37 
argument. It will be found from observations that there is no such 
thing as spring or neap tides as would be naturally expected. In 
fact, there are few places in the world where tidal complications 
are so pronounced as at Fremantle. I cannot do better than repeat 
some of the remarks that I made when publishing the Fremantle 
tide tables for 1913. 
They (the Fremantle tides) are not marked by the comparative 
simplicity that obtains in the tides of British and European waters, 
where in many cases the interval elapsing between successive meridian 
passages of the moon and the time of high or low water is almost 
invariably a constant quantity or closely approximates to such and 
where the heights of consecutive high waters and of consecutive low 
waters follow a fairly constant law, but on the contrary the differ- 
ences in heights and the inequalities of successive intervals appear 
to the casual glance to be governed by no fixed law;, but seem to be 
as variable and capricious as the weather. This peculiarity can very 
probably be accounted for bv the disturbing influences of the wind 
and weather on the comparatively small range of tide prevailing at 
Fremantle which, except at certain short periods during each month, 
when it exceeds two feet six inches, rarely averages more than 
eighteen inches, thus should a strong easterly or nor’-easterly wind 
be blowing the theoretical time of high water is almost certain to 
be delayed and the height also diminished. On the other hand, the 
sou’-wester or sea breeze banks up the water to a greater or less 
degree, dependent upon its intensity, accelerating the time of high 
water, augmenting its height and prolonging its duration. This 
would be especially noticeable during a westerly blow, and the ex- 
ceptional height often reached by the tides during the winter months 
is almost solely due to the banking up of the water against our 
western coast line ; although in this connection, it must be remem- 
bered that the great tide wave which travels along the South coast 
of the continent from east to west is retarded by a -westerly wind, 
and its height necessarily increased, and consequently there occurs 
an additional banking up of the water of the ocean off Cape Leeuwin, 
which makes its effect felt to a greater or less extent northwards. 
These reasons explain why a continued and perhaps exception- 
ally high tide often heralds the approach of a cool change in summer 
or of a Nor’-West storm in winter. In this respect it must be borne 
in mind that the ocean is affected by atmospheric pressure to a slight 
extent, the surface of the sea rising with a low and falling with a 
high barometer. Theoretically there is an alteration of level corres- 
ponding to one inch for every one-twentieth inch of mercury. 
But it must not be imagined that the absence or elimination in 
some way of these disturbing elements -would cause the Fremantle 
tides to be marked by the same regular law or laws that appear to 
prevail in the case of those in European waters. On the contrary, 
it is almost safe to say that their peculiar irregularities would be 
