THE TIDES. 141 



marked with the statement that we have " very 

 little tide here," or that we have " strong tides " 

 there. 



One instance of great interest is near Portland. 

 \Ye hear of the " race of Portland " which is pro- 

 duced by an exceedingly strong tidal current ; but 

 in Portland harbour there is exceedingly little rise 

 and fall, and that little is much confused, as if the 

 water did not know which way it was going to 

 move. Sometimes the water rises, sinks, seems to 

 think a little while about it, and then rises again. 

 The rise of the tide at Portland is interesting to 

 the inhabitants of Southampton in this, that 

 whereas here, at Southampton, there is a double 

 high water, there, at Portland, there is a double 

 low water. The double high water seems to 

 extend across the Channel. At Havre, and on 

 the bar off the entrance to Havre, there is a 

 double high water very useful to navigation ; but 

 Southampton I believe is pre-eminent above all 

 the ports in the British Islands with respect to 

 this convenience. There is here (at Southampton) 

 a good three hours of high water ; a little dip 



