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



" the first thing I saw was the horrible appearance of 

 breakers almost surrounding us ; John Bowden, one of 

 the seamen, crying out, ' For God's sake, heave hard at 

 that rope if you mean to save your lives ! ' I immedi- 

 ately laid hold of the rope, at which he himself was 

 hauling as well as the other seamen, though he was also 

 managing the helm. I not only hauled with all my 

 strength, but called to and encouraged the workmen to 

 do the same thing." The sea was now heard breaking 

 with tremendous violence and noise upon the rocks. In 

 this situation the jibsail was blown to pieces, and, to 

 save the mainsail, it was lowered, when fortunately the 

 vessel obeyed her helm and she rounded off. The night 

 was so dark that nothing of the land could be seen, and 

 the sailors did not know at what part of the coast they 

 were ; and in this uncertainty the vessel's head was put 

 round to sea again, the waves occasionally breaking 

 quite over her. At daybreak they found themselves 

 out of sight of land, and the vessel driving towards the 

 Bay of Biscay. Wearing ship, they stood once more 

 for the coast, and before night they sighted the Land's 

 End, but could not then make the shore. Another 

 night and day passed, and, a vessel coming within sight, 

 signals of distress were exhibited, and from her the 

 Neptune learned in what direction to steer for the 

 Scilly Islands. The wind coming round, however, they 

 bore up for the Land's End again, passed the Lizard, 

 then Deadman's Point, then Eame Head, and finally, 

 after having been blown about at sea for four days, they 

 came to an anchor in Plymouth Sound, greatly to the 

 joy of their friends, who had begun to despair of their 

 reappearance. 



The winter was fully occupied on shore in dressing 

 stones for the next summer's work. Mr. Smeaton him- 

 self laid out all the lines on the workroom floor, 1 in 



1 Mr. Smeaton had considerable I floor sufficiently large on which to fit 

 difficulty in finding a room with a | all the moulds together in the order 



