The watch-room floor is of iron and supported upon a Watch-room. system of radiating and concentric beams. The watchroom is fitted up with supplies for use in the lantern, viz, oil, burners, and chimneys, and skins and cloths for cleaning the metal-work and glass of the lantern and lens.

The lantern is of the size heretofore described, viz, 14 Lantern. feet in diameter, and it has diagonal sash-bars of steel.

On the cliff in frout of the tower is a Holmes fog-horn, Fog-horn. sounded in foggy weather by means of the engine for driving the magneto-electric machines. An ingenious contrivance of the inventor makes the down-strokes of the plungers of the air-pump slow and the up-strokes quick. This is Invention for done by means of three eccentric cog-wheels, the middle pump. one (the driving-wheel) of which gives motion to the two others, to which are connected the shafts of the pumps. The cost of the station is given as follows:

operating the air

Building-works.....

£7, 150

Lantern, dioptric apparatus, &c..

$35, 750 electric light.

Cost of station with revolving

3, 436

Electric apparatus, machinery, &c. ...

17, 180

4, 100

Miscellaneous...

20, 500

Deducting about £750 ($3,750) on account of difference in cost of revolving and fixed dioptric apparatus, and also the cost of revolving machinery, the above sum would indicate the approximate cost in England of a fixed magnetoelectric light.

ers appointed for

Electric lights, being considered more important than The best keepothers, receive the preference in appointment of keepers, electric lights. and the most competent are appointed for these stations, their salaries exceeding that of keepers of their grade at other lights 10 per cent.

principal keeper.

Each electric light-station is in the immediate charge of a Engineer the principal keeper, who is called an engineer.

of

keepers at elec

At South Foreland, where there are two lights, six assist-Number ants are allowed; at Dungeness, five; and at Souter Point, tric lights. four.

in

charge of the en

At these lights the engineer has sole charge, and is Station responsible for the premises, property, and stores, as well gineer. as for the proper service and efficiency of the light. When he is absent the senior assistant takes his place. He is not required to keep watch, but must visit the lantern and engine-room at various times during the night, besides the regular visits at the end of each four-hour watch; and must always be present in the engine-room when preparing for lighting.

Watches of The assistants take equal watches of four hours each, one keepers at electric lights. in the engine-room and one in the lantern. Engines and boilers.

The engines and boilers are worked alternately, one each week. Steam is to be up in one boiler (the other boiler being filled and the fire ready for lighting) and the magneto-electric machines ready for starting five minutes before Time of light sunset. The lamp is lighted at sunset and extinguished at sunrise.

ing and extin guishing.

Observation of the light at night.

Observing the effect of the red cut.

Light obscured by the fog and smoke.

In case of accident to any part of the electric apparatus, the oil-lamps must be immediately substituted for the electric lamps, and to keep them in perfect order, it is required that they be lighted and kept perfectly in focus for one hour (during the day) once a week.

After leaving the Tyne at night we stood off from Souter Point to observe the light from the sea, and it certainly surpassed in brilliancy any I have ever seen, being so bright that at a distance of several miles well-defined shadows were cast upon the deck of the Vestal.

We afterward took the pinnace of the Vestal and steamed into the white and the red lights from the low light, and across the "red cut" several times and in different directions. We found it quite well defined, so that no vessel in a clear night when observing the sailing-directions could get into the dangers which the low lights are designed to point out.

Admiral Collinson had given directions to have the fog. trumpet sounded when the keepers should observe the Vestal, but we were probably too far off while observing the light from the sea, for we did not hear it.

As before observed, we visited this light on our return voyage from the north, but it had happened that, on going to the north, it being thick and rainy, a dense cloud of fog and smoke shut down over the sea before we arrived off Souter Point, and we ran in toward the land, passing the light as we supposed within three miles, but did not see it. Finding our position after reaching the mouth of the Tyne, we ran back toward Souter, and in, as far as was thought safe on account of the dangerous rocks in the vicin Impossibility ity, but still could not see the light. This confirmed the of penetrating fog by any light. Opinion of the Elder Brethren as well as of ourselves, that

Utility of low lights and red cuts.

there is no light which will penetrate a fog, and all that is possible in light-house illumination is to make light sufficiently powerful to be depended upon in all sorts of thick weather up to the impenetrable limit.

There can be no doubt of the utility of the low light and the "red cut" in pointing out dangers within range of a