136 Mr. R. Thomas's Remarks on some 



" For reasons before stated, it appears that the level of the 

 low water at King- Road is higher than the low water further 

 down the channel. Now the half-tide mark of ordinary 

 spring tides at King- Road is about 22 feet above the low 

 water there. At llfracombe the half-tide is 15 feet above the 

 low water, and at the Land's-end it is eight feet and a half. 



" Even supposing the low-water mark to be as low at King- 

 Road as at the other places, then the half-tide there is seven 

 feet above that mark at llfracombe, and thirteen feet and a 

 half above that at Land's-end ; but in all probability instead 

 of 7 and 13^, the differences are really about twelve and 

 twenty. 



" The low-water marks of the corresponding tides appear 

 to present a much better approximation to a true level than 

 the half-tide mark, and these are taken for determining the 

 elevations ascertained in the Trigonometrical Survey of En- 

 gland and Wales : but it would be desirable for many pur- 

 poses that the movements of the tides should be better known, 

 which might lead us to a knowledge of a true level, or so near 

 an approximation as would answer all practical purposes." 

 " Dated November 14, 1837." 



Referring to the Transactions of 1838, as before mentioned, 

 and granting that the series of levels have been ascertained 

 with sufficient exactness for the purpose, we must draw the 

 conclusion, either that the low water at King-Road at spring 

 tide is about 13 feet below the low water at Land's-end, or 

 that there is something which affects the tides at Axmouth so 

 as to make the mean tide there stand at a higher elevation 

 than it does at the Land's-end, and so make it approximate 

 to the level of the mean tide at King-Road. 



It appears to me very probable that the level of the sea is 

 kept up at Axmouth above its average height, owing to the 

 contour of the coast of the English Channel; for it is evident 

 that the coast of Normandy, extending from Granville north- 

 ward to^ Cap la Hogue, presents a bar to the direct flowing up 

 channel of the flood tide, and turns the current towards that 

 part of the English coast on which Axmouth is placed, and 

 that the free course downward of the ebb-tide is interrupted 

 by the projection southward of the coast of Devon between 

 Exmouth and the Start ; both of which causes will tend to 

 keep the water the more elevated in the bay between the Start 

 and the.Bill of Portland. At the time of high water at Axmouth 

 the tide is setting strongly up channel, and continues running 

 up for, I believe, more than two hours longer, and the ebb 

 runs down strongly at the time of low water at Axmouth. 

 Now if the currents operate in the way above stated, it is 



