600 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



gifted Thoreau, just published under the title of "Cape Cod;" and althong'h 

 since the time of his visit a more imposing- structure has arisen in the 

 place of the old lighthouse, the account ia so graphic, one feels after its 

 perusal, the satisfaction which he would probably have experienced by a 

 personal inspection of the premises. 



The Cape Cod Light. 



"The Highland Lighthouse, where. we were staying, is a substantial- 

 looking building of brick, painted white and surmounted by an iron cap. 

 Attached to it is the dwelling of the keeper, one story high, also of brick, 

 and built by Government. As we were going to spend the night in a light- 

 honse we wished to make the most of so novel an experience, and there- 

 fore told our host that we would like to accompany hiro. when he went to 

 light up. At rather earl}' candle-light he lighted a small Japan lamp, 

 allowing it to smoke rather more than we like on ordinary occasions, and 

 told us to follow him. He led the way first through his bedrooni, which 

 was placed nearest to the lighthouse, and then through a long, narrow, 

 covered passage way, between whitewashed walls like a prison entry, into 

 the lower part of the lighthouse, where many great butts of oil were 

 arranged around; a winding and open iron stairway, with a steadily increas- 

 ing scent of oil and lamp smoke, to a trap-door in an iron floor, and through 

 this into the lantern. It was a neat building, with everything in apple-pie 

 order, and no danger of anything rusting for want of oil. The light con- 

 sisted of fifteen argand lamps, placed within smooth concave' reflectors 

 twenty-one inches in diameter, and arranged in two horizontal circles, one 

 above the other, facing every way excepting directly down the Cape. 

 These were surrounded, at a distance of two or three" feet, by large plate- 

 glass windows, which defied the storms, with iron sashes, on which rested 

 the iron cap. All the iron work, except the floor, was painted white. And 

 thus the light house was completed. We walked slowly round in that nar- 

 row space as the keeper lighted each lamp in succession, conversing with 

 him at the same moment that many a sailor on the deep witnessed the 

 lighting of the Highland light. 



His duty was to fill and trim and light his lamps, and keep bright tho 

 reflectors. He filled them every morning, and trimmed them commonly 

 once in the course of the night. He complained of the quality of 

 the oil which was furnished. Tliis house consumes about eight hun- 

 dred gallons in a year, which cost not far from one dollar a gallon; but 

 .perhaps a few lives would be saved if better oil were provided. Another 

 lighthouse-keeper said that the same proportion of winter-strained oil 

 was sent to the southernmost lighthouse in the Union as to the most 

 northern. 



"Formerly, when this lighthouse had windows with small and thin panes, 

 a severe storm would sometimes break the glass, and then they were 

 obliged to put up a wooden shutter in haste to save their lights and reflec- 

 tors; and sometimes in tempests, when the mariner stood most in need of 

 thei- r uidance, they had thus nearly converted the lighthouse into a dark 

 lant^-.., which emitted only a few feeble rays, and those commonly on the 

 land or lee side. He spoke of the anxiety and sense of responsibility 



