177^. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 311 



This is as near as can be expected ; and shows that 

 whatever it was that affected the compasses, whether 

 on board or ashore, it had no effect upon the dipping 

 needles. 



Tides. 



It is high-water on the days of the new and full 

 moon at \ c Z h ^O m . The perpendicular rise and fall 

 eight feet nine inches ; which is to be understood of 

 the day tides, and those which happen two or three 

 days after the new and full moon. The night tides, at 

 this time, rise near two feet higher. This was very 

 conspicuous during the spring-tide of the full moon, 

 which happened soon after our arrival ; and it was 

 obvious that it would be the same in those of the new 

 moon, though we did not remain here long enough 

 to see the whole of its effect. 



Some circumstances that occurred daily, relating to 

 this, deserve particular notice. In the cove where 

 we got wood and water, was a great deal of drift- 

 wood thrown ashore, a part of which we had to re- 

 move to come at the water. It often happened that 

 large pieces of trees, which we had removed in the 

 day out of the reach of the then high-water, were 

 found the next morning floated again in our way, 

 and all our spouts for conveying down the water 

 thrown out of their places, which were immoveable 

 during the day tides. We also found that wood 

 which we had split up for fuel, and had deposited 

 beyond the reach of the day-tide, floated during the 

 night. Some of these circumstances happened every 

 night or morning for three or four days, in the 

 height of the spring tides ; during which time we 

 were obliged to attend every morning tide, to remove 

 the large logs out of the way of watering. 



I cannot say whether the flood-tide falls into the 

 sound from the N. W., S. W., or S.E. I think it does 

 not come from the last quarter ; but this is only con- 



x 4 



