in the construction of the Eddystone Lighthouse, which is, indeed, much more entitled than the Pharos of Alexandria to be considered one of the wonders of the world. The rock on which this tower is built is placed about twelve miles southwest of Plymouth, and consists of a series of submarine cliffs, stretching from the west side (which is so precipitous that the largest ship can ride close beside them) in an easterly direction, for nearly half a mile. At the distance of about a quarter of a mile more is another rock, so that a more dangerous marine locality can hardly be imagined. Both these rocks had proved the cause of many fatal shipwrecks, and it was at last resolved to make an attempt to obviate the danger. In the year 1696, a gentleman of Essex, named Winstanley, who had a turn for architecture and mechanics, was engaged to erect a lighthouse upon the Eddystone rock, and in four years he completed it. It did not, however, stand long, for while some repairs were in progress under his direction in 1703, on the 26th November, a violent hurricane came on which blew the lighthouse down, and Mr. Winstanley and all his workmen perished-nothing remaining of the edifice but a few stones and a piece of iron chain.

In the spring of 1706 an Act of Parliament was obtained for rebuilding the lighthouse, and a gentleman named Rudyerd, a silk mercer, was the engineer engaged. He placed five courses of heavy stones upon the rock, and then erected a superstructure of wood. The lighthouse on the Bell Rock, off the coast of Fife, and the one placed at the entrance of the Mersey on the Black Rock, are similarly constructed, so that there seemed to be good reason for adopting the principle. Mr. Smeaton thought that the work was done in a masterly and effective manner; but in 1755 the edifice was destroyed by fire, and he was next retained as the engineer for this important building.

The result of his labours has justly been considered worthy of the admiration of the world, for it is distinguished alike for

its strength, durability, and beauty of form. The base of the tower is about twenty-six feet nine inches in diameter, and the masonry is so formed as to be a part of the solid rock, to the height of thirteen feet above the surface, where the diameter is diminished to nineteen feet and a half. The tower then rises in a gradually diminishing curve to the height of eighty-five feet, including the lantern, which is twenty-four feet high. The upper extremity is finished by a cornice, a balustrade being placed around the base of the lantern for use as well as ornament.

The tower is furnished with a door and windows, and the whole edifice outside bears the graceful outline of the trunk of a mighty tree, combining lightness with elegance and strength.

Mr. Smeaton commenced his labours in 1756, and completed the building in four years. Before commencing operations he took accurate drawings of the exterior of the rock; and the stones, which were brought from the striking and romantic district of Dartmoor, were all formed to fit into its crevices, and so prepared as to be dovetailed together, and strung by oaken plugs. When put into their places, and then firmly cemented, the whole seemed to form, and does indeed constitute, a part of the solid rock.

The sand-bank off the coast of Ramsgate, known by the name of the Goodwin Sands, is a far more dangerous foe to the mariner than the Eddystone rocks ever were before any friendly lighthouse rose above the waters, and pointed out to approaching vessels the dangers by which they were beset. Situated as it is in the main track of that watery highway along which there ever moves to and fro the chief part of the commerce of the world—there, perhaps, more noble ships have foundered than on any other sand-bank in the ocean. At one moment a ship may be in ten fathoms soundings, and in the next strike upon this treacherous shoal, where her destruction is inevitable. To guard against this fearful danger, various efforts have heen made to plant some beacon on these sands, which should warn the seaman of the perils which await him, but one after another, the waves have washed away the various structures which have been erected for this purpose. No solid foundation could be found-every attempt failed. So deep down under the floor of the ocean do the sands extend that no plummet could ever sound their depth. Dangerous as these sands are, which stretch over an extent of nearly ten miles, they still form a safe shield to the shore, by receiving the first burst of those mighty waves which are raised by the easterly winds. Thus they become a barrier against the billows that would otherwise be rolled upon the beach, and render the Downs a safe anchorage-ground, which, but for this,

would be as stormy and unsafe for a fleet to ride at anchor in as the most perilous part of the channel. A floating light has for some time been placed on the east side of the northern head of these dangerous sands, and has been instrumental in saving many a goodly vessel from foundering. There are signs along the coast which clearly point out traces of the ocean having flowed many yards higher than it does now, and at that remote period of time these ancient sands would be buried beneath the waves, instead of visible, as great portions of them are at low water, when you may venture upon them with safety; but when the tide and sea sets in they become soft, and woe to the adventurer that remains!- —a grave, whose bottom has never yet been fathomed, would be his lot.

Of course the one grand object in the construction of a lighthouse is, that it shall be enabled to display as large and intense a light as possible. On the several coasts of the British islands the usual plan adopted is to place an argand burner in the focus of a parabolic reflector; that is, a reflector something in the shape of the round end of half an egg, which reflector is composed of highly-polished silver, coated and strengthened by copper.

On the French and Dutch coasts the reflector is generally made of glass, formed so as to have circle after circle outside of each other, and thus to obtain a condensing power. When the light is required to be cast far over the water, the English light, which is obtained by reflection, is considered the best, as it causes the rays to be more distributed. But there are difficulties connected with it; for as it is necessary, not only to render the several lights along the same coast different in appearance from each other, but also to accumulate the power of some, a number of reflectors is frequently used instead of one, and these require much cleaning when they are made of metal.

The intensity of the French lights is obtained by refraction, and thus the rays of light being interlaced, as it may be termed, with each other, their power is greater within a short

distance; but their force cannot be thrown so far over the ocean as the rays from the English lights.

On the British coasts there are now, including floating lights, of which that placed at the Nore is an admirable example, nearly two hundred lighthouses. On the northern and western coasts of France there are eighty-nine lights; and the Dutch have twenty-six lights, altogether, on their sea-coast and on the shores of the Zuyder Zee.

These lights are maintained by a small charge levied on the tonnage of all vessels approaching or passing them, which varies from a farthing to twopence the ton. The total amount collected in this way, from British lighthouses, is about £250,000 a year, the cost of keeping them up being somewhere about a third of that amount, thus leaving a considerable sum for future improvements.

SECTIONAL VIEW OF EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE.