218 Mr. W. Eagle Clarke—^ Month 



main rccfj and is a massive structure 1G8 feet in liciglit, 

 Tlie gallery, which was the scene of my perambulations and 

 vigils, is 130 feet above the sea. The illuminating apparatus 

 consists of a double series of dioptric lenses, one plsacd above 

 the other, each furnished with a six-wick lamp, and deveolps 

 the enormous power of 80,000 candles. In clear weather, 

 however, only one lamp is used, full power being burnt when 

 the Breakwater Light at Plymouth, eleven miles distant, is 

 invisible. The light is concentrated into twelve brilliant 

 beams, arranged in pairs, which revolve slowly, taking three 

 minutes to make a complete circuit. On the adjacent reef 

 to the north, and about forty yards distant, stands the basal 

 portion of Smeaton's historic tower, erected in 1758 and in 

 use down to 1882, a memorial to the genius of the founder 

 of the science of lighthouse-engineering. 



Landing on the rock is somewhat exciting work, and is 

 effected from a surf-boat towed out by the relief steamer for 

 the purpose. This boat approaches the rock at low water, 

 and anchors some little distance off the lighthouse, while 

 those landing have to dangle from a loop in a rope, clinging 

 to the same with their hands as they pass over the inter- 

 vening surf, the rope being payed out from the boat and 

 hauled up by the winch in the lighthouse. The only real 

 difficulty about this novel method of landing is to get nicely 

 clear of the bow of the boat, and to avoid dropping into the 

 water when the order " heave away " is given to the men at 

 the winch. 



As I anticipated, I found the Eddystone to be favourably 

 situated for observing emigration, and, though it is probably 

 only one among many points at which the Channel is crossed 

 by birds on passage, yet its geographical position must be 

 regarded as somewhat exceptional, since many migrants which 

 have travelled along the west coast of Britain doubtless 

 proceed further south in its proximity. The waters of the 

 Channel in the longitude of the Eddystone — i. e. between the 

 easternmost point of the south coast of Cornwall and the 

 westernmost part of Brittany — are 115 miles in width. 



The amount of success which it was possible to achieve 



