There are other circumstances belonging to reflection on the surface of water, which deserve attention, and of which the landscape gardener should avail himself in the exercise of his art. Water in motion, whether agitated by wind or by its natural current, produces little or no reflection; but in artificial rivers, the quiet surface doubles every object on its shores, and, for this reason, I have frequently found that the surface could be increased in appearance by sloping its banks: not only that which actually concealed part of the water, but also the opposite bank; because it increased the quantity of sky reflected on the surface. Example. The spectator at [fig. 49] A, sees the sky reflected only from B to c, while the opposite bank is round; but if sloped to the shaded line, less of the bank will be reflected in the water, and the quantity of sky seen in the water, will be from B to D; and as the brilliancy of still water depends on the sky reflected on its surface, the quantity of water will be apparently increased.
