HEIGHT OF WAVES. 27 



been accurately investigated by the late Eev. Dr. Scoresby, 

 during two passages across the Atlantic in 1847 and 1848. 



"In the afternoon of March 5th, 1848," says that eminent 

 philosopher, " I stood during a hard gale upon the cuddy-roof 

 •or saloon deck of the ' Hibernia :' a height, with the addition of 

 that of the eye, of 23 feet 3 inches above the line of flotation 

 •(the ship's course being similar to that of the waves). I am not 

 aware that I ever saw the sea more terribly magnificent ; the 

 •great majority of the rolling masses of water was more than 24 

 feet high, (including depression as well as altitude, or reckoning 

 above the mean-level, more than 12 feet). I then went to the 

 larboard paddle-box, about 7 feet higher (30 feet 2 inches up 

 to the eye), and found that one half of the waves rose above 

 *he level of the view obtained. 



" Frequently I observed long ranges (200 yards), which rose so 

 high above the visible horizon, as to form an angle estimated at 

 two or three degrees when the distance of the wave's summit was 

 about 100 yards from the observer. This would add near 13 

 feet to the level of the eye, and at least one in half-a-dozen 

 waves attained this altitude. Sometimes peaks or crests of 

 breaking seas would shoot upward, at least 10 or 15 feet higher. 



" The average wave was, I believe, fully equal to that of my 

 sight on the paddle-box, or more than 15 feet, and the mean 

 highest waves, not including the broken or acuminated crests, 

 rose about 43 feet above the level of the hollow occupied at the 

 moment by the ship. It was a grand storm-scene, aud nothing 

 could exceed the pictorial effect of the partial sunbeams break- 

 ing through the heavy masses of clouds." From the time 

 taken by a regular wave to pass from stern to stem, Dr. Scoresby 

 calculated its velocity at 2875 feet in each minute, or 32-67 

 English statute miles in an hour. The mean length of the 

 wave-ridges, was from a quarter to a third of a mile. 



To those who might be inclined to doubt the accuracy of these 

 measurements, the remark may suffice that our celebrated 

 countryman had been for years engaged in the northern whale- 

 fishery, where he had ample opportunities for practising his eye 

 in measuring distances. Besides, the conclusions of many other 

 trustworthy observers coincide with the evaluations of Dr. 

 Scoresby. 



