380 EFFECT GF WESTERLY WINDS ON THE CHANNEL. 



cause the increased height of the tides in the southern ports, 

 at such times, is obvious to every discerning eye. Indeed, 

 the form of the upper part of the Channel, in particular, 

 is such as to receive and retain, for a time, the principal 

 part of the water forced in; and as a part of this water is 

 continually escaping by the Strait of Dover, it will produce 

 a current; whieh must greatly disturb the reckonings of 

 such ships as navigate the Strait, when thick weather pre* 

 rents the land or the lights of the Forelands, and the North 

 Goodwin, from being seen. 

 Effects of SW. I observe in a new publication of Messrs. Lawrie and 



winds on the "Whittle, entitled " Sailing Directions Sec. for the British 

 tides in the ' a , • ' , . , 



Channel. " Channel y 1808," that throughout the Channel, it is ad- 



mitted by the experienced persons whom he quotes, that strong 

 SW. winds " cause the flood tide to run an hour, or more, 

 *< longer, than at common times : or in other words, that 

 a current overcomes the ebb tide a full hour : not to men- 

 tion how much it may accelerate the one, and retard the 

 other, during the remainder of the time *. 

 Direction of the It is evident, that the direction of the current under con* 

 eurrent from s ideration will be influenced by the form and position of 

 shores^f the & the opposite shores, at the entrance of the Strait; and as 

 Channel, these are materially different, so must the direction of the 



stream be, within the influence of each side, respectively. 

 For instance, on the English side, the current having taken 

 the direction of the shore, between Dungeness and the South 

 Foreland, will set generally to the north-east, through 

 that side of the Strait. But, on the French side, circum- 

 stances must be very different : for the shore of Boulogne, 

 trending almost due north, will give the current a like direc- 

 tion, since it cannot turn sharp round the Point of Grisnez, 

 to the north-eastward; but must preserve a great propor- 

 tion of its northerly course, until it mixes with the waters 

 of the North Sea. And it may be remarked, that the Bri- 

 tannia, when driven to the eastward of the Goodwin, would 

 fall into this very line of current. 



There 



* It is also asserted, that in the mouth of the Channel, the ex- 

 traordinary rise of tide, in stormy weather, is ten feet : that is, at 

 common springs, twenty, and in storms thirty feet. See pages 28, 

 41, 70, and 133. 



5 



