Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 72.djvu/239

Rh the flood, backed by the irresistible power of the ocean's rhythmic puise, was swallowing up the ebb with an on-rush which must be seen to be fully appreciated.

At two miles from Haining the flood-stream, probably that from the southeastward which appeared to run through the other, charged into the sea-wall, the violent rebound from which caused a tumultuous upheaval of the waters several hundred yards behind in waves twice as high again as the front of the bore.

As the northern end of the bore struck one of the buttresses, its line of advance was deflected and it came on with a curving and recurving crescent front, the ends being thrown forward of the middle

portion by several hundred yards. This deep graceful curve in the line of the turbulent waters was undoubtedly due, aside from the deflection caused by the buttresses, to the swifter current in the center of the ebb. unwilling to the last to admit defeat.

As the bore passed Haining at about 1:45 it had somewhat the form of a double crescent, over a mile long and eight to eleven feet high, traveling, twelve or thirteen miles an hour; its front a sloping cascade of bubbling foam, falling forward and pounding on itself and on the river before it at an angle of between forty and seventy degrees, the highest and steepest part being about six hundred yards off shore over the deep channel of the river. Close by the northern bank or sea-wall the height and rush were not so great because of the projecting buffers