THE IRISH AND ENGLISH CHANNELS. 
107 
is first swayed round to the eastward by it, and then goes on with it at an easy rate 
direct for Morecombe Bay. 
The outer portions of the stream are necessarily deflected from the course of the 
great body of the water by the impediments of banks on the Irish side of the Channel, 
and by the tortuous form of the coast on the Welsh. The eastern portion passing Course of the 
Linney Head rushes with great rapidity between the Smalls, Grassholm, and Milford tbn^of thT 
Haven, towards the Bishops, which it passes at a rate of between four and five knots ; stream in the 
• • • south 
sets sharply round those rocks in an E.N.E. direction, right over the Bass bank, and channel, 
into Cardigan Bay ; makes the circuit of that bay ; and sets out again towards 
Bardsey at the other extremity of it ; then sweeping to the N. by W. past the island 
and through the sound, it gradually takes the course of the shore, round Caernarvon 
Bay, filling the Menai Strait as far as Bangor ; but the stream still continuing out- 
side towards the South Stack, which it rounds, setting towards the Skerries at a 
rate of upwards of four knots ; and finally, turns sharply round those rocks for 
Liverpool and Morecombe Bay ; completing in its way the high water in the Menai, 
and filling the Dee, Mersey and Kibble. 
The western portion of the stream, after passing theSaltee, runs nearly in the direc- Course of the 
tion of the Tuskar, sets sharply round it, and then takes a N.E. | N. direction, setting 
fair along the coast, but over the banks skirting the shore, so that vessels tacking stream in the 
near the edge of the sands, have been carried upon them and lost, especially upon channel, 
the Arklow and Codlin. Abreast of the Arklow is situated that remarkable spot in Place of no 
the Irish Channel, which I have before mentioned as a place where the tide neither 
rises nor falls. The stream notwithstanding sweeps past it at the rate of four knots wave, 
at the springs, and reaches the parallel of Wicklow Head. Here it encounters an 
extensive bank recently known ; and whilst the outer portion takes the circuit of the 
bank, the inner sweeps over it, occasioning an overfall and strong rippling all round 
the edge, by which the bank may generally be discovered ; beyond this point the 
streams unite and flow on towards Howth and Lambay, growing gradually weaker 
as they proceed, until they ultimately expend themselves in a large space of still water 
situated between the Isle of Man and Carlingford. 
Here we have not been able to detect any tide; and here occurs that remarkable Pkce of no 
phenomenon before mentioned, of the water rising and falling without having any 
perceptible stream. This space of still water is marked by a bottom of blue mud. 
Such is the course of the flowing water in the southern channel. 
In the north channel the stream enters between the Mull of Kintire and Rathlin Stream in 
simultaneously with that passing the Tuskar into the southern channel, but flows in chtnne*^'^'^ 
the contrary direction. It runs at the rate of three knots at the springs, increasing 
to five knots near the Mull, and to four near Torr Head on the opposite side of the 
channel. The eastern branch of this stream turns round the Mull towards Ailsaand 
the Clyde, a portion passing round Sanda up Kilbrannin Sound and Loch Fyne. 
The main body sweeps to S. by E., taking nearly the general direction of the Course of the 
° ° mam body of 
P 2 the stream. 
