On a New Theoni of the Tides. 91- 



the fourth part of a wine glass, it will make tlie expansion of 

 the water, before the bottle burst, to be about two per cent,, or 

 the fiftieth part of the whole. This however is but a small 

 part of the expansion ; for, as the water forced its way in 

 througli, or rather under, tlie coverings, we must suppose that 

 some of it escaped in the same way ; and yet the force of the 

 expansion still continued to such a degree, that, when the cork 

 could no longer give way, it burst the bottle. Here then we 

 have positive proof that the expansion of water, at the depth 

 of only five hundred fathoms, was at least more than two, and 

 in all probability was as much as four or five, per cent. ; and 

 who will say that the extreme depth of the ocean may not ex- 

 tend to three, foui-, or even five lumdred miles *, and that the 

 compression of water at those depths may not exceed even a 

 hundred per cent. ? It is not too much to supjiose that the 

 average of the compression of water in the deepest parts of die 

 ocean, may be at least twenty-five per cent. ; and, if we take 

 the depth of the ocean at two hundred milesf, the expansion 

 or rise of the waters at that depth, if the entire gravity of every 

 particle was taken off, would amount to 50 miles or 48,000 

 fathoms; and if we divide this sum by 2400, which I take to 

 be the amount of the power of die moon's attraction, we shall 

 have a rising of the waters in the deep parts of the ocean equal 

 to the height of 20 fathoms, and which is fully sufficient to ac- 

 count for all the phaenomena cojuiected witli tlie rising of the 

 tides. 



Whether or not this estimate will be admitted by philoso- 

 phers is of very little moment, since I have it in my power to 

 ])rove, by undeniable facts, that the expansion of water is the 

 immediate cause of the rising of tJie tides ; and 1 beg leave 

 here, gendemen, to request your paiticular attention to the 

 facts 1 am about to produce, and the inference I shall deduce 

 from tliem. 



During the time of flood tide, when the waters are rising, 

 instead «)f showing any disposition to go toxscaids the moon, 

 they press downwards towards the earth's centre; which evi- 

 dently jjroves that they are pushed upwards by the exptuision 

 of the jiarticics below, and not pulled u)iwards by the power 

 of tlie moon's attraction ; for it is impossible to account for the 

 tendency of thcAvaters to jiress downwards, at I lie very nio- 

 nieut that they are rising, without supposing a suflicient degree 



* If wc may !)cHcvc some of the pcolouical writers, the orraii has no bot- 

 tom at all, aiid tlic earth is notiiinf,' more than a enist fomieil upon its sur- 

 face. This is a doctrine, however, I do not subscribe to. 



f If wc take the depth of the 0( can at four hntuhed miles, a mean eom- 

 prt-ssioi) of twelve and a halfjirr rent, v ill W ^nfli(i^,nl for mv innj'O.H', 



jM 2 of 



