C II KEITH. 



11 



farther U set 



no wall 



3S;. 



so that the New haven fakers are 

 an fined to their employment as pi- 

 lots, or to the dredging for oysters. At present codling* 

 halibut, large eoalfish, and skate, excepting at certain 

 seasons, when the latter come up the Frith to spawn, are 

 only to be met with in the deep sea as far off as UM 

 Bell-reek. To account for thia change, the fishermen 

 have the (allowing theory : They suppose, frosn the 

 w^g^^ra^ of U*e^wh^ anchor u,Lth 

 roads, and the mere free/sea* discharge of gun* msm 

 l fieb are at^ensad from nanae- oa] 



' war, tkat the fish are p 

 this ground. The number of seats, however, which 

 hjsmt the sea rack* in the neighbourhood of Inchkeith, 

 ^Hptainly not leaf, especially in winter, as TO of these 

 Kelt have, been counted upon one rock by the writer 

 of this article. The teala indeed may rather be sup. 

 posed to bar* increased of law rears, aa UM liiaVm 

 which formerly played about the Bell-rock, have at. 

 jna] enj ; ,. t ,rr. ,i .: shmj tU- sjajsj u : |hj lijhjfc 

 bauae on that sock. 



The importance of the safety, and Jacilily of the na- 

 rigaawM of the Frith of Forth, will beat appear by view. 

 ing this great estuary as the principal inlet upon the 

 saatsrn coast af Great Britain, la- which ships m the 

 North Sea can fly set rifsgi hi Hafms of easternly di- 

 tions. Indrpenderrtly. thcrefrre. of thia FiilhopasV 

 tiM way to *o ipmi ulfliBw) of ccnijiawYCLeU coatN from 

 head) m Angmvshire, en the north, to hi. A bb/s- 

 Berwickshire, towards the lautk. with which 

 it is, in met, a matter of UM 

 to open the way . by tventf 

 for the' diiectien of the mariner to Laiah 

 at all tanea of tide, and m aM 



aj !:, 



,,r ' . 



rininc of ship is no longer safe or 

 snnsth ronds^nd when the river 1 1 

 IY Frith at* 



I 



Yar- 



UM Frith of Forth being 

 tail 



' -' 



The it4difh.is.Uatd, aware of UM I III gi of 

 of the Fnih of Forth upon gauajjl 



its 

 and these not being at first adequate to 



I 



with tha BghvbawM of Inchkekb. feem 

 itotbereadsafLeith. Upon an 

 ratien being pswentad (ram the Trinity " 



and the light fire cxhibked an Jl 5, to. period when 



,t -. .u.i :i i.rr I- .pi from an open cosi firr. 



M 



the rremng-af the 1st i 



There wae no bui 



read upon the Maand far the canvvyasMa of heavy mate* 

 rials to thr salt of the betiding; and if any such had e*- 

 ietad in U eiy wxie of this isimd. wwkh U indeed 



along with tha works of the fcislifltalisw/as net the 

 af theae works u i 1111 I, or oouU be 



darkness, or without the aid of light-houses, at the com- 

 mencement of the institution of the north light-houses. 

 When the works of Inchkeith, however, were under. 

 taken, the funds being in a more prosperous condition, 

 instead of two small apartment* for a single light-keep- 

 er, the plan of the bouses was now extended to the no 

 commodanonof a principal and an assrstantlight-keeper, 

 who now keep a constant watch, by night, in the light. 

 houses, in the same manner as is done on ship-board, 

 whan a vessel is at sea ; and the whole establishment is 

 now mare like the appointment of a public board. 

 The dwelling house at the light-house stations, instead 

 of exposing, as former ry, a long slated roof on a house 

 of one floor, it now built, as at Inchkeith, with two 

 atariee, or floors, and covered with a leaden roof. ( )n 

 the tame substantial plan the light-houses are construct. 

 ad; for inttsasl of UM roof of UM light-room being framed 

 with limber, end the windows glased with crown-glau, 

 that of Inchkeith is coanpneed of copper, and the win- 

 dows are glased with polished plate glass, of much 

 Wger disoensioas ; and the whole premises are, in a 

 great measure, isuasrsd fire proof, the floors being all 

 MM) with pavement, or flag stones, from the quarries 

 near Arbroeth. The building operations at Inchkeith 

 were greatly facilitated, and rendered much less expen. 

 aire. from having tha use of the stones of the old forti- 

 fication and wall*, which had been thrown down by an 

 act of the Scottish Parliament. The atones of the old 

 Cart had been cmamed, and taken from a bed of sand. 

 stone on tha island ; and the remains of these old quar. 



In UM original design of Inchkeith light, it was meant 

 to have bean built upon the plan of a doable, or lead- 

 ing light, by the erection of a second light- house, upon 

 UMprapdpatnns rack fitting the westward ; and, by keep- 

 ing both lights in a line, ships were to have been ena- 

 bled, nnder night, to peas the narrow channel, between 

 the island of Inchcmm. and the raawrnns rocks called 

 the Oxcaret ; but thia pan of the plan has never been 



When the present light-house was completed, it was > 

 what mm IB call a staoonary . or fixed light, and con- <* 

 tasnad 1C |pflatsar. made upon the peraboKe curve, ' 



strongly coated car plated with auVer> 

 of the hollow, or cavity of the reflector, being 

 lined with facets of mirror glass as formerly. Inch- 

 light i amain sal aa a atatmnaii light till the year 

 the light of Mar was altered 

 to a stationary light, with oil 

 became necessary to alter the 

 of Inchkeith light, from a stationary to a re- 

 volviag tight, agreeably to it* present appearance ; and, 

 with Una altaiaUau, sewn lafiictors, instead of the for. 

 are new round perfectly lafllrssnt The 



consists of a 



Inclik-itli. 





traced in 1MB, whan the bgbt-haose 

 aopleUly was this an 

 to snrah in the language of Dr. J 



tar masfing the light revolve, 



aieae of strong clock-work, kept 

 by a aatant, and curiously fitted with two gorer- 



t, or piece. 





in a earern in the rocks, near the math seal sin part of 

 the Wand, until they couhJ rear a temporary barrack 

 on tha tap of the island, near the ruina af the fort. 



nor*, open the plan of the 



ny wheat. 1 he reflectors are nH^ 



ia made to revolve periodically, upon a 

 distant observer, 



ed u 



instead of a 

 a horizontal 



of UM Lsgha-honee Board bad 



atwrnwrnwrnwi awkvMwtwf tt t VA ^atmwMsaV^afJeafam fclaT wMwB luBwft_ 



; and, froni the iwOrst state ef the ftmd, themwl 



tight annsssjiiMSefaUuiparaiyiia>uii,toan>sn 

 the imediate pwpose of the sUnsjswf; M the whew of 



the 



ting the Isle ot May, was in 



perpendicular axis, exhibhtng. to a di>un 

 the alternate effect of light and darkness, in a, very 

 aaulifhl and simple manner. The reflectors are 

 brought round in surceseinu to the eye of the observer, 

 and the sngwa, or interstice* between them, produces 

 the i fleet ef darkness, by which this light i- distingui<h- 

 ed fram the liglit of the M.- of May, and also from the 

 nwmerou* snrrounding lights on the opposite shone. 

 It it further of importance to remark bare, that thr 

 3 



