SME 
public is chiefly indebted for the improve- 
ments that have been made there within 
these few years, which fully appears in a 
report that Mr. Sinealon gave in to the 
board of trustees in 1791, which they im- 
mediately published. 
Mr. Smeaton being at Austliovpe, walk- 
ing in his garden, on tlie 16th of September, 
1792, was struck with the palsy, and died 
the 28th of October. “ In his illness,” says 
Mr. Holmes, “ I had several letters from 
him, signed with his name, but written and 
signed by another’s pen ; the diction of 
them showed that the strength of his mind 
had not left him. In one written the §6th 
of September, after minutely describing 
his health and feelings, he says, ‘ In conse- 
quence of the foregoing, I conclude myself 
nine-tenths dead ; and the greatest favour 
the Almighty can do me, as I think, will 
be to complete the other part ; but as it is 
likely to be a lingering illness, it is only in 
his power to say when that is likely to hap- 
pen’.” 
Mr. Smeaton had a warmth of expression 
that might appear to those who did not 
know him well to border on harshness ; but 
those more intimately acquainted with him 
knew that it arose from the intense applica- 
tion of his mind, which was always in the 
pursuit of truth, or engaged in investigating 
difficult subjects. He would sometimes 
break out hastily, when any thing was said 
that did not tally with his ideas ; and he 
would not give up any thing he argued for, 
till his, mind was convinced by sound rea- 
soning. In all the social duties of life he 
was exemplary ; he was a most affectionate 
husband, a good father, a warm, zealous, 
and sincere friend, always ready to assist 
those he respected, and often before it was 
pointed out to him in what way he could 
serve them. He was a lover and encou- 
rager of merit wherever he found it ; and 
many men are in a great measure indebted 
to his assistance and advice for their present 
situation. As a companion, he was always 
entertaining and instructive ; and none 
could spend any time in his presence with- 
out improvement. 
As a civil engineer, he was perhaps unri- 
valled, certainly not excelled by any one, 
either of the present or former times. His 
building the Eddystone light house, were 
there no other monument of his fame, 
would establish his character. The Eddy- 
stone rocks have obtained their name from 
the great variety of contrary sets of the 
tide or current in their vicinitv. They are 
VOL. VI. 
SME 
situated nearly S. S. W. from the middle of 
Plymoutli Sound. Their distance from the 
port of Plymouth is about 14 miles. They . 
are almost in the line which joins the Start 
and the Lizard Points ; and as they lie 
nearly in the direction of vessels coasting 
up and down the channel, they were un- 
avoidably, before the establishnient of a 
light-house there, very dangerous, and ofteri 
fatal to ships. Their situation with reprd 
to the Bay of Biscay &nd the Atlantic is 
such, that they lie open to the swells of the 
bay and ocean, from all the south-western 
points of the compass ; so that all the heavy 
seas from the south-west quarter come un- 
controlled upon the Eddystone rocks, and 
break upon them with the utmost fury. 
Sometimes, when the' sea is to all appear- 
ance smooth and 6ven, and its surface un- 
ruffled by the slightest breeze, the ground 
swell meeting the slope of the rocks, the 
sea beats upon them in a frightful manner, 
so as not only to obstruct any work being 
done on the rock, or even landing upon it, 
when, figuratively speaking, you might go 
to sea in a walnntTshell. That circum- 
stances fraught with danger surrounding it 
should excite mariners to wish for a light- 
house, is not wonderful; but the danger at- 
tending the erection leads us to wonder 
that any ohe could be found hardy enougli 
to undertake it. Such a man was fii-st 
found in the person of Mr. H. Winstanley, 
who, in the year 1696, was furnished by th« 
Trinity House with the necessary powers. 
In 1700 it was finished ; but in the great 
storm of November, 1703, it was destroyed, 
and the projector perished in the ruins. In 
1709 another, upon a different construction, 
was erected by a Mr. Rudyerd, which, in 
1755, was unfortunately consumed by fire. 
The next building was, as we have seen, un- 
der the direction of Mr. Smeaton, who, 
having considered the errors of the former 
constructions,hasjudiciously guarded against 
them, and erected a building, the demoli- 
tion of which seems little to be dreaded, 
unless the rock on which it is erected 
should perish with it. Of his works, in 
constructing bridges, harbours, mills, en- 
gines, &c. &c. it were endless to speak. 
Of his inventions and improvements of phi- 
losophical instruments, as of the air pump, 
the pyrometer, hygrometer, &c. &c. some 
idea may be formed from the list of his 
writings. See Hutton’s Diet. 
SMELL, sense of. The sense of smell is 
very nearly allied to that of taste, and in- 
deed many of those pleasurable sensations 
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