288 EEMAKKS ON THE TIDE TABLE. 



when under their lee, but be swept away furiously on opening the different 

 passages. Should it be desirable to have the true tide, it will therefore be 

 requisite to keep on the North or South side of all the shoals, according to 

 the ebb or flood. 



(5.) St. George's Channel. — Much that has been said of the EngUsh 

 Channel Tides is applicable to those of the St. George's Channel, a full 

 description of which is given in the Sailing Directions accompanying the 

 Chart. 



In the St. George's or Irish Channel, experiments have shown that, not- 

 withstanding the variety of times of high water throughout the channel, 

 the turn of the stream over all that part which may be called the fair 

 navigable portion of the channel is nearly simultaneous ; that the Northern 

 and Southern streams in both channels commence and end in all parts 

 (practically speaking) at nearly the same time ; and that time happens to 

 correspond nearly with the time of high and low water on the shore at the 

 entrance of Liverpool and of Morecambe Bay, a spot remarkable as being 

 the point where the opposite tides, coming round the extremities of Ireland, 

 terminate. So that it is necessary only to know the times of high and low 

 water at either of these places to determine the hour when the stream of 

 either tide v^'ll commence or terminate in any part of the channel. For this 

 purpose the Liverpool Tide Table may be used, subtracting 18 minutes 

 from the times there given, in consequence of the George Pier being later 

 in its high water than the point which is considered the head of the Tide. 



The Tide from the Atlantic enters the St. George's Channel by two 

 channels; of which Carnsore Point, the S.E. point of Ireland, and St. 

 David's Head, the S.E. point of Wales, are the limits of the Southern one; 

 and Eathhn and the Mull of Cantyre the boundaries of the Northern. 



The central portion of the stream of flood or ingoing stream, runs nearly 

 in a line from a point midway between the Tuskar and the Bishops, to a 

 position 16 miles due "West of Holyhead ; beyond which it begins to expand 

 Eastward and Westward ; but its main body preserves its direction straight 

 forward towards the Calf of Man and on towards Maughold Head. Here it 

 is arrested by the flood or Southern stream from the North Channel coming 

 lound the Point of Ayr, and is first turned round to the Eastward by it, 

 ind then goes on with it at an easy rate direct from Morecambe Bay ; thus 

 shanging its direction nearly eight points. 



The outer portions of the stream are necessarily deflected from the course 

 of the great body of the water by the impediments of the banks on the 

 Irish side of the channel, and by the tortuous form of the coast on the 

 Welsh side. The Eastern portion rushes with great rapidity between the 

 Smalls, Grassholm, and Milford Haven towards the Bishops, which it 

 passes at a rate of between 4 and 5 knots ; sets sharply round those rocks 

 in an E.N.E. direction, right over the Bass Bank, and into Cardigan Bay; 

 makes the circuit of that bay, and sets out again towards Bardsey, at the 

 other extremity of it; the streams still continuing outside towards the 

 South Stack, which it rounds, setting towards the Skerries at a rate of 

 upwards of 4 knots; and, finally, turns sharp round those rocks for Liver- 

 pool and Morecambe Bay ; completing on its way the high water in the 

 Menai, and filling the Dee, the Mersey, and the Eibble. 



