orth shore, passing a buoy which Paul Truck said was called
"No Man's Land." Thence onwards, close by the Warner lightship.

As we wanted to see a lightship, the yacht was hove-to, and we went
alongside in the boat. She was a stout, tub-like, Dutch-built-looking
vessel, with bow and stern much alike, and rising high out of the water,
which is very necessary, considering the heavy seas to which she is at
times exposed. The master, who knew Paul Truck, was very glad to see
us, and at once offered to show us all over the vessel.

The light was in a sort of huge lantern, now lowered on deck; but at
night it is hoisted to the top of the mast, thirty-eight feet above the
water, so that it can be seen at a distance of eight miles. It is what
is called a reflecting light. I will try and describe it.

Within the lantern are a certain number of lights and reflectors, each
suspended on gimbals, so that they always maintain their perpendicular
position, notwithstanding the rolling of the vessel. Each of these
lights consists of a copper lamp, placed in front of a saucer-shaped
reflector. The lamp is fed by a cistern of oil at the back of the
reflector. This being a revolving light, a number of reflectors were
fixed to the iron sides of a quadrangular frame, and the whole caused to
revolve once every minute by means of clockwork. The reflectors on each
side of the revolving frame--eight in number--are thus successively
directed to every point in the horizon; and the combined result of their
rays form a flash of greater or less duration, according to the rapidity
of their revolution. In the fixed lights eight lamps and reflectors are
used, and are arranged in an octagonal lantern; they do not differ much
in appearance from the others.

The master told us that the invention was discovered very curiously. A
number of scientific gentlemen were dining together at Liverpool--a
hundred years ago--when one of the company wagered that he would read a
newspaper at the distance of two hundred feet by the light of a farthing
candle. The rest of the party said that he would not. He perhaps had
conceived the plan before. Taking a wooden bowl, he lined it with
putty, and into it embedded small pieces of looking-glass, by which
means a perfect reflector was formed; he then placed his rushlight in
front of it, and won his wager. Among the company was Mr William
Hutchinson, dock-master of Liverpool, who seizing the idea, made use of