204 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



flames was increasing, it is not to be wondered that 

 the terror and dismay of the three men increased 

 in proportion; so that they all found themselves in- 

 timidated, and glad to make their retreat from that 

 immediate scene of horror, into one of the rooms 

 below, where they would find themselves precluded 

 from doing any thing: for had they thrown down 

 ever so much water there, it could not have extin- 

 guished what was burning above them, nor indeed 

 produce any other effect than that of running down 

 into the rooms below, and from thence finally 

 through the staircase, back again into the sea. They 

 seem, therefore, to have had no other resource, or 

 means of retreat, than that of retiring downwards 

 from room to room, as the fire advanced over their 

 heads. How soon the fire was seen from the shore, 

 is not very certain; but early in the morning it was 

 perceived by some of the Cawsand fishermen, and 

 intelligence thereof given to Mr. Edwards of Rame, 

 in that neighbourhood, a gentleman of some fortune, 

 and more humanity. This prompted him immedi- 

 ately to send out a fishing boat and men, to the relief 

 of the people he supposed in distress upon the Eddy- 

 stone. The boat and men got thither about ten 

 o'clock, after the fire had been burning full eight 

 hours ; and in this time the three light-keepers were 

 not only driven from all the rooms, and the staircase, 

 but, to avoid the falling of the timber, and red-hot 

 bolts, &c., upon them, they were found sitting in the 

 hole or cove in the east side of the rock, under the 

 iron ladder, almost in a state of stupefaction, it being 

 then low water. At this time the wind was eastward, 

 and did not blow very fresh, but just hard enough to 

 make a landing upon the rock, at the proper landing- 

 place, quite impracticable, or attended with the ut- 

 most hazard. It, therefore, became a difficulty how 

 the men were to be taken off; for the ground-swell 

 upon the west side produced so great surf upon the 



