TIDES IN THE NORTH SEA — THE MAELSTROM. 41 



Sea where no periodical rise and fall of the waters whatsoever 

 takes place. 



Thus we see that the relations of the tides in the North Sea, 

 with regard to height and time, are of a somewhat complicated 

 nature, which could only be explained after the numerous 

 observations (amounting to more than 40,000) made by order 

 of the British Government in all parts of the world, under 

 the direction of Professor Whewell, had proved that all the 

 flooda of the seas chiefly proceed from the great tide-wave of 

 the Southern Ocean, which, by its numerous ramifications in 

 narrow seas or through groups of islands and by the unequal 

 rapidity of its progress, according to the depth or shallowness 

 of the waters it traverses, occasions all the seeming anomalies 

 which were quite inexplicable by the simple Newtonian theory. 



As every twelve hours a new tidal-wave originates in the, 

 Southern Ocean which regularly follows in the same track as 

 its predecessor, the tides everywhere succeed each other in 

 regular and equal periods, and can thus everywhere be cal- 

 culated beforehand. 



In narrow straits or in the intricate channels which wind 

 through clusters of islands, different tidal- waves meeting from 

 .opposite directions give rise to more or less dangerous whirl- 

 pools. One of the most famous of these vortices, though incon- 

 siderable in itself, is the renowned Charybdis, which gave so 

 much trouble to Ulysses on his passing through the strait 

 which separates Sicily from Italy, but is at present an object 

 of fear scarcely even to the poor fisherman's boat. 



A much grander whirlpool, owing its celebrity, not to the 

 fictions of poetry, but to the magnificent scale on which it has 

 been constructed by nature, is the renowned Maelstrom, situated 

 on the Norwegian coast in 68° N. lat., and near the island of 

 Moskoe, from whence it also takes the name of Moskoestrom. 

 It is four geographical miles in diameter, and in tempestuous 

 weather its roar, like that of Niagara, is said to be heard several 

 miles off. John Eamus gives us a terrible description of its 

 fury, and mentions that in the year 1645 it raged with such 

 noise and impetuosity, that on the island of Moskoe, the very 

 stones of the houses fell to the ground. He tells us also that 

 whales frequently come too near the stream, and, notwith- 

 standing their giant strength, are overpowered by its violence, 



