Some Account of the Northern Light-liouses. Ill 



Skerries in Orkney ; being additional to the four sanctioned by the 

 Act. About the year 1800, the funds of the Board were getting 

 into a more flourishing state, its operations were conducted upon 

 a more extended scale, and other two light-houses were erected, 

 one upon Inchkeith in the Frith of Forth, and another on the 

 Start Point of Sanday in Orkney. The Commissioners were 

 now also in a condition to listen to applications for a light upon 

 the fatal reef called the Bell Rock, which lies twelve miles off 

 the shore, in the direct track of navigation, and was much dread- 

 ed by the mariner as the source of the greatest danger on the 

 eastern coast of Scotland. It has been calculated, that not a year 

 passed without the loss of several vessels, either upon the Bell 

 Rock'or in consequence of the dread of it ; but since the light- 

 house was erected, not a single wreck has occurred on the rock^ 

 and comparatively few upon that line of coast. 



Hitherto the accommodation at the light-houses was only cal- 

 culated for one family, but it was now resolved to have two ef- 

 fective light-keepers. The change of the watch, and other as- 

 sistance for the light-keepers, had heretofore depended upon the 

 family of the light-keeper. Over these, however, the Board 

 could have no control. The keeper might be single or mar- 

 ried ; his wife, children or servant might be unfit for the duty ; 

 and in case of sickness or death in these insular and remote si- 

 tuations, the consequences to a fleet of ships whose course de- 

 pended upon the regular appearance of the light might be dread- 

 ful. On the whole, the Board properly resolved that there should 

 be two responsible persons, a principal and an assistant keeper, 

 at each station, who should mount guard throughout the night, 

 as on ship-board. So specially is this now attended to, that the 

 keeper is liable to immediate dismissal if he leave the light-room 

 before being regularly relieved by his colleague ; and for secu- 

 ring order and regularity in this respect, a time-piece is placed 

 in each hght-room, and bells are hung in the bed-rooms of the 

 dwelling-houses. At some of the stations, instead of slender 

 wires, these bells are connected by tubes leading down the walls 

 of those lofty towers, with a mouth-piece in the light-room, into 

 which the man on watch blows, and immediately the alarm-bell 

 is sounded, which arouses the keeper below to mount guard. 

 We have been more particular in noticing this, both on account 

 of the science displayed in the apparatus, and also as a proof of 



