operation (to leave it swinging would be out
of the question, as it would soon be knocked
to atoms) was found to be a work of so
much difficulty, that Captain Poulter at
length devised an alteration in the construction
of the globe, by which it should be taken up
one half at a time, and then fixed on the top of
the topmast. The man who first performed
this experiment, found that he could not iix
the globe without standing in the inside of
one half while he fastened up the other. This
being successfully done, it then occurred to
him, and to all those on deck who were looking
on, that there had been no provision for
his getting out! There stood the man in the
globe-cage at the tip-top of the topmast, in a
situation at once painful and ludicrous- so
excellently had he fastened himself in this
novel prison. After a time, he was enabled
to break out and come down, and the
globe has now a little trap-door underneath.
These hoop globes are of great use, being
visible from a great distance at sea. A flag
is not visible far off, as it straightens in the
direction of the wind. Many of the buoys
display a hoop-globe of similar construction
on the top of an iron rod sticking out of their
heads.

In the exposed and stormy positions where
most of the light-ships are destined to be
moored, they are continually exposed to
tossing seas, and to waves running completely
over the decks- and this for days together.
Every precaution is taken to keep out the
sea from the interior of the vessel, where
men are destined to live under such tempestuous
circumstances, cut off from all the
rest of the world. The decks are saturated
all over with a mixture of resin and turpentine,
so as to render them impervious to wet,
and not only is each hatchway carefully
defended, but even the apertures through
which the mooring-cables pass up from below,
are protected by iron hoods, like helmets of a
primitive form.

The crew of the light-ship is composed
of eleven inen, with a mate and captain.
They are all picked men, as to character;
and to provide against illness, as well as to
break the monotony of the life, seven only
remain on board at a time, and four ashore,
always ready to attend a summons. Here
then, in some position of the most dangerous
kind, on the most dangerous part of our
dangerous coast, does the light-ship ride-
or rather toss, roll, heave, and plunge- at
anchor; battered by the raging seas, howled
round by the raging winds, threatened at all
times by wreck upon the lee of those very
sands or rocks she is placed to warn others
to avoid, and remaining fixed at her post in
"thunder, lightning, or in rain," even while
the "hurly-burly" of the elements seems determined
at every moment to drive her to
utter destruction, Great care, however, is
taken to provide for her safety, as far as
practicable. She is always moored by the
mushroom anchor, and anchors of a ton
weight.

The fitting-up of the interior is of the most
careful and ingenious description. The
berths, the mess-table, and seats (all fixtures),
the lockers, the oil-room, with its tanks, each
with a copper trough under its nose, to prevent
the least waste or uncleanliness; the
copper oil-measures "all of a row;" the spare
hoop-globes for the topmasts, made to collapse,
so as to present a flat surface, and thus occupy
much less space; Captain Poulter's iron invention
for securing any link of a chain-cable
which may be thought faulty, so that it cannot
break; the rocket-store; the life-preservers;
the powder-magazine; the obviously
pervading system that there is a place for
everything, and everything must be in its
place,- all these things denote a degree of
foresight and order that reflect the highest
credit upon the service, as well as the officer
who superintends them.

The men are promoted according to seniority
and good conduct. It is a high honour
to be made a lamp-lighter. He must be a
steady man, of much light-boat experience,
and be able to read and write. Why must a
man be able to read and write in order to
rise to the post of a lamp-lighter, we enquired?
We were informed that it was expected of
him to keep a reckoning of his "oil and
wicks," of which a strict account was always
required. The senior lamp-lighter becomes
mate; the senior mate becomes master.

In vessels requiring such an exact performance
of duties, where great precision like
this, relating to all the lamps and their apparatus,
is imperatively necessary, in addition
to the care of the ship under her perilous
circumstances; it may be imagined that many
hours of the time not devoted to sleep are
fully occupied. Still, there will be spare
time; and the men are ordered to make mats
and other articles. Still, there will be more
spare time; and as this might be filled up by
"grog and tobacco," it has been thought prudent
to encourage reading, writing, and the
employment of leisure in any sort of industry
for which the men have a "turn." This has
brought to light many an original genius (of
a sort), and some have had a sudden fancy
that they could paint a portrait, or a ship-wreck,
or a church, with a sailor and his lass
going to be married; and others have shone
forth as makers of nautical Tonbridge-ware;
some have knitted purses and stockings, and
nightcaps and comforters; and others have
made shoes and ankle-jacks- to say nothing
of "fashionable" coats and trousers- all self-taught.
Occasionally the heterogeneous collection
of these works of art and utility which
is brought ashore as the product of the extra
spare time, forms an exhibition of an amusing,
and yet more interesting kind, as the product
of those honest active minds, and huge mahogany
hands.

These Light-ships, thus nobly manned, are