374 



Jackson : High Tides in Morecamhe Bay. 



On the occasion of my visit tliere was a 21 ft. tide — the 

 hig-hest of the autumnal tides — and this, by beating against the 

 edge of the marsh and running up the dikes, tore up the large 

 tenacious sods several inches thick and flung them about in all 

 directions. 



The destruction was most severe at the mouth of one of the 

 dikes, and here the sea laid bare a fringe of rocks covered with 

 dead barnacles which must have been hidden away for years. 



Some of the older residents and the fishermen told me that 

 the sea had not been up so far at Silverdale for some fifty years, 

 and farmers had begun to look upon the marsh as affording 

 permanent pasturage for hundreds of sheep. In fact, with 

 a view to still further strengthening the marsh from any chance 

 inroads of the sea or river, a wall was erected along the edge 



f 



Tida! Bore in the Kent. 



facing the sea. The remains of this wall can now be seen at 

 low tide some distance away from the present shore. 



It was interesting to stand on the marsh looking seawards 

 apd watch the tidal-bore driving up the channel of the Kent^ 

 This I did on several occasions, and was repeatedly disappointed 

 in not being able to successfully photograph it owing to the 

 violence of the wind and the rapidity with which the bore came 

 in. I was successful, however, on one of the quieter days, as 

 the accompanying photo will show. This was taken about 

 a hundred yards from head of tide, which was the nearest point 

 attainable, as a few yards nearer it broke on a fringe of rocks 

 and the widening shore. 



The crest on this occasion would be quite two feet high, and 

 appeared to be running over the river water. 



Naturalist, 



