82 THE OCEAN 



every case the colour and duration of the lights 

 are recorded on charts and by this means a 

 mariner may always know where he is, if he 

 can see a lighthouse. Lightships are also 

 identified by their lights at night and in the 

 daytime they are recognised by their name and 

 number which are painted in huge letters and 

 figures upon their sides. The lightships serve 

 much the same purpose as the lighthouses and 

 in fact they are really floating lighthouses and 

 are placed on or near shoals, reefs, or bars 

 where it would be impractical or difficult to 

 build and maintain a lighthouse. Of course 

 every lighthouse and lightship must have some 

 one constantly in charge, for if the lights 

 should fail for even a few moments ships and 

 many lives might be lost and day and night, 

 through summer and winter, through storm 

 and calm, some one is constantly on watch in 

 every lighthouse and lightship along the 

 coasts. Where the lighthouses are on land the 

 life of the keeper, as he is called, is not so 

 hard or unpleasant for the lighthouses are 

 quite large and comfortable and are often sur- 

 rounded with flower and vegetable gardens, 



