106 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS [aNNO iG/S. 



An Account of the Current of the Tides about the Orcades. Communicated hy 

 Sir Robert Moray, * Knt. deceased, lately one of the Vice Presidents of the 

 Royal Society, of which he had been President formerly . N° 98, p. 6139. 



In Fairy Sound, between the isles of Fairy and ^tha in Orkney, the sea runs 

 north-east, for the space of only three hours in flowing, and nine hours south- 

 west in ebbing. This is the course of the tide only in the middle of the Sound, 

 which is but one mile broad. 



The next isle to Fairy, towards the south-west is Westra, about five miles in 

 length, and three or four in breadth. On the south-east side of this island, 

 within a mile of the shore lies another little isle, not half a mile in circumference. 

 South and south-west from these two islands, is Westra- Frith, eight miles in 

 breadth, running between them, and the isle called Pansa. Through this Frith 

 the English ships ordinarily pass in their course to Iceland. 



While the sea runs from west to east in flowing, through this Westra-Frith, 

 there are no greater surges, than in any other place of the sea; and in a calm 

 day it is as smooth as any lake, though there is constantly a great current in 

 the flux and reflux of the sea. Yet at the south-east end of the fore-mentioned 

 little island, the sea no sooner begins to run westward in ebbing, but there 

 begins a surge to -appear, which continually increases until the ebb be half spent, 

 after which it decreases until it be low water, when it ends. East and west from 



* This respectable member of the Royal Sociely, was descended of an ancient and noble family 

 in the Highlands of Scotland, and was educated partly in the University of St. Andrews, and partly in 

 France, where he had afterwards a military employment in the service of Lewis the ISth, being also 

 n high favour with Cardinal Richelieu. He came over to England for recruits, when King Charles I. 

 was along with the Scotch army at Newcastle. Here he grew in great esteem with the King, for 

 whose escape, about Dec. l646, he laid a design in the following manner: Mr. Wm. Moray, after- 

 wards Earl of Dysart, had provided a vessel at Tinmouth, whither our author. Sir Robert, was to con- 

 duct the King in a disguise. The plot proceeded so far, that his Majesty put himself in the disguise, 

 and went down the back stairs with Sir Robert : but fearing he should not pass all the guards without 

 discovery, and deeming it very indecent to be taken in such a condition, his heart failed him, and he 

 went back. 



On the restorarion of King Charles II. Sir Robert was made one of his Privy Council, and was one 

 of the first and most active members of the R. S. attending assiduously to their concerns, and com- 

 municating several papers. In the first charters of the Society he was named of the Council j and he 

 had, before that, been several times the President, when it was the custom to elect one monthly. Sir 

 Robert died suddenly at Whitehall, July 4, l673, and was interred in Westminster Abbey, near the 

 monument of Sir Wm. Davenant. Sir Robert was well skilled in Mathematics and Natural History j 

 and he was universally beloved and esteemed, for his respectable talents and the amiable disposition of 

 his mind. 



