656 TIDES AND CURRENTS. 



From the tables of tides it aj^pears that when high water 

 occurred at about 8 to 9 a.m., and 9 to 10 p.m., then the two 

 heights were nearly equal ; and if we call these hours the limits 

 of day and night, then in almost all cases it is found that through- 

 out April, May, and June (the period during which tides were 

 observed), the night high tides are higher than the day tides. The 

 two high tides were equal about four or five days after the half- 

 moons, and the time of these equal high tides was a little earlier 

 in the day as the summer advanced. 



After new moon both high tides continued to increase for 

 three or four days, and attained their maximum nearly together ; 

 but after full moon^ the day tide began to diminish on the day 

 after the full moon, whilst the night high tide still continued to 

 increase for two or three days. 



After 7iew moon the height {i.e. the rise from the last low 

 water) of the day tide is from 3 to 4 ft., and of the night tide is 

 about 5 ft. ; after ftill moon the height of the day tide is from 

 3 to 4 ft. and of the night tide about 6 ft. 



If, on the other hand, we measure the heights of the tides by 

 the fall from the last high luater, then about three days after 

 new and full moon the depths are equal and occur about 7 p.m. 

 and 8 a.m., and they continue to be very nearly equal, except in 

 the interval between three or four days after the half moons and 

 the next new or full moons. 



The ojreatest fall is about 4 feet at new moon and about 5 feet 

 at full moon. 



The mean time of high water at full and new moon is llh. lOm. 



The greatest rise of the tide is 6 ft. 4 in. and the least 

 1 ft. 11 in. 



4. Tidal Observations by Sir Edward Belcher. 



The pack-ice to the northward of Jones' Sound in the neigh- 

 bourhood of North Cornwall was acted on by a strong tide, and 

 Sherard Osborn accounts for the disturbed state of the floe-ice as 

 early as the 18th of May by supposing that a strong tidal wave 

 flows in an east and west direction. 



Again, on the north coast of Melville Island, on the east side of 

 Ilecla and Griper Bay, Commander Richards found a piece of 

 pine wood which had been drifted by the sea. 



Vol. II. page 154. " The distinct increased dim.ensions of all 

 " the floe-ice noticed to the westward, as well as northward, of 

 *' the Queen's Channel, is to my mind satisfactory proof that it 

 " belongs to another sea, and has no connexion with Baffin's Bay, 

 " Lancaster Sound, or the Wellington Channel ; and although it 

 " may have considerable motion in summer, yet I believe that in 

 " the Victoria Archipelago, as in the case between Banks' Land 

 " and Melville Island, it remains unbroken for years, even 

 " ages." 



In Vol. I. p. 116, in speaking of the region near the western 

 part of Jones' Sound at Pell Point (lat. 77° 29' N., long. 95° W., 



