BRILLIANT WATER MIRROR.
Nearly fill a glass tumbler with water, and hold it, with your back to the window, above the level of the eye, as in the engraving. Then look obliquely as in the direction E, a, c, and you will see the whole surface shining like burnished silver, with a strong metallic reflection; and any object, as a spoon, A C B, immersed in the water, will have its immersed part C B, reflected on the surface, as in a mirror, but with a brilliancy far surpassing that which can be obtained from quicksilver, or from the most highly-polished metals.