Mr. J. Nixon on the Tides in the Bay of Morecambe. 265 



assume in moderate weather the character of calm tides*, 

 the slight waves fronting the bottom of the bay with a crest 

 parallel to a line drawn across its entrance, or from south-west 

 to north-east. It is, however, probable that rapid currents are 

 formed by the tide on rounding the headlands which oppose 

 its progress in the lower part of the bay, as I have observed 

 the tide make the entire circuit of Silverdale Bay and Point, 

 strongly agitated and at a tremendous rate, under an opposing 

 wind of great force f. 



The time of high water is not the same throughout the bay, 

 the greatest differences being supposed to exist between op- 

 posite parts of the shores. Winds from the south-west quar- 

 ter, blowing strongly either in the bay or up the Irish Chan- 

 nel, are considered to accelerate the time of high water and 

 increase the height of the tides J, retarding, on the other hand, 

 the time of ebb, and sustaining the waters above their usual 

 level. Some of the highest tides in the bay have taken place 

 under similar circumstances at neaps. To winds from the 

 north-east quarter effects exactly opposite are attributed, those 

 from the south-east or north-west being termed neutral. The 

 highest tides, about thirty feet, are held to be about Peel 

 Castle, where there is only half a fathom of water at spring- 

 tides, low water ; but those at Heysham, ten miles east of that 

 locality, it will be proved, are scarcely inferior. 



On the Tides at Hest Breakwater, 



The breakwater, situate half a mile north-west of Hest- 

 bank, (a village three miles north of Lancaster,) projects about 

 fifty yards in a north-west direction from a gravel bank 

 thrown up as a road to it from the shore, from which it is 

 nearly three hundred yards distant. It is constructed of solid 

 masonry, perpendicular on every side to the height of its sur- 

 face, which is about level with high-water neap tides. The 

 force of the waves in stormy tides is broken on its south-west 

 side by a connected sloping bank formed of fragments of rock. 

 A lofty pole, formerly used for hoisting a lamp, is fixed per- 

 pendicularly within a stone pedestal let into the surface of the 

 breakwater at a distance of seven yards from its north-west 



* Between Kent's Bank and Silverdale the tide is said to form a bore, 

 advancing breast high, with a roaring noise, at the full speed of a horse. 

 (The bore of the Ganges runs at the rate of seventeen miles an hour for 

 seventy miles.) 



t On the 1st of September last, memorable for the number of ship- 

 wrecks. 



% The sailors are of opinion that strong dews and heavy rains increase 

 the height of a tide (?). 



Third Series. Vol. 5, No. 28. Oct. 1834. 2 M 



