AND OTHER WATER WAVES 187 



the general law governing the application of their 

 valuable suggestion. 



In the case of our south coasts the general 

 direction of the inflowing tidal current coincides 

 with that of the greatest length of fetch and the 

 strongest winds. Hence the effect of the above 

 principle has been to a great extent overlooked 

 there. Similarly, on our east coast the direction 

 of the inflowing current is the same as the direction 

 of the greatest length of fetch. 



There is, however, one part of our coast which 

 appears particularly suited to demonstrate the im- 

 portance of the principle of high-level inflow as 

 contrasted with low -level outflow of tide as a con- 

 trolling factor in the longshore transport of shingle. 

 This is the coast of Cumberland, as to which the 

 following evidence was given to the Coast Erosion 

 Commission, 1 viz., that the current of the inflowing 

 tide is from north to south, the prevailing wind 

 from the south-west, and the travel of beach 

 material from north to south as far as Morecambe 

 Bay. Even if the bare statement that the pre- 

 vailing wind is south-west should need some quali- 

 fication, there is no question that the prevailing 

 westerly winds, combined with the greater length 

 of fetch to south-west, would produce the largest 

 waves from that quarter. 



1 By Mr. G.iA. Abernethy, M.I.C.E. 



