Chap. VIII.
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angles with the line of coast, but it has, by the accumulation of the shingle, been divertedvery considerably. This shingle now forms an embankment nearly 300 yards in width, andan artificial channel has been cut through it, about a mile from the town, the opening ispreserved by wooden piers 218 feet apart, and which run in a south-west direction acrossthe shingle into the sea. Within this entrance a third pier has been built out from theshore nearly across the harbour, for the purpose of diverting the waters on the ebb, fromthe eastern and western sides of the inlet, directly to the mouth.
The great body of water which thus ebbs and flows through the entrance serves to keepthe channel open, and, though the width is so considerable, the stream runs between thepier heads at the rate of 5 or 6 miles an hour. The harbour mouth is nevertheless subjectto a bar, which rises occasionally above the low water level, and shifts its position from 60to 160 feet from the pier heads.
The lift of spring tides is about 15 feet, and neaps about 9 feet; the depth of water nearthe bar at high water is from 14 to 17 feet, according to the tides.
Xewhaven is formed in the channel of the Ouse at its entrance into the sea, by woodenpiers carried out in a southerly direction across the beach. The river is navigable as faras Lewes, and open to the flow and ebb of the tide 4 miles higher, or 12 miles altogether,and affords a powerful backwater for scouring the entrance.
The average rise of spring tide at the harbour’s mouth is from 19 to 20 feet, and ofneaps about 14 to 15 feet. The bar, however, is left dry at low water spring tides; butwithin the pier there is about 2 feet water at such time, and this depth continues uniformfor a mile up the channel. The distance between the pier heads is 106 feet: on the westernside of the harbour, the wooden pier, which extends about 250 yards, has been continuedonwards by a stone embankment nearly ^ mile in a straight line; and the bar, whichformerly extended from the western side nearly across the mouth of the harbour, has beenconsiderably reduced since the completion of this work ; the eastern pier has been extended,and other improvements have been made by straightening and deepening the river abovethe town.
During flood tide and fine weather, the harbour is easy of access from the indraught andeddy tide which set towards the mouth ; but from the rapidity of the stream during theebb, it is not considered safe for a sailing vessel to enter, and the flag at the pier bead isconsequently lowered at high water.
The piers only extend to the line of low water on the beach, and this harbour, like otherson the south coast, is greatly affected by the accumulation of beach and shingle, which cannotbe effectually scoured or washed away by any means yet attempted. The latitude of New-haven is 50° 48' north, and its longitude 0° 5' east of Greenwich ; it lies directly in the courseof vessels sailing up or down the channel. The original name of Newhaven was Meechiny.
Cu.vmere Haven , on the western side of Beachy Head, is an artificial harbour ; the shinglebeach crosses the entrance, and rises several feet above low water, and the interior of thehaven is left dry at three quarters ebb.
Hastings has a small tidal harbour for the use of coasting vessels; here the coast runs,with little deviation, in a straight line nearly east by south, and is entirely exposed to theprevailing southerly and westerly winds. There is no natural breakwater, nor the facilityof forming one; the shore is composed of shingle, and not above 4 fathoms of water at thedistance of ;j mile from the beach, which would give hut a limited area of 12 feet atlow water, in proportion to the size of the harbour, were piers to be carried out to suchan extent.
In Jeakes's History of the Cinque Ports, we find that before the Conquest three onlywere incorporated, viz. Dover, Sandwich, and Romney; the Conqueror is supposed to haveadded Hastings and Ilythe: the arms of the cinque ports are, per pale gules and azure,three deini lions, or, impaling azure, three semi ships argent. 'Hie chief prerogatives ofthese ports, in addition to their naval jurisdiction, are some ceremonies and honours at thecoronation; the Lord Warden’s power extends from Redcliff, near Seaford, to Shoe Beacon,near the Isle of Sheppey, and he has free warren over a considerable district in Kent.Hastings formerly had a pier, which was destroyed by a storm in the time of Elizabeth,who granted a contribution towards making a new harbour; the remains of this pier maybe traced at low water, and it was called previous to its demolition the Strade, becausevessels were wound up and let down the acclivity by a strong capstan, worked by three orfour horses.
Boat-building is carried on to some extent, from the facility of obtaining fine oak timber,and the pleasure-boats constructed are said to be superior to all others.
Rye Harbour , one of the ancient cinque ports, stands on the edge of Sussex towards Kent,and is supposed by some to have been the Portus Novus of Ptolemy . The town was walledabout in the reign of Edward III. , and is now under the government of a mayor andjurats. As long as the tide was suffered to flow up the Rother, there was a good tideharbour; but a sluice placed some years ago about 6 miles above the town, and another at3 miles, stopped the mud and sand brought in by the spring tides from running out, and
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