MR. rudyard's lighthouse. 209 



to keep it steady. It was more than sixty feet 

 high, and was so contrived, that there was 

 little about it, of which the storm could lay 

 hold. On the top of this was the lantern, an 

 octagon, or eight-sided figure, which, with its 

 burners, would give the needful ray to warn 

 mariners of the hidden danger beneath. And 

 this masterpiece of skill continued to brave the 

 storms for nearly fifty years, when it was de- 

 stroyed by a most surprising circumstance, 

 which certainly had not entered into the ex- 

 pectations of the builder." Here Harry read 

 us an abstract of the account, given by Mr. 

 Smeaton, who built the present lighthouse. 



On the 22d of August, 1755, the workmen 

 returned on shore, having finished all necessary 

 repairs for that season. All appeared to be 

 right, excepting that a brick or two had been 

 displaced from the kitchen fire-place by a late 



p 



