12 CAUSE OF SOLSTITIAL AND 



annual tide tends to fall southwards from the northern 

 hemisphere, it meets the counter-solar tide flowing 

 northwards from the equator. And at the March 

 equinox, when the annual tide tends to fall northwards 

 from the southern hemisphere, it meets the counter- 

 solar tide flowing southwards from the equator. 

 There is in each of these cases a sudden conflict of 

 forces ; which, at the September equinox occurs in 

 the northern hemisphere, and at the March equinox 

 in the southern hemisphere. 



171. But besides these equinoctial conflicts which 

 occur when the annual tide tends to fall from its 

 extreme culmination in either hemisphere, that tide 

 also comes into conflict with the solar tide at each of 

 the solstices. For the annual tide is crossing the 

 equator at each of the solstices : passing northwards 

 at the time of the June solstice, and southwards at 

 the time of the December solstice. And therefore, 

 as the solar tide turns southwards in the northern 

 hemisphere at the period of the June solstice, it then 

 comes into conflict with the annual tide in that hemi- 

 sphere. And as it turns northwards in the southern 

 hemisphere at the period of the December solstice, it 

 then comes into conflict with the annual tide in that 

 hemisphere. 



172. Thus four times each year the annual tide is 

 suddenly brought into conflict with the solar tides, 

 that is to say, twice with the solar and twice with 

 the counter-solar tide. The solstitial conflicts are 



