the lake 's shore was peculiarly crusted , seen from aloft : blue and shallow water , and very white sand , which when they had landed proved instead to be salt : a thin crust over the earth , and the lake full of fish ; too small to be worth catching for dragons , temeraire noted with regret , but the men made a hearty meal of them , and it was pleasant to dip into the deepest part , some distance away , and come out wet .