The floating light of the goodwin sands

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Title:TheFloatingLightoftheGoodwinSands
Author:R.M.Ballantyne
ReleaseDate:June7,2007[EBook#21735]
Language:English

***STARTOFTHISPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKTHEFLOATINGLIGHT***

ProducedbyNickHodsonofLondon,England


R.M.Ballantyne


"TheFloatingLightoftheGoodwinSands"
Preface.
Thistale,reader—ifyoureaditthrough—willgiveyousomeinsightinto
the condition, value, and vicissitudes of the light-vessels, or floating
lighthouses, which guard the shores of this kingdom, and mark the
dangerous shoals lying off some of our harbours and roadsteads. It will
also convey to you—if you don’t skip—a general idea of the life and
adventuresofsomeofthemenwhohavemannedtheseinterestingand
curious craft in time past, as well as give you some account of the
sayingsanddoingsofseveralotherpersonagesmoreorlessconnected

withourcoasts.Mayyoureaditwithpleasureandprofit,and—“mayyour
shadowneverbeless.”
I gratefully express my acknowledgment and tender my best thanks to
theElderBrethrenoftheTrinityHouse,towhosekindnessIamindebted
for having been permitted to spend a week on board the Gull-stream
light-vessel, one of the three floating-lights which mark the Goodwin
Sands;andtoRobinAllen,Esquire,SecretarytotheTrinityHouse,who
has kindly furnished me with valuable books, papers, and information. I
have also gratefully to tender my best thanks to Captain Valle, District
Superintendent under the Trinity House at Ramsgate, for the ready and
extremelykindmannerinwhichheaffordedmeeveryfacilityforvisiting
the various light-vessels and buoys of his district, and for observing the
natureanddutiesoftheservice.
TothemasteroftheGull,whose“bunk”Ioccupiedwhilehewasonshore
—toMrJohnLeggett,themate,whowasincommandduringtheperiod
of my visit—and to the men of the “Floating-light” I have to offer my
heartfelt thanks for not only receiving me with generous hospitality, but
fortreatingmewithheartygoodwillduringmypleasantsojournwiththem
intheirinterestingandpeculiarhome.
My best thanks, for much useful and thrilling information, are due to Mr
IsaacJarman,thecoxswain,andMrFish,thebowman,oftheRamsgate


Lifeboat-men who may be said to carry their lives continually in their
hands, and whose profession it is to go out at the call of duty and
systematicallygrapplewithDeathandrobhimofhisprey.TotheHarbour
Master,andDeputyHarbourMasteratRamsgate,Iamalsoindebtedfor
information and assistance, and to Mr Reading, the master of the Aid
steam-tug,whichattendsupon,andsharestheperilsof,theLifeboat.
R.M.Ballantyne.

Edinburgh,1870.

ChapterOne.
ParticularInquiries.
A light—clear, ruddy and brilliant, like a huge carbuncle—uprose one
eveningfromthedeep,andremainedhoveringaboutfortyfeetabovethe
surface, scattering its rays far and wide, over the Downs to Ramsgate
and Deal, along the coast towards Dover, away beyond the North
Foreland,acrosstheGoodwinSands,andfaroutuponthebosomofthe
greatNorthSea.
ItwasachillNovemberevening,whenthislightarose,intheyear—well,
it matters not what year. We have good reasons, reader, for shrouding
thispointinmystery.Itmayhavebeenrecently;itmayhavebeen“long,
long ago.” We don’t intend to tell. It was not the first time of that light’s
appearance,anditcertainlywasnotthelast.Letusedintheofficialversion
postedontheofficialProjectGutenberg-tmwebsite(www.gutenberg.org),
youmust,atnoadditionalcost,feeorexpensetotheuser,providea
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