166 MR. RICHARD ROBERTS ON PROPOSED 
XIII. — Proposed Improvemenis in Pharology. 
By Ricwarp Roserts, M. Inst. C. E. 
Read March 8th, 1859. 
Tue well-authenticated fact that the great majority of 
wrecks and collisions occur in the immediate vicinity of 
the lighthouses intended to guard against them, has caused 
of late many schemes to be propounded for the improve- 
ment of our present system of Pharology. Amongst these, 
that of Mr. Herbert, of the Admiralty, is, I think, the 
most deserving of attention, as there can be no doubt that 
most of these disasters have been occasioned by the uni- 
versal practice of sailing along the coasts within sight of 
the lights and taking a fresh course when the general 
trend of the coast changes its direction; thus involving 
the necessity of nice calculation or great knowledge of the 
coast, often unavailing through ignorance or want of care 
on the part of those navigating in an opposite direction. 
Mr. Herbert proposes to moor in a direct line up the 
English and other Channels a series of floating lighthouses 
qf I may use the term) of such character and power of 
illumination that they shall no longer be rivalled by the 
lights carried by steamers, which are now often mistaken 
for them. With this suggestion I most cordially agree, 
and I think that were such a line of lights once established, 
making it imperative that all vessels leave them on the 
port hand, we should see in a future record of collision 
and wreck a far smaller list of calamities than we now find 
crowded around our lighthouses. My attention was first 
called to this subject by a paper read by a Mr. Murphy in 
