THE RIVER BURE AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 237 
and consequently in our rivers, is the prevalence of strong 
Northerly winds, and particularly North-west winds. Such 
winds, blowing as they do in the direction of the flow of the 
flood current, have a decided tendency to cause tides of 
abnormal height. This is not as a rule due to ah increase 
in the rise of the tide, but to a checking of the ebb, so that at 
low water the level of the water stands at nearly the same 
height as the previous high water and the next flood tide is 
superimposed on it. The following instance shows this very 
well. 
i9°5. 
Height. 
Range. 
Duration. 
Difference from 
predicted H.W. 
Wind. 
Jan. 
L. W. 
H. W. 
L. W. to 
H. W. 
L. W. to 
H. W. 
H.W.to 
L. W. 
Earlier 
Later. 
ft. in 
ft. in. 
ft. in. 
h. m. 
h. m. 
h. m. 
m. 
5 
a.m. 
0 3 
6 6 
6 3 
6 0 
6 35 
— 
9 
W.N.W., light 
p.m. 
0 5 
6 7 
6 2 
5 45 
6 20 
— 
6 
6 
a.m. 
O 2 
5 10 
5 8 
6 0 
6 xo 
— 
4 
Westerly, strong to ga 
p.m. 
O I 
7 7 
7 8 
6 5 
5 10 
— 
18 
8 p.m., W.N.W., mod. 
7 
a.m. 
6 O 
12 3 
6 3 
5 0 
8 35 
1 53 
— 
4 a.m., N.W., heavy g 
8 a.m., wind abating 
p.m. 
O II 
4 7 
UJ 
00 
4 25 
7 45 
1 13 
8 p.m., S.W., strong brt 
These observations, taken at Gorleston Pier at the time of 
full moon, show very strikingly this effect of a North-westerly 
gale. It will be seen that on January 6th high water reached 
a height on the scale of 7 ft. 7 in., but during the period of 
ebb, which lasted 5 h. 10 m., the level fell only 1 ft. 7 in., 
leaving the low water level at the height of an ordinary spring 
tide. The succeeding flood tide, flowing for only 5 hours 
and of quite normal range, consequently raised the level to 
12 ft. 3 in., which is quite exceptional. The wind fell and 
eventually changed to S.W., and as a consequence the ebb 
continued for 8 h. 35 m., and practically restored normal 
conditions, even reversing them somewhat, as is shown by the 
low high water level on the evening of J anuary 7th. It is clear 
that the force of the wind enabled the normal body of water to 
be brought up by the flood in less than normal time and 
practically prevented the water from ebbing. Records of 
this same tide at Southtown Bridge show that high water 
