30 SMEATON'S LIGHTHOUSE ON THE EDDYSTONE. PART VI. 



could only act edgeways, he conceived that he would 

 be enabled to erect a building of a strength sufficient to 

 resist the strongest force of winds and waves that was 

 likely to be brought against it. 



Having thus thought out the subject, and deliberately 

 matured his views carefully studying, amongst other 

 works, ' Wren's Parentalia ' and Price's account of the 

 building of Salisbury Cathedral he proceeded to design 

 a lighthouse on the principles we have thus summarily 

 indicated ; and, with a few modifications rendered neces- 

 sary by the situation and the various circumstances 

 which presented themselves in the course of the work, 

 he proceeded to carry his design into effect in the 

 building of the third Eddy stone Lighthouse. 



All this had been done before Mr. Smeaton had even 

 paid a visit to the site on which the lighthouse was to 

 be built. The difficulty of reaching the place was great, 

 and his time was precious. Besides, he thought it best 

 to prepare himself for his first visit by completing his 

 thorough preliminary investigation of the whole case. 

 It was not until the end of March, 1756, that he set out 

 from London to Plymouth for the purpose of making 

 his first inspection of the rock. He was no less than six 

 days in performing the journey, of which he says, " I had 

 nothing to regret but the loss of time that I suffered, 

 which was occasioned chiefly by the badness of the roads." 

 At Plymouth he met Mr. J osias Jessop, to whom he had 

 been referred for information as to the previous light- 

 house. Mr. Jessop was then a foreman of shipwrights, 

 called a quarterman, in Plymouth Dock a man of much 

 modesty, integrity, and ingenuity in mechanical matters. 1 

 Mr. Smeaton also found him to be a competent draughts- 

 man and an excellent modeller, and he cheerfully ac- 

 knowledged the great assistance which he obtained from 

 him during the progress of the work. Smeaton showed 



1 His son, William Jessop, the en- I and afterwards rose to great eminence 

 gineer, became a pupil of Smeaton's, | in the profession. 



