”But if they don't?”
”Then we have two color conceptions, and it is easy for a third person to say which looks the most real to him. Early Bird, for example, could tell which looked the best to him, although, of course, he could not describe the color.”
”Then we're coming back here to-morrow?”
”If the wind is suitable, yes.”
Colin was simply aching with eagerness to see the other drawing but had to be content with the promise that he could see it as soon as he had done the duplicate, and not before, as he might be prejudiced thereby.
Before going home that day they dropped as a marker a heavy lead disk about six inches across, painted white, to which was attached a buoy, so that they could find the identical place again; and the following morning, when they came out, the buoy was picked up without difficulty and the boat moored as before.
The second day on the reefs was an exact counterpart of the first, except that Colin found it much more difficult to work through the L gla.s.s. To look down at a picture which was reflected sidewise made the drawing of it quite tricky until he caught the knack. Also, shadows under the water did not behave the same way as above. But, as before, the entire day was given to it, and though the boy had a headache when evening came, he had turned out a very respectable piece of work. The fun came in comparing them.
”You're somewhat of an impressionist,” the curator said, as he examined Colin's two pictures carefully, ”and you've succeeded in making your sketches look more submarine than I have. But I think your perspective is all out.”
”I was afraid that it was,” the boy replied, ”though I tried hard to get it.”
”What do you think of them, Early Bird?” the museum expert asked, ”I won't tell you which is which.”
The boatman, who had a full share of the intelligence and alertness characteristic of the Bermuda colored population, so excellently governed under British rule, examined the four pictures carefully and then said:
”Wa'al, sah, Ah think Ah like these two the best.”
He handed back Mr. Collier's drawing of the reef from the side and the boy's sketch of the reef taken from above.
”I believe you're right, Early Bird,” the scientist said, laughing, ”the lad beat me out on that one.” Then, as he put the drawings away in the portfolio he added, ”And now we'll see how near we both came to the right thing.”
”How?” queried the boy.
”We'll search a while for perfect specimens. A diver is coming along with us to-morrow and we're going to scour the reefs for fine specimens of coral, sea-anemones, sea-whips, black rods, purple fans, and all the rest of them. Those that we can preserve we will, but the sea-anemones we'll have to work on in the Aquarium on Agar's Island, where they have some magnificent specimens.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GORGEOUS SUBMARINE WORLD.
Golden sea-anemones, purple long-spined sea-urchins, orange-colored sponges, and corals upon the white sea-sand.
_Courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History, N. Y._]
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GARDENS OF THE SEA.
Where purple sea-fans wave under the crystal water. Note the angel-fish and various forms of coral.
_Courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History, N. Y._]
”In gla.s.s, you mean?” queried Colin. ”I should like to see how that's done.”
”Come to my laboratory in New York some time and I'll show you,” his companion answered, ”but I can't do that here. I have a specially prepared black paper here and I'll copy some of the anemone forms so that I can plan them in gla.s.s from my drawings. I'll go with you to-morrow, but after that you'll have to go out alone.”
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