94 Applications of the Igneous Theory of the Earth. 
at least, a consequence of the tides which must prevail in the 
central fluid, if the geological theory be true. It is quite mani- 
fest that the undulations of the earth’s crust would produce a 
regular ebbing and flowing of the sea, without reference to the 
direct action of the sun and moon on the waters of the ocean. 
While a line of coast is rising to its maximum height, the oceanic 
tide is ebbing towards low water mark ; and when the coast falls 
to its lowest position, the oceanic tide is at flood. 
If this modification of the Newtonian theory of the tides be 
founded in truth, it is but fair of course to expect, that in its ap- 
plications it will be found to explain facts which have admitted 
of no satisfactory solution hitherto. By way of illustration, I 
will state one of these applications. On the line of our coast 
generally the high tides are from four to six feet above the level 
f low water. Proceeding however along the coast east of the 
Piscataqua, we find a tide of eight or nine feet at the mouth of 
the Kennebec ; of twelve or fifteen at the Penobscot ; of twenty 
or twenty five at Passamaquoddy ; while at the eastern extremity 
of the Bay of Fundy, the rise is from forty to sixty feet. Now 
I would ask whether this phenomenon is at all reconcilable with 
the hypothesis that the bed of the ocean is immovable. Why 
should the tides in the Delaware and Chesapeake bays become 
ess and less as we leave the open sea, while the rise in the Bay 
of Fundy increases to this extraordinary degree as we proceed 
inland? | te = ae 
Let us apply the geological theory to the solution of this ques- 
tion. It is very generally true that the slope, which by dipping 
below the surface of the ocean forms a line of coast, has its upper 
termination in a range of mountains parallel to the coast. ‘Thus 
it is with the eastern slope of the Alleghanies forming our Atlan- 
tic coast. It is obvious from the bare statement, that in this and 
like cases, the play of the fragment of the earth’s crust constitu- 
ting said slope must be such, that the tides in bays and estuaries 
will diminish as we proceed inland. A different geological ar- 
rangement prevails in New England, the line of coast being 
nearly perpendicular to the mountain ranges. It is obvious, then, 
on inspection of the map, that the undulations of that fragment 
rhich embosoms the Bay of Fundy would be likely to be such 
as alternately to elevate and depress the eastern extremity of the 
bay more than any part of the line of coast west of it. A strong 
