LIGHT-HOUSES. 5<Jl 



sometimes throw the whole rays of light into the air, and thus mis- 

 lead the bewildered seamen. This opinion, we know, was actually 

 entertained of them by one of the profoundest philosophers and 

 most scientific mechanicians of the age. Experience, however, 

 convinced him, as well as the public at large, (hat such apprehen- 

 sions are groundless, and that li^ht-houses with lamps and reflectors 

 are, in every point of view, preferable to those with fires burning 

 in the open air. Tl'ey are supported at much less expencej their 

 light is more brilliant, ami seen at a greater distance, whilst it can 

 never be obscured by smoke, or beaten down on the lee side by a 

 violt-nt gust of wind ; and what is perhaps of still greater import, 

 ance, the reflectors with their lamps may be so variously placed, 

 that one light-bouse cannot be mistaken for another. If we add 

 to all this, that the lamps do not stand in need of trimming so often 

 as open fires require fuel, and that the light-man is never exposed 

 either to cold or to wet by attending to his duty, we must be COB. 

 vinced that light-houses with reflectors are much less liable to be 

 neglected in stormy weather than those with open fires, and that 

 this circumstance alone would be enough to give the former a pre- 

 ference, almost incalculable, over the latter. 



According to Josephus one or two, and perhaps more, of the 

 watch-towers of Jerusalem were of this kind. He particularly 

 speaks of the Phaselus, which he describes as resembling the Pharos 

 near Alexandria, but much larger, and calculates it as a square 

 building of forty cubits or sixty feet on each side, and ninety cu- 

 bits or a hundred and thirty feet high. 



But the light. house of Pharos acquired a much higher celebrity. 

 It was commenced by Ptolemy Soter, and finished some years af. 

 terwards in the joint reign of himself and his son Ptolemy Pliila. 

 delphus. It is commonly called the Tower of Pharos, and was 

 counted by the ancients among the wonders of the world. It was 

 a large square structure of white marble, on the top of which fires 

 were kept Constantly burning for the direction of sailors. It cost 

 eight hundred talents, which, if they were Attic talents, amounts 

 to one hundred and sixty five thousand pounds sterling and up. 

 wards ; if Alexandrian, to twice that sum. The architect employed 

 by Ptolemy in tiiis wonderful structure, was Sostratus of Cnidus, 

 who by the following crafty device, attempted to usurp the whole 

 glory of it to himself. He was ordered to engrave on it the fol. 

 lowiug inscription ; " King Ptolemy to the gorls the . avioun for 

 the benefit of sailors ;" but instead of Ptolemy's name, he cut out 



