300 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
on record at Lowestoft. On the 25th of January last — the day 
after the great storm in Scotland — the low water at Lowestoft 
was 4 feet below the average; and the harbour- master writes that 
they have had extraordinary fluctuations during the last three 
months. 
When the wave reached the London Docks it was still extremely 
high, being 3 feet 6 inches above Trinity datum ; but this is not 
unprecedented; for on January 20, 1850, it was an inch higher; 
and on November 12, 1852, it was 2 inches higher. This latter is the 
highest tide on record at the London Docks, and the water rose to 
29 feet 1 inch on the dock cill, or 3 feet 8 inches above Trinity 
datum. 
In examining the height of that portion of the great tidal wave 
from the Atlantic which sweeps along the south and west of Eng- 
land, I find a marked difference from the east coast tide. Instead 
of being the highest wave on record, it was a tide, slightly in some 
places only above the calculated height, and in no respect very 
remarkable as to height of high water. 
At Cork the water did not rise above the average of springs 
either on the 7th or 8th February ; but there was a great ebb, 
which left banks exposed in the harbour that had not been visible 
for years. 
The wave which reached Portsmouth Dockyard at 11 p.m. on the 
7th was the same as calculated ; but on the morning of the 8th the 
tide rose to 21 feet 4 inches on the cill of Dock No. 6, which is the 
zero, or 1 foot 11 inches above calculation. This is not very 
remarkable, for there was a tide at Portsmouth on November 1840 
which rose 2 feet higher, and is the highest on record. 
At Dover the wave on the 8th was unusually high, being 2 feet 
4 inches above the calculated height. High water was 21 feet 9 
inches above low water of ordinary springs ; but this is not the 
highest tide known, for the engineer of the Admiralty works writes 
that he has on record one of 22 feet, or 3 inches more. 
That branch of the tidal wave which flows up St George’s Chan- 
nel towards the Irish Sea had nothing extraordinary in its height. 
At Bristol the tide of the 7th was 29 feet 8 inches, or only 9 
inches more than calculated. On the 8th it was 31 feet 1 inch — 
the height expected ; this, too, at a place subject to very high 
