82 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA. 
CHAPS TE 
THE TIDES. 
Description of the Phenomenon.—Devastations of Storm-Floods on Flat Coasts.— 
What did the Ancients know of the Tides ? — Their Fundamental Causes revealed 
by Kepler and Newton.— Development of their Theory by La Place, Euler, and 
Whewell.— Vortices caused by the Tides.— The Maelstrom.— Charybdis.— The 
Barre at the mouth of the Seine.— The Euripus. 
Living on the sea-coast would undoubtedly be deprived of one of 
its greatest attractions, without the phenomenon of the tides, 
which, although of daily recurrence, never loses the charm of 
novelty, and gives constant occupation to the fancy by the life, 
movement, and perpetual change it brings along with it. How 
wonderful to see the sandy plain on which, but a few hours ago, 
we enjoyed a delightful walk, transformed into a vast sheet of 
water through which large vessels plough their way! How 
agreeable to trace the margin of the rising flood, and listen to 
its murmurs! Those of the rustling grove or waving cornfield 
are not more melodious. And then the variety of interesting 
objects which the reflux of the tide leaves behind it on the 
beach — the elegantly formed shell, the feathery sertularia, the 
delicate fucoid, and so many other strange or beautiful marine 
productions, that may well challenge the attention of the most 
listless lounger. 
But the spectacle of the tides is not merely flesene to the 
eye, or attractive to the imagination; it serves also to rouse the 
spirit of scientific inquiry. It is indeed hardly possible to wit- 
ness their regular succession without feeling curious to know by 
what causes they are produced, and when we learn that they are 
governed by the attraction of distant celestial bodies, and that 
their mysteries have been so completely solved by man, that he 
is able to calculate their movements for months and years to 
come, then indeed the pleasure and admiration we fee) at their 
