NEIGHT OF WAVES. 27 
peen accurately investigated by the late Rev. Dr. Scoresby, 
during two passages across the Atlantic in 1847 and 1848. 
“In the afternoon of March 5th, 1848,” says that eminent 
philosopher, “I stood during a hard gale upon the cuddy-roof 
or saloon deck of the ‘ Hibernia :’ a height, with the addition of 
that of the eye, of 23 feet 3 inches above the line of flotation 
(the ship’s course being similar to that of the waves). Iam not 
aware that I ever saw the sea more terribly magnificent; the 
great majority of the rolling masses of water was more than 24 
feet high, (including depression as well as altitude, or reckoning 
above the mean-level, more than 12 feet). I then went to the 
larboard paddle-box, about 7 feet higher (80 feet 2 inches up 
to the eye), and found that one half of the waves rose above 
the level of the view obtained. 
“Frequently I observed long ranges (200 yards), which rose so 
high above the visible horizon, as to form an angle estimated at 
two or three degrees when the distance of the wave’s summit was 
about 100 yards from the observer. This would add near 13 
feet to the level of the eye, and at least one in half-a-dozen 
waves attained this altitude. Sometimes peaks or crests of 
breaking seas would shoot upward, at least 10 or 15 feet higher. 
“The average wave was, I believe, fully equal to that of my 
sight on the paddle-box, or more than 15 feet, and the mewn 
highest waves, not including the broken or acuminated crests, 
rose about 43 feet above the level of the hollow occupied at the 
moment by the ship. It was a grand storm-scene, and nothing 
could exceed the pictorial effect of the partial sunbeams break- 
ing through the heavy masses of clouds.” From the time 
taken by a regular wave to pass from stern to stem, Dr. Scoresby 
calculated its velocity at 2875 feet in each minute, or 32°67 
English statute miles in an hour. The mean length of the 
wave-ridges, was from a quarter to a third of a mile. 
To those who might be inclined to doubt the accuracy of these 
measurements, the remark may suffice that our celebrated 
countryman had been for years engaged in the northern whale- 
fishery, where he had ample opportunities for practising his eye 
in measuring distances. Besides, the conclusions of many other 
trustworthy observers coincide with the evaluations of Dr. 
Scoresby. 
