390 POPULAR LECTURES AND ADDRESSES. 



off, it is obvious that the lighthouse in merely 

 letting its light be seen, had achieved but a small 

 part of the task to be achieved. I do not want to 

 take the "ungracious part of criticising or saying 

 anything has been done less well than it should be 

 done ; nor do I want to be behind in expressing my 

 cordial and most sincere admiration of the great 

 work which has been done for the world by the 

 lighthouse boards of this country by the Trinity 

 Board, the Board of Northern Lights, the Commis- 

 sioners of Irish Lights, and, not least in intensity, 

 if not so great as the others in quantity, of good 

 done, by the Clyde Navigation Trustees. But I 

 must say that there has not been among lighthouse 

 authorities hitherto quite enough of determination 

 to make the very most of the distinctive character 

 and the possibilities of giving a distinctive character, 

 to their lights that science and common-sense 

 placed before them. There is too much, perhaps, 

 of the idea of saving oil, or of making a certain 

 quantity of oil go a great way, and not quite 

 enough of the idea that the object of the lighthouse 

 after all is to be known, and that to be seen without 



