Chap. XTV.] TIIK TIDES. 101 



Southern Ocean, and to send off a branch northwards 

 throvio-h the Atlantic, makino; the tides of the North 

 Atlantic Ocean simply the effect of undulations caused 

 three tides earlier in the Great Southern Ocean — 

 the direct action of the sun or moon on the North 

 Atlantic Ocean, in their intervening passages of the 

 meridian, not being supposed to interfere with the 

 progress of the tide-wave previously raised in the 

 Great Southern Ocean. We need not here argue 

 against this theory, for its non- accordance with actual 

 facts has been sufficiently pointed out by Admiral 

 Fitzroy, even supposing the course of the tide- waves 

 through the great Southern Ocean to be westwards. 

 Admiral Fitzroy, though objecting to the idea of the 

 tides of the North Atlantic Ocean being simply deri- 

 vative from the Great Southern Ocean, does not 

 appear to have thought of the tide through the long- 

 est expanse of water on the globe running eastwards 

 against tlie course of the sun and moon ; but he so far 

 accepted the prevailing theory as to suppose the tide- 

 waves to follow the course of the sun and moon west- 

 wards through that ocean ; whereas, according to the 

 theory suggested in this volume, though the pivot 

 of the tide maintains its position in relation to the 

 force which raises it (or, rather, would maintain that 

 position if the ocean surrounded the globe com- 

 pletely), the tide has, in relation to the surface of the 

 earth, a motion eastwards in the temperate zones, and 

 westwards in the equatorial regions. 



M 



