88 HAMILTON — ON TIDES OF THE BAT OF FUNDT. 



is high water at the mouth of the St. John, directly opposite. 

 This simple fact explains several curious phenomena of the Bay 

 of Fundy tides. 



From the essential nature of a tidal current, it is obvious 

 that the volume of water composing it is cumulative. It is not 

 like a single huge ocean wave which rolls in upon the shore and 

 then retreats, liather it is like a rapid succession of such waves 

 piling one upon another. In fact it is a cumulation of such 

 waves, following so close upon each other that the intervals 

 between are indiscernible. We have seen that the head of the 

 flood — or ebb — on the south shore is always in advance of that 

 on the north. Owing, then, to this cumulative property, it must 

 always happen that at any given point on the south shore, there 

 must pass over any given breadth, a greater volume of water 

 than will, within the same time, pass over a like space along the 

 north shore of the Bay. This greater cumulation in the volume 

 of water in motion must, other things being equal, cause an 

 increase in its velocity. Accordingly, we find that the velocity 

 of the current on the south side of the Bay of Fundy is always 

 greater than on the north side. On the north side of the bay, 

 from the mouth of the St. John, eastward, the tide runs at the 

 rate of from one and a quarter to one and a half knots. At the 

 same time, a^ong the opposite shore, it runs at the rate of from 

 two to two and a half knots. 



This diflerence in the force of the tidal current between the 

 north and south longitudinal sections of the Bay, continues, but 

 is still more marked in the prolongations of those sections — that 

 is, in the Chiegnecto and Minas arms of the Bay. The increase 

 in the velocity of the Chiegnecto current is very gradual. Just 

 off of Apple river the flood has attained one and three-fourth 

 knots. By the time it has reached cape Enrage, owing to the 

 narrowing of the channel, this has increased to two. Above 

 this, as already mentioned, the Chiegnecto channel is again 

 divided into Cumberland bay and Shepody bay, the channels of 

 both of which gradually contract above cape Mcrangouin, the 

 point of bifurcation. Consequently, above this point the current 

 in both these smaller bays soon increases to three and eventually 

 to four knots. 



