INTRODUCTION. Xlll 



invisible ; or a storm may drive a vessel on a lee shore in 

 spite of any light. It might be said that wrecks should 

 never occur from the first of these causes, viz., a mariner 

 mistaking his light ; but sailors are sometimes careless, like 

 other people, and only learn their lesson when too late. It is 

 different, however, when a master or officer has been storm 

 tossed, probably for many days and nights, without seeing 

 the sun or stars to give him an idea of his whereabouts. 

 Suddenly the fog lifts a little and he sees a gleam of light 

 which, in the anxious state of his mind, he supposes to be 

 one which he thinks he ought to be approaching, and then 

 taking, as he supposes, his correct course, runs on the rocks. 

 Such a case occurred about five years ago, when the s.s. 

 Labrador, bound from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Liverpool, 

 was lost on the Skerryvore reef. The captain had not been 

 able for many days to take an observation owing to fog, 

 and the tide had evidently carried him further to the north 

 than he reckoned on, when suddenly the light of Skerryvore 

 appeared, and mistaking it for a light on the north coast of 

 Ireland, he unfortunately altered his course, with the result 

 that the ship ran on a portion of the Skerryvore reef and 

 became a total wreck. Fortunately, all on board were 

 saved. Two boat-loads of crew and passengers were picked 

 up by a steamer and landed on the Island of Mull ; while 

 another boat, containing the remainder, eighteen in all, 

 reached the rock where the lighthouse stood, and, assisted 

 by the lightkeepers, landed and found shelter there, and 

 had all their wants attended to till the lighthouse steamer 

 Hesperus went to their assistance and took them to Oban. 

 Many acts of heroism since that of Grace Darling have been 

 performed by lightkeepers in saving life from shipwreck, and 

 have been suitably acknowledged by the Lifeboat Institution 

 or Humane Society. A short time ago, two daughters of the 



