THE TIDES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 137, 12 June 1895, Page 2

THE TIDES.

Tp 'fiiß Epiioit pr inE 'Evening Mail.

Sin — l'rom the tono of youv correspond ent's letter in last evening's Mail, 1 am led to think he or she is simp'y trying it on with " T. S." and the gentlemin named by him or her in that communication, Why J iay ho or she, is from the uom de plume assumed, viz, " Senex Homo," Now, any scholar \y||o (mows hut a smattering of Latin understands very well that !' &onex " alone means nn " old man," but, conjoined with the additional word " Homo," means "an old woman," see Dr Smith's dictionary, hence my remark. It gave mo much pleasuro to write as I did in reply to his or her former questions relative to tho tides, and having for many years taught physical geography, was more than pleased when I thought I was enlighteninq sonic good old soul on the questions under consideration. I cannot, however, consent to lecture at low water mark, on the Hands or anywhere else, to ono who ignores tbe physical laws of nature, as to the causo of the tides and 'tidal waves not being generated and coniitijictT'by' tjife attractive influence of the .sun and moon, 'separately or conjointly. f?rom yom-' correspondent's letter she seems to bo qnito competent ivithout farther instruction from apyone to wield the pedagooip ferule, and should the lecture be decided upon to tako place on the 21th instant as suggested I shall make ono tp hear her, and it is quite possible the gentleman 1- cturer mentioned would also attend, as teachers are never abovo learning. As to my not answering tho question proposed, I think it was fairly done, and the exceptions given, of places having only one tide a day, liko every olher exception, simply proves the mle. This is what Humboldt in his ' Cosmos ' says re tides. (Vol. 1, p. 310), "The phenomena of tides which prevail in all seas, with the 'exception of the smaller seas that are eomij'ldtely' closed in, and where the ebbing and flowing ' waves ' are scarcely or not at all perceptible liij,ve been'perfectly explained l.y t|)6 Jsfewtpn.a'ij doctrine, and thus brought within the domain of necessary facts," Kach of these periodically recurring oscillations of the waters of the sea, has a duration of somewhat more than lialf a day. Although in the open sea thoy scarcely attain an elevation of a few feet, thoy often iihe considerably higher where the waves arc opposed by the configuration of the shores, as for instance at St. Maio in Xo\a Scotia, where they reach lhe lespi'olivo elevations of 00 feet and of 05 to J., feel. It is no slight evidence of Iho iilqiojtance of analysis, which is too often regarded wlt!h (nnleti:i-l amongst the tm sririilijit; that Laplace's perfect theory of the tides has enabled us in our astronomical cpheiiieridcs, to predict the height of sprjurf tl'Jcjj at ihe purjnds of new niid : fiill moon, nnd thus put the 'ihb'ibitilnf.;.' oji t|)e seashore on Ijieir guard agiiinst tho incrciiAcd danger of nt lunding thosc lunar lovolulioii.s, Ho much for (Hejiex Homo's) derisive language ns to the solar anti lunar influences. And uow sir I b3g to thank you for your kindness in giving my lotleis on this subject such publication, and close uu/ con espoiulcnue re this mailer, — I am, "vo, T.S.