eu ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Nature of the Currents. — The current proved to be strongly tidal 

 in its general character, and any other features it presents are relatively 

 . unimportant. There is little indication of any general movement of 

 the water in a dominant direction, nor does the current veer widely 

 or continuously around the compass as in most of the regions pre- 

 viously investigated. It may be said in general to turn without much 

 loss of time from the flood direction to the ebb directiQn, although 

 there is more tendency to a vrider veer in proportion to the greater 

 distance of the point of observation from the shore, which appears to 

 be a characteristic of the current on all open coasts. The currents are 

 thus on the whole remarkable for their strength and regularity, and 

 throughout the season they were seldom disturbed by wind. 



In the Bay of Fundy, the rise and fall of the tide, though so great 

 in amount, is found to be equally above and below mean sea level. It 

 is, therefore, to be expected that the strength of the flood and ebb 

 should also be equal in the two directions. From careful comparisons of 

 both surface and under-current at stations well situated for the purpose, 

 this proved to be the case. It is a noteworthy feature of the tide in the 

 Bay of Fundy, that the variation in range from perigee to apogee is 

 greater than the difference in range at mean springs and mean neaps. 

 The measurements of these respective ranges are given in the report. 

 This shows the dominating influence of the moon's distance in this 

 region, and the variation in the strength of the current is found to 

 follow the same law. 



In the reduction of the observations the practical results sought 

 were: — The direction of the current and its strength at the maximum, 

 occurring at half-tide; the time of slack water in relation to the time 

 of the tide; and data for the direction and strength of the current at 

 every hour, before and after high water, at each locality. The methods 

 of reduction to allow for variation during the course of the month, and 

 to arrive at truly comparative results for the different stations arc 

 explained in the report. 



When an anchorage was made a second time at the same station, 

 the current was found to behave as before. The direction of the 

 current and the time of slack water is thus remarkably constant at 

 any given point, the only variation being the usual fluctuation in 

 strength with the course of the month. But it is important for the 

 navigator to note that a change in position of only a few miles, may 

 make a marked alteration in the strength of the current and in the 

 time at which slack water is met with. This is a noteworthy feature 

 in the behaviour of the currents in this region. 



