the Ne\x> Theory of the Tides. 49 



200,000 times as great; vhile the moon is supposed to be 240 

 thousand miles distant from the earth, and her power of attrac- 

 tion 40 times less. The earth's centre is allowed to be very 

 nearly 4000 miles from the surface of the waters, and conse- 

 quently is 60 times nearer to it than the moon is, and 24,000 

 times nearer than the sun. Now 60 multiplied by itself, and 

 this sum multiplied by 40, will make the power of the moon's 

 attraction, at the earth's surface, 144,000 times less than the 

 earth's; while 24,000 multiplied by itself and divided by 

 200,000, will make the power of the sun's attraction equal to the 

 2880th part of the earth's, which is 50 times greater than the 

 moon's. I suppose I need not go about to prove that the power 

 of the moon's attraction, at the earth's surface, is really greater 

 than the sun's ; because it not only is acknowledged to be so 

 by the Newtonian philosophers, but the effects of the moon's 

 influence on the tides is always apparent, while the influence of 

 the sun upon the tides can nevei be discovered, except (and 

 then it is doubtful) at those times when it may be supposed to 

 be acting in conjunction with the moon. It is evident, then, that 

 this far-famed law is grounded upon no principle, and is in di- 

 rect opposition to an indisputable fact ; and, unless the autho- 

 rity of Sir Isaac Newton's great name, unsupported by any ar- 

 gument, be sufficient to bear down truth by falsehood, philo- 

 sophers can no longer have any excuse for making this sup- 

 posed law an objection to my theory. 



In my "Remarks on theOpinions of Philosophers concern- 

 ing the true Cause of the Rising of the Tides," I have shown 

 that the power of the moon's attraction, at the earth's surface, 

 is, in all probability, equal to the 100th part of the earth's at- 

 traction, and may possibly be equal to the 50th ; and conse- 

 quently, unless the above arguments can be refuted, (and that 

 can only be by setting aside a positive fact,) the power of the 

 moon's attraction must be quite suflicient to produce expansion 

 in the waters, without supposing an extraordinary depth of 

 ocean. This pamphlet, as well as my " New Theory of the 

 Tides," I have taken care to put into the hands of most of the 

 leading philosoj)hers in London*: and though they may per- 

 sist in treating it with contempt, their refusal to look into it 

 will not do away the force of the arguments it contains. If 

 they can prove that my theory is not well founded, there may 

 be some excuse for their neglect : but if they cannot, it may 



♦ In addition to most of the Reviews and Philosophical Journals, it has 

 been sent to tiie Board of Longitude and tiie Astronomical Society, and put 

 into the hands of Sir llimiphry Davy, Mr. I'ond, and several other leadnig 

 [)iiil(»sor)hers in town. 



Vol.61. No. 297. J^r». 1823. G possibly 



