COUNTRY LIFE
How does it come about that some seaside places are half-ruined by the amount of oil, and some quite immune. In one bay in North Devon it was almost melancholy to walk along the high tide level, so often you came upon the dead bodies of Guillemot, Razor-bill and Puffin, all victims of oil; and now and again you came upon a bird endeavouring to free itself of oil. Since oil floats and waves are often high the rocks are mos freely plastered with oil above high water mark, with results that are ruinous to the clothes of holiday-makers. It is never safe to sit down on a rock without a careful preliminary inspection. While the bays of Devon and South Wales were fouled with oil, the coast of Cumberland seemed, so far as I could see, quite immune. Doubtless during the war it was not possible to avoid the release of refuse oil, but the offence was rank before the war, and it is to be hoped that, both for humanity, and amenity, ships will be supplied with the means of consuming their own oil waste, and owners of ships take due care.
Previous page
