in the Pacific, 9fc. 157 



It would be a difficult matter, to crowd in as few words a 

 greater number of errors than are here contained. They con- 

 vey a false impression that the tides are governed entirely by 

 the sun ; represent them as diurnal instead of semi-diurnal, 

 and name as the hour for the daily recurrence of low water, 

 that when it is actually full sea. Neither is it always high 

 water, as he asserts, '^ the moment the sun touches the 

 meridian," though this, compared with the rest, is but a, 

 trivial misrepresentation. 



Capt. Beechy also remarks in the work cited, that '' the 

 tides in all harbors formed by coral reefs, are very uncertain, 

 and are almost wholly dependent on the sea breezes." So 

 far however is this from being the case, that throughout the 

 Harvey, Samoan, and Tonga Groups,* for days together at 

 certain seasons, there is no sea breeze whatever ; the tides 

 obey the moon with a regularity as undeviating as in any 

 other part of the world, although the majority of the numer- 

 ous harbors in the two latter are formed by coral reefs. As 

 great regularity prevails also in the recurrence of the abnor- 

 mal tides of the Society Islands, except when interrupted by 

 occasional heavy gales, and these for the most part blow either 

 across or opposite to the direction of the trade winds. 



In a paper professing to be an " Extract from Lieut. Mai- 

 den's Official Account of the Sandwich Islands," published 

 in the Appendix of Lord Byron's voyage in H. M. Ship 

 Blonde, p. 256, Lond. Ed., 1826, are these remarks in refer- 

 ence to the tides at Hawaii, " The tide was observed to rise 

 about four feet, and to be high water at sunset, and low water 

 at dayhght, being influenced by the sea and land breezes. 

 This regularity would probably not take place in the winter 

 months, when they do not prevail." 



This is also incorrect in every particular, save the height of 

 the tides. They do not statedly occur at the times here 

 given, neither are they affected to any extent by the preva- 

 lence or absence of the breezes, and I am at a loss to imagine 

 upon wiiat grounds Lieut. M. predicated such a statement as 



* I include the Tonga or Frit-ndly Islands on the authority of Uct. Mr. Wil- 

 liams, who had spent some time among iheni. 



