58 IMPROVED FISHERY HARBOUR ACCOMMODATION 



anomalies, the general result derived from the statements 

 of nearly 300 fishermen and others is that, at the distance 

 of ij miles seaward of the coast line, the heaviest waves 

 come in the direction of the longest fetch, which goes far 

 to corroborate the supposition that gales frequently act 

 over large extents of water." 



" On the shore, however, the force is much modified by 

 the angle formed by the coast with the line of maximum 

 exposure. On the east coast it was found that, at about I \ 

 miles offshore, the north-east is generally the worst direction ; 

 but for that part of the coast which extends from the Tay 

 to Aberdeen, the south-east waves generally break heaviest 

 upon the shore. This arises from the small angle which 

 the north-east bearing makes with the land on this part of 

 the coast. The most exposed coasts, therefore, may be regarded, 

 caeteris paribus, as those on which the waves generated in 

 the line of maximum exposure come dead in iipon the shore" 



LENGTH OF WAVES. 



" The longest distance apart, from crest to crest, of the 

 Atlantic waves observed by Scoresby was 790 ft., and 

 the following were observed, at the Bishop Rock, by Mr. 

 Douglas, on whose authority they are stated : 



8 ft. waves 



20 



35 in a mile 

 5 & 6 in a mile 

 3 in a mile 



171 ft. apart 

 1200 & looo ft. apart 

 2000 ft. apart 



per minute. 



Mr. Mackintosh, the late light-keeper at the Calf of Man, 

 in the Irish Sea, informs me that he has, on three different 

 occasions, counted 13^ waves between the Calf of Man and 

 the Chickens Rock. The distance gives about 490 ft. as the 

 length of the waves in this comparatively land-locked sea." 



