Some Account of the Northern Light-houses. 115 



tion of these celebrated edifices, that while the water rises in 

 spring-tides about twelve feet over the Bell Rock, the top of the 

 Eddystone rock is never entirely covered by the tide. Mr 

 Stevenson, however, taking a liberal view of the subject, con- 

 cludes, that, from the smallness of the Eddystone rock, the diffi- 

 culties experienced by Mr Smeaton were even greater than his 

 own in the erection of the Bell Rock Light-house. The execu- 

 tion of this last work occupied about four years ; but such were 

 the difficulties anticipated, that the arrangements of the work- 

 yard, &c. were made upon a scale of seven years' duration. The 

 cost was L. 61,331 : 9 : 2, toward which Government, at five per 

 cent interest, lent the sum of L. 30,000. But the Board did 

 not yet rest upon its oars ; it completed an important transac- 

 tion with the heirs of the Scotstarvit family, and, under the sanc- 

 tion of Government, paid L. 60,000 as a compensation for the 

 light-duties of the Isle of May, by which (as already men- 

 tioned), the trade was relieved of the heavy duty of three-half- 

 pence per ton, and the toll reduced to one halfpenny. Upon 

 completing this transaction, measures were immediately taken for 

 the erection of a new light-house, with all the modern improve- 

 ments, and the old tower was converted into a pilot's guard- 

 room. The new light was exhibited upon the 1st of February 

 1816, and upon the same night the open coal fire was extin- 

 guished, after having been continued one hundred and eighty- 

 one years. 



From the celebrity of the works of the Northern Lights' 

 Commission, and the confidence reposed in that Board, the 

 trade of Liverpool applied to it to erect light-houses upon the 

 Isle of Man for the protection of their shipping in the Irish sea. 

 An act of Parliament was accordingly procured; and three 

 light-houses were erected, two upon the Calf of Man and one 

 at the Point of Ayre. 



The attention of the Board was next directed to the Shetland 

 Islands, where a light-house was placed upon the lofty pinnacle 

 of Sumburgh Head, forming the southern extremity of that 

 group of islands. It may here be proper to notice, that no ad- 

 ditional duty is levied for any new light-houses erected by the 

 Board on the coast of Scotland, the whole being now maintained 

 from the surplus duties. Since 1821, when the fight of Sum- 

 burgh was exhibited, lights have been erected upon the Island of 



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