ON LIGHTHOUSES-HISTORY OF THE

EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE.

THE building of watch towers, now called lighthouses, had its rise in the earliest ages; and in several instances has been the object of royal munificence. The purpose of their erection is to exhibit a light, to warn seamen during the darkness of the night, of their approach to any sand, promontory, or insulated rock; as those on the South Foreland, Flamborough Head, the Eddystone rocks, etc.

The most celebrated structure of the kind among the ancients was the Pharos of Alexandria, which has been accounted one of the seven wonders of the world. This famous tower was built by the Ptolemies, kings of Egypt, and successors of Alexander; it is supposed to have been finished about 283 years before the Christian era, and had the name of Pharos, from the island, upon a rock at the eastern end of which it was built, so that its walls were washed by the sea. Its height is said to have been 547 feet, (English measure,) and a fire upon the top of it was constantly kept burning in the night, to light such ships as sailed near these dangerous coasts, which are said to be full of sands and shelves of rocks. According SEPTEMBER, 1838.

to Josephus, this light could be seen at the distance of three hundred stadia that is, forty-one and a half English miles.

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This magnificent structure, called even by Cesar wonderful, was the work of Sostratus, of Cnidus. And from the accounts which have descended to us of. its great size, the durability of its materials, and of the substantial manner in which it was built, we might have reasonably expected it to be in existence at this day; but this is not the case: there is, indeed, still a lighthouse, but of a much more humble form, rising out of the midst of an irregular castle, or garrison, kept in this island, and which is now called Farion. what occasion this famous building was destroyed, or met its destruction, history is, as far as we know, silent; but a writer of the twelfth century speaks of it, not only as a building subsisting in his time, but in perfect good condition: for he says, "There is nothing like it in the whole world, for the fineness of the edifice, or the strength of its structure; for, besides that it is built of the hardest Tiburtine stones, these stones are also joined together with melted lead, and so firmly connected, that they cannot be loosened

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from one another; for the sea beats against the very stones wherewith it is built on the north side."

As this stupendous work existed, either entire or in part, about five hundred years ago, it is evident that some extraordinary fate must have happened to it since that time; as its disappearance cannot be accounted for merely by the neglect of it. To have pulled it down would have been a work of so much labour, that even a wanton desire of destruction would have been foiled in the attempt; and it appears scarcely possible that its demolition could answer any useful purpose. Nor can we suppose that it has been undermined by the sea's gaining upon the rocks it was built upon, as those are said to be of granite. It seems therefore most likely, that it was destroyed by the shock of an earthquake, which at the same time produced a subsidence; as it has been stated by travellers, that the foundations or ruins of art are still seen among the rocks of the island on which it stood, under the surface of the water. At any rate, we have authentic testimony that this stupendous tower subsisted for a period of one thousand six hundred years.

From this lighthouse, as the most celebrated, structures of this kind have generally obtained the same name; as the Faro di Messina, and others. The most remarkable amongst the moderns, till the erection of the lighthouse on the Eddystone rocks off Plymouth, was the Tour de Cordovan, situated near the coast of France, upon a small island near the mouth of the river Garonne, in the Bay of Biscay. This lighthouse was begun two hundred and fifty-three years ago, in the reign of Henry 11. of France; it occupied twenty-six years in building, and was finished in the reign of Henry iv., in the year 1610.

About fourteen miles s. s. w. of Plymouth Harbour, are situated a very dangerous cluster of rocks, called the Eddystone rocks, upon which many a fatal accident has happened, by ships, particularly those that were homeward bound, running upon them. In the sixteenth century, the erection of a lighthouse upon one of these rocks was considered very desirable for the benefit of the commerce of the country, but from their insulated position, their distance from the land, the heavy seas continually rolling over them, together

with the circumstance of their being wholly immersed every high tide, presented difficulties which, for a time, appeared insurmountable.

In the year 1696, Mr. Henry Winstanley, of Littlebury, in Essex, undertook the erection of a lighthouse upon these dangerous rocks, and obtained the necessary powers to put it in execution.

Mr. Winstanley had previously distinguished himself in a certain branch of mechanics, the tendency of which is to raise wonder and surprise. He had at his house at Littlebury a set of contrivances, more curious than useful and it appears that he had established a place of public exhibition, at Hyde Park corner, called Winstanley's Waterworks, which were mentioned in the Tatler of September, 1709.

The particulars of the erection of the lighthouse by Mr. Winstanley, was furnished by himself, together with views of the building, to Prince George of Denmark, then Lord High Admiral of England, of which the following extract is the commencement :—

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"This lighthouse was begun to be built in the year 1696, and was more than four years in building: not for the greatness of the work, but for the difficulty and danger in getting backwards and forwards to the place; nothing being or could be left safe there for the first two years, but what was thoroughly affixed to the rock, or the work, at a very extraordinary charge: and although nothing could be attempted to be done but in the summer season, yet the weather then, at times, would prove so bad, that for ten or fourteen days together the sea would be so raging about these rocks, caused by out-winds, and the running of the ground seas coming from the main ocean, that although the weather would seem, and be most calm in other places, yet here it would mount and fly more than two hundred feet, as has been so found since there was lodgment upon the place; and therefore all our works were constantly buried at those times, and exposed to the mercy of the seas; and no power was able to come near, to make good, or help any thing, as I have often experienced with my workmen in a boat in great danger; only having the satisfaction to see my work imperfectly at times, as the seas fell from it, at a mile or two distance; and this at the prime of the year, and no wind or ap

in God's assistance for a blessing on this undertaking, being for a general good, and receiving most inexpressible deliverances."

Then follows the account of Mr. Winstanley's proceedings during three summers, as they were unable to continue the work during each winter, it being impossible to pass and repass with the materials on account of the heavy seas which then prevailed. The lighthouse was sufficiently completed in November, 1698, to enable them to exhibit a light on the 14th of that month. And in the following spring, such alterations and additional strength were given to it, as the experience of the first winter suggested.

Mr. Winstanley's lighthouse, unlike the Pharos of Alexandria, was not of very long duration; and, from the construction of it, it would appear that it was not adapted to withstand the fury of the element by which it was surrounded. In November, 1703, Mr. Winstanley went down to Plymouth to superintend some repairs which the building required, and it is stated upon undoubted authority, that previous to going off with his workmen, some friends intimated to him the danger that one day or other the lighthouse would certainly be overset; he replied, "He was so very well assured of the strength of his building, he should only wish to be there in the greatest storm that ever blew under the face of the heavens, that he might see what effect it would have upon the structure."

Mr. Winstanley's wish was gratified in an awful manner. While he was there with his workmen and lightkeepers, that dreadful storm began, which raged the most violently upon the 26th of November, 1703, in the night; and of all the accounts of the kind with which history furnishes us, we have none that has exceeded this in Great Britain, or was more injurious or extensive in its devastation.

The next morning, when the violence of the storm was so much abated that it could be seen whether the lighthouse had suffered by it, nothing appeared standing; nor were any of the people or materials of the building ever found afterwards. And, it is stated in a work entitled, "The Storm," published in London the following year, that the lighthouse had not been long down, when |

The great utility that the lighthouse had proved itself to be of, during its short continuance, together with the loss of the Winchelsea and other ships, proved powerful incentives to awaken the attention of those most nearly concerned, to attempt the erection of another, the former building having demonstrated it to be a thing, however difficult, yet not in its own nature impossible or impracticable. It was not, however, till the year 1706, that powers were obtained for the commencement of the work, and Mr. John Rudyerd was engaged as engineer and surveyor. This gentleman was not bred to any mechanical business, or scientific profession, being at that time a silk mercer, who kept a shop upon Ludgate-hill, London; but having made these kind of studies his private amusement, he had well qualified himself for the important undertaking which was now committed to his charge, and of which he so ably acquitted himself.

The building which he erected was of wood, its form was the frustrum of a cone, surmounted by a lantern for the exhibition of the light; its figure was simple and elegant, unbroken by any projecting ornament, or any thing whereon the violence of the storms could lay hold; all the windows, shutters, and doors, were so constructed, that when shut, their outside formed a part of the general surface, like the port-holes in a ship's side, without making any unevenness or projection in the surface, so that the force of the sea striking it, passed off without injuring the building.

We have stated that the building was of wood; it was essentially so: but, in order to insure its stability, by increasing the gravity or weight of the lower part, it was built solid to the height of thirty-three feet above the rock; and as the door was consequently elevated, an iron ladder was placed for the purposes of egress and ingress; this solid part consisted of some layers, or courses of timber, and the rest of hard stone called in that part of the country

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moor stone." The whole weight of stone thus introduced at the bottom of the building, amounted to two hundred and seventy tons, and may be considered in the nature of ballast. The whole height of this building, to the top of the

ball which surmounted the lantern, was ninety-two feet, upon a base of twentythree feet four inches.

The work was commenced in July, 1706, and was completed in 1709. It is stated, that during the progress of the work, Lewis XIV. being at war with England, a French privateer took the men at work upon the Eddystone rock, together with their tools, and carried them to France; and the captain was in expectation of a reward for his achievement. While the captives lay in prison, the transaction reached the ears of that monarch: he immediately ordered them to be released, and the captors to be put in their place; declaring, that though he was at war with England, he was not at war with mankind: he therefore directed the men to be sent back to their work with presents; observing, the Eddystone lighthouse was so situated, as to be of equal service to all nations having occasion to navigate the channel that divides France from England. Mr. Rudyerd has himself stated, that four ships of war were appointed at sundry times to that station, to expedite the work, and to protect the workmen," which was probably in consequence of the accident above stated.

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The building when thus completed, continued, with certain repairs, to answer all the purposes intended by its erection, till December, 1755, forty-six years after its completion, when it accidently caught fire in the upper part, and continued to burn downwards, driving the three attendants before the flames, from room to room, till they were obliged to quit the building, and take refuge in a hole in the rock, it being then low water, from whence they were providentially rescued before the returning tide swept them to a watery grave. The flames had been discovered from the shore early next morning, and a boat put off to render the assistance required. One of the three men, as soon as he was landed, ran away, and was not again heard of at Plymouth, fear having taken complete possession of his faculties; another having been much injured by the melted lead, which flowed over his face and down his throat, died a few days afterwards. Thus was destroyed the second Eddystone lighthouse, which, but for the fire, bade fair to withstand the raging of the winds, and the sea for a long period of years.

We must next give an account of that

beautiful building subsequently erected on the same rock, by Mr. Smeaton, and which is represented in the engraving at the head of this article. This building is not only beautiful in the symmetry of its figure, but its stability appears to be as great as the rock on which it stands. Mr. Smeaton's first interview with the managing proprietor, Mr. Weston, took place on February 23, 1756; when having received instructions to prepare the necessary designs for a new erection, he set about his task with such earnestness and ability, that he very soon had the outline to lay before his employers, of the building which has for seventy-eight years withstood the raging of the winds and waves, and been, through the blessing of an Almighty Providence, the means of preserving many a ship's crew from perishing on those dangerous rocks.

The building is entirely of stone, fitted together by the dove-tailing of each of its parts, by which every course of stone may be considered as one piece, and the whole cemented together forms one mass. Its height is eighty-seven feet to the ball surmounting the lantern, and its width at the base is twenty-six feet. The building was completed, and the light first exhibited, on October 16, 1759. The management of the light is intrusted to three men; two only were employed for this service during the existence of the first, and early part of that of the second lighthouse; but in consequence of the following occurrence, a third attendant was engaged. It happened that one of the two men was taken ill and died, and notwithstanding the Eddystone flag (the signal for help) was hoisted, yet the weather was such for some time, as to prevent any boat from getting so near the rocks as to speak to them. In this dilemma, the living man found himself in an awkward situation; being apprehensive that if he tumbled the dead body into the sea, which was the only way in his power to dispose of it, he might be charged with murder; this induced him for some time to let the corpse remain, in hopes that the boat might be able to land some person to relieve him from his distress; but it was nearly a month before the weather permitted a landing, and the body by this time was so far decomposed, as to render its removal difficult. This induced the proprietors to employ a third man, that in case of a

future occurrence of the same nature, or the sickness of either, there might be constantly one to supply the place. This regulation also afforded a seasonable relief to the lightkeepers; for since there were three, it has been a rule, that in the summer, in their turns, they are permitted each to go on shore, and spend a month among their friends and acquaintance.

It may be a matter of surprise how persons can be found, who are content, for a salary only amounting to the wages of a day-labourer, to give up their liberty, and live an isolated life, as lightkeepers, upon the Eddystone rocks: they are, however, for the most part, men who have passed the prime of life, and having still to earn their bread by their own labour, find this an easy employment. But to show how different are the ideas of mankind, concerning the nature of confinement, we relate the following anecdote, which occurred some time before Mr. Rudyerd's lighthouse was burned down. 66 Says the master to a shoemaker in his boat, who he was carrying out to be a lightkeeper, How happens it, friend Jacob, that you should choose to go out to be a lightkeeper, when you can, on shore, as I am told, earn your half-a-crown and three shillings a day in making leathern hose, whereas the lightkeepers' salary is scarcely ten shillings a week?' Says the shoemaker, 'I go to be a lightkeeper, because I do not like confinement.' After this answer had produced its share of merriment, he at last explained himself, by saying, that he did not like to be confined to work."

BOOBIES, AND MEN-OF-WAR BIRDS.

THE British sailors have given the appellation of Booby, and the French the corresponding term Fou, to the gannet, (genus Sula, Briss.) in consequence of the stupid indifference manifested by these birds on the approach of man, whom they permit even to assault them, without endeavouring to escape. On the contrary, the man-of-war, or frigate-bird, (Tachypetes aquila,) appears to have gained its names from the ferocity of its disposition, which leads it to attack its oceanic compeers, in order to appropriate to itself the fruits of their industry. Its falcon-like manners and general appearance are alluded to in the

specific term aquila, (cagle,) which has been applied to it.

To commence with the gannets, we may observe, that the genus Sula contains eight or nine species, of which only one is a native of Europe, namely, the solan gannet, or solan goose, (Sula bassana, Briss,) a bird of passage, annually visiting the Bass Rock, the Isle of Ailsa, St. Kilda, and similar places, in vast multitudes, for the purpose of incubation.

In the southern ocean, the Islands of Ascension, St. Helena, Tristan d'Acunha, etc., are the resort of several species peculiar to the southern hemisphere; where the appearance of flocks of these birds engaged in fishing, gives notice of the proximity of land.

By modern ornithologists, the genus Sula is placed in the family Pelecanidæ, a family of the swimming order, and containing the pelican, the cormorant, the darter, the frigate-bird, and many others. In all the members of the family Pelecanida, the beak is more or less denuded of feathers at the base; the nostrils are mere slits, not very perceptible; the skin of the throat is more or less capable of being dilated; the tongue is very small; the toes are four in number, all connected together by webs, that which is properly the hind toe having an obliquely forward direction; the beak varies in form, but it is strong, and longer than the head in all.

With respect to the restricted genus Sula, it is "characterized by a long bill, which is thick at the base, and tapers gradually to a sharp point, constituting a formidable weapon. Beneath the under mandible the skin is naked and dilatable, and the edges of the upper are furrowed with teeth directed backwards, resembling those of a fine saw; the face is naked; the wings are long and pointed; the tail is graduated; the four toes are all connected together by webs; and the claw of the middle toe is pectinated, as in the heron." Gifted with unwearied powers of flight, the birds of this genus are incessantly soaring over the ocean, eagerly surveying its glassy surface in quest of fish, upon which they dart from their elevation with amazing velocity. They do not dive, strictly speaking, nor are they expert as swimmers, seldom indeed resting on the water, where, when they do alight, they float without using any exertion. During the breeding season they assemble together in large flocks,