The Tidal Wave and Coastal Bays
The great tidal wave, which makes nearly two complete circuits of the globe in every twenty-four hours, is very slight in mid-ocean, but increases in height in traversing shallow soundings, and is still further augmented by converging coast lines. The eastern coast of North America has, as laid down by Bache, a great 'southern bay' between Florida and Cape Hatteras, a 'middle bay' between Hatteras and Nantucket, and an 'eastern bay' north of Nantucket; and, while at Southern Florida the tide is one and a half feet, at Cape Hatteras two feet, at Southeastern Nantucket only one foot, the height within the 'southern bay,' at Savannah, is seven feet; in the 'middle,' at the entrance of New York Bay, five feet; and in the 'eastern,' at Boston, ten feet; and in the narrow Bay of Fundy from forty to seventy feet.—Sel.