of the Ne-jo Thcorij of the Tides. 45 



this superiority has no existence. Thus, for instance, the tide 

 ma}'^ be ebbing on the coast of Florida, in America, while it is 

 rising on the coast of New England ; but, as the waters which 

 constitute the ebb are nearer the moon, their specific gravity 

 must be proportionably less ; and how then will Mr. Russell 

 account for their being able to produce such an effect ? 



Mr. Russell denies that my theory is sufficient to produce a 

 rising of the tides on that side of the earth which is furthest 

 from the moon. To make use of his own words, he says, " He 

 simply imagines a repelling power*, which I deiy him' to prove 

 the existence of, and the work is done." This clefiance comes 

 with peculiar grace from Mr. Russell. I have written a book, 

 in which I have proved at least the possibihty of my hypothe- 

 sis being true, by showing that similar effects can be produced 

 by a couple of magnets. Mr. Russell, hovvever, does not think 

 proper to look into this book, but calls on me to write over 

 again, for his satisfaction, what I have already written ! Let 

 him seek for the proof in either of the two pamphlets f which 

 I have published on the subject, and refute it if he can; and in 

 the mean time, I challenge him, and every other philosopher 

 as well, to account for the rising of the tides, on either side of 

 the earth, in any other way, without taking av.ay the power 

 of (he earth's attraction altogether. 



Mr. Russell has also accused me of mis-quoting his words 

 in my reply to his first letter ; but, as I am only charged with 

 substituting a " no" for a "not," it is really a distinction with- 

 out a difference. It may be more correct to sav a magnet has 

 not power than that it has no jiower to lift a scale beam, but the 

 meaning of both is precisely the same ; and, as there was no 

 advantage to be derived from the change, it was not vci-y likely 

 that 1 could have been guilty of it intentionally. 



With the exception of Mr. Russell's neXQ hypothesis, all the 

 theories of the tidesthat have attracted any attention, at least all 

 those that acknowledge the moon's agency in producino- the 

 ph.-enomenon, either suppose that the waters are pulled upwaids 

 l)y the moon's attraction, or that they are lilted up by a centri- 

 higal force occasioned by the earth's revolving round the com- 

 mon centre of gravity of the earth and moon. In my " Re- 

 marks," I have proved that philosophers, in accounting for ihe 

 pha^nomenon upon either of these principles, nmst have lost 

 sight of the earth's attraction altogether; because, in either 

 case, the waters are imlied to-wards the earth's centre by a Ibrce 

 which is nuich greater than the power which endeavours to 



* Which, by the way, never once entered my head, 

 f " New Theory of the Tides;" and " Remarks on the Opinions of Piii- 

 losophers concerning the true Cause of their Hising." 



carry 



