THE TIDES. 277 



lands ; one portion of the great wave passes Northward to the "West of 

 Ireland, a portion of it enters by the North Channel, and meets a large 

 portion from the South which has passed up the St. George's Channel ; 

 another passes up the English Channel passing on to the North Sea along 

 the Dutch and German coasts, and with another portion of the Western 

 branch which enters the North Sea between Norway and Scotland, causes 

 a circulation of tides which is still involved in some obscurity, but which 

 is elucidated elsewhere ; the remainder passes North-Eastward along the 

 Norway coast on to the Polar basin. Along the American coast the great 

 wave passes from South to North, making high water at a later hour con- 

 tinually, and entering the various bays and outlets in the same manner. 

 It may at once be mentioned that in low latitudes the rise and fall of the 

 Tide is very inconsiderable, and therefore comparatively unimportant. 



(234.) In 1834, from the recommendation of the Eev. Professor Whewell, 

 a series of Tide observations were made, during a fortnight in the month 

 of June, at the coastguard stations in Great Britain and Ireland ; and in 

 the following year a much more extensive series was taken simultaneously 

 between the 8th and 28th of June. " The chain of places of observation 

 extended from the mouth of the Mississippi round the Cays of Florida, 

 along the coast of North America, as far as Nova Scotia ; and from the 

 Straits of Gibraltar, along the shores of Europe, to the North Cape of 

 Norway. The number of places of observation was twenty-eight in America, 

 seven in Spain, seven in Portugal, sixteen in France, five in Belgium, 

 eighteen in the Netherlands, twenty-four in Denmark, and twenty-four in 

 Norway ; and observations were made by the coastguard of this country 

 at 318 places in England and Scotland, and at 219 places in Ireland." 

 This large number of observations was also undertaken at the instigation 

 of Professor Whewell, and their reduction was made by Mr. Dessiou and 

 assistants, under his directions. The details and results are given in the 

 " Philosophical Transactions," 1836, page 289, et seq. 



These observations gave a far greater insight into the nature of the tidal 

 progress than was had previously. A still more refined series was carried 

 on for the English Channel by Admiral Beechey, as hereafter shown, 



(235.) In the ensuing Tide Table for the North Atlantic Ocean, the 

 vulgar establishment (227) is given as the tidal hour at full and change. 

 These figures are taken chiefly from the various Government Nautical 

 Surveys and the special observations which have been made in various 

 places, as given in the Tables published by the Hydrographic Department 

 of the Admiralty, the United States Coast Survey, &c. 



The height of the tide is here quoted as the vertical rise above the mean 

 low-water level of spring tides. 



Attached to the Table are some brief remarks on peculiarities of the 

 tidal phenomena, in the form of notes. 



