﻿THE CURRENTS OF THE OCEAN. 143 



It is, moreover, to be observed, that George's Bank, the first in order from the coast, 

 is situated remote from the land, and below the opening of the Bay of Fundy. In this 

 free space the force of the current is weakened by diffusion. The banks lying to the 

 southward of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, where the velocity of the current is re- 

 stored by the pressure of the tide upon the neighbouring coast, are comparatively long 

 and narrow. 



At the Grand Bank, the open ocean must again deprive the tidal currents of any 

 character or force, except that derived from the obstructions of the bank itself, and there 

 the diffusive deposit occurs for the last time, (except at the small Outer Bank, which is 

 very indicative of a nucleus,) and on a much grander scale. Finally, the current that 

 makes a circuit round the southeast extremity of the island terminates the bank of New- 

 foundland on the north in an elongated end, following somewhat the trend of the shore. 

 Such at least is the form marked on the nautical charts. 



If, again, after passing Cape Cod, we pursue the course of that undulation which sup- 

 plies the coasts of Maine and the Bay of Fundy, we meet the two banks called Cashe's 

 Ledge, and Jeffries' Bank, both of which are long and narrow. They lie in the region 

 of rapid currents, which, as has been previously said, induce this form in constructive 

 deposits. 



Assuming the fact, that, in general, the strength of the current bears a direct ratio to 

 the rise and fall of the tide,* it will be interesting to inquire into the range of the tide in 

 those places where the ocean deposits exist. And from this inquiry it will appear, (not 

 forgetting the importance to be attached to the inequalities of the bottom,) that the 

 amount of the deposits everywhere holds a subordinate relation to the rise and fall of the 

 tide. 



In Delaware Bay, along the Jersey coast, at Sandy Hook, and in New York harbour, 

 the range of the tide varies between five and six feet. In the Vineyard and Nantucket 

 Sounds, where the shoal formations abound, it rises between two and four feet, being 

 quite irregular in its motions, in its rise and fall, and in some places in its times, on ac- 

 count of the frequent interferences which, in these inland waters, arise from numerous 

 communications with the sea. On the Nantucket Shoals the tides rise to the height of 

 five feet. 



At the southeast part of Cape Cod, that is, the north part of Nantucket Sound, the 

 range of the tide is verv small, and, as I have already noticed, a convergence takes place 



* This statement is made without losing sight of the effect of retardation and accumulation at headlands, 

 points, shoals, &c, which is to produce great rapidity of current in those places, even where the range of the 

 tide is small. 



