come sufficiently near the rocks, and the these boats is especially presence of welcome in bad weather, as the only means of communication with the shore. During the season when birds migrate, the keeper who comes off duty at night often catches a number of them about the lantern, being attracted by the glare. At midnight last Christmas Eve, no fewer than three hundred lapwings, with a few larks, thrushes, and plovers, were secured in the course of a few hours. In winter months the men are fond of reading; but cards, draughts, bagatelle, and such hobbies as fretwork and picture-frame making offer superior attractions.
On a fine summer's day it is delightfully quiet in the lantern, the gentle lashing of the waves and subdued humming of the wind being the only sounds that reach the ear. But there are times, as the fury of the tempest beats upon the massive tower and the blinding flash of lightning permeates every apartment, when the men in their solitude cannot fail to be impressed by the mighty power and majesty of Nature's forces; 'tis then that the roaring sea rises mountains high, dashing with thundering roar upon the surrounding reef, the huge waves sometimes leaping up the tower to break with great force under the lantern gallery. It was a terrible experience, ever to be remembered by the light-keepers, when, on the night of the blizzard in March, 1891, the lantern was partly embedded in snow, entirely obscuring the light on one side, and effectually blocking up the exit. The storm was of such severity that nothing could be done to clear away the obstruction till the next morning, when the tempest had abated.
At midnight I turn into one of the berths, but my attempt to sleep begins as a failure, owing principally to the periodical clanking of the winding gear, and partly, no doubt, to the novelty of the situation; on the second night, however, I am more successful. Although busy during my stay with sketching and observations, I soon begin to feel that life in a lighthouse has its disadvantages, not the least of these being the sensation of extreme
