The variety of Colours of the Sea-Water at several times chiefly depends upon the Wind and Weather, and the reflexion of the Light upon it. It's usual and most natural Colour is a deep Green: but in Cloudy and Rainy Weather, the Surface of the Water appears blackish. On the _Goodwins_ upon the Tide of Flood, the Water was white, the Waves by reason of the Shallows, meeting with opposition, and breaking into Foam, till the Flood is well advanced. Sometimes the Water is of a perfect Azure colour, as we observed for several Weeks in the _Mediterranean_. The Sun shining bright upon the Water, sometimes the upper part of the Waves appears Purplish, sometimes Reddish; though in Shallows perchance it may receive this latter Tincture also from the Sands which lie under it. When the Wind has freshened, and the Ship has been under full Sail, I have observed the Waves to the head, and at the sides of the Ship, to appear with a pale kind of brightness: and at _Malaga_, and at my return, going on board our Ship, which lay about half a League from the shore, at Night, the Wind then at East, the Boats Crew letting their Oar fall roughly into the Water, diverted us as it were with the sight of a continued Flame, raised by their rowing; which I ascribe rather to the Saline Particles of the Sea-Water, which were then put into a violent Agitation, than to the Spawn of Fish, as some of our Company imagined. Sailing toward the West of _Portland_, we saw several _Porpisces_ playing with their Heads above Water; which I mention only, because the Seamen look upon them as fore-runners of a Storm; the Wind soon after blowing very hard at North by East. And afterwards arriving at _Constantinople_, the Wind blowing a stiff Gale at North, I observed with a pleasing kind of astonishment good part of the _Propontis_, that is, from the _Seraglio Point_ toward the Islands, which lye against the _Bay of Nicomedia_, Eastward and South-East from us, as far as we could see, covered as it were with _Porpisces_, which appeared every where in great abundance. So that I am very apt to believe that _Julius Solinus_ in _Chap._ 12. of his _Polykister_ is to be understood of _Porpisces_, and not of _Dolphins_, now properly so called, though that be his Word, speaking of the _Bosphorus_ and _Propontis_: _Hæc profunda Delphinas plurimos habent_: and soon after, _ante omnia nihil velocius habent maria, sic ut plerunque transvolent vela navium_. I could not hear that any _Dolphins_ are caught in those Seas by the _Greeks_, whose Poverty, added to the love which their Nation has for Fish, and the advantage arising thence, upon the account of their solemn Fasts and Abstinences from all Flesh, even to a wonderful strictness and scrupulosity, has made them excellent Fishermen: nor did I ever see any in their Fish-Markets, or see one of them brought to the Ambassador's Table by the Proveditor for curiosity: Though otherwise it is an excellently well tasted Fish, especially when soused.