132 OP THE NATURE OF THE TIDES.

Another seeming objection may also be re*moved with the same ease. From a flight con-sideration of what has been said, you might beled to imagine, that the time of high water atany place, would be when the moon is over themeridian of that place. But this is by nomeans the cafe: it is usually about three hoursafterwards; and the reason of it may be shewnas follows. The moon, when she is on the me-ridian, or nearest to the zenith of any place,tends to raise the waters at that place; but thisforce must evidently be exerted for a consider-able time, before the greatest elevation willtake place; for if the moon’s attraction were tocease altogether, when she has passed the meri-dian, yet the motion already communicated tothe waters would make them continue to ascendfor some time afterwards; and, therefore, theymust be much more disposed to ascend, whenthe attractive force is only in a small measurediminished.

The waves of the sea, which continue after astorm has ceased, and almost every other motionof a fluid, will illustrate this idea; all sucheffects being easily explained, from the considera-tion that a small impulse, given to a body inmotion, will make it move farther than it wouldotherwise have done. It is also, upon the sameprinciple, that the heat is not the greatest upon

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