OF THE EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE TO THE TIME OF SMEATON.

The Eddystone Rocks--Their situation and dangerous
Character--The first Lighthouse by Winstanley--Its progress
and Completion--Its awful Fate--Rudyerd's Lighthouse--Description
of--Its Destruction by Fire--Smeaton appointed to construct a
New edifice.

The Eddystone Rocks are situated nearly S. S. W. from the middle of
Plymouth Sound, and at a distance from the port of Plymouth of nearly
fourteen miles. They are remarkable for the great variety of contrary
sets of the tide or current among them, and hence it is supposed they
derived their appellation. From various causes the currents in the
district of the channel where these rocks lie are so exceedingly
irregular, that it requires much knowledge of the local situation to
shun the dangers connected with them. Supposing a line to be drawn
between the Lizard and the Start points, the Eddystone rocks would be
found nearly on, or a little within that line. The nearest point of
land to these rocks is the promontory called Ram-head.

As the Eddystone rocks lie nearly in the direction of ships coasting
up and down the channel, they were, previous to the erection of the
lighthouse, extremely dangerous, and often fatal to ships,
particularly to such as were homeward bound from foreign parts; so
that many rich vessels were actually lost on these rocks, it being not
unusual for the most careful mariner to run his vessel upon them
during the night, or in foggy weather at high water, when the whole
ranges of the rocks are entirely covered.

If the situation of the Eddystone rocks be considered with reference
to the ocean and the Bay of Biscay, it will be seen that they lie
exposed to the great and heavy swells which come in from all the
south-western points of the compass. Indeed, it is a fact well known
to mariners, that all the heavy seas from those quarters come
uncontrolled upon these rocks, and break on them with the utmost fury.
The particular conformation of the rocks also tends to augment the
force and height of the seas, for they not only stretch across the
channel in a north and south direction to the length of above one
hundred fathoms, but they lie in a sloping manner toward the
south-west quarter. The effect of this slope in stormy weather is to
increase the swell of the seas to a frightful extent; and even in calm
weather, when the sea is to all appearance smooth and unruffled, the
gr