R. M. Ballantyne
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands
Preface
This tale, readerif you read it throughwill give you some insight into 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 youif you dont skipa general idea of the life and adventures of some of the men who have manned these interesting and curious craft in time past, as well as give you some account of the sayings and doings of several other personages more or less connected with our coasts. May you read it with pleasure and profit, andmay your shadow never be less.
I gratefully express my acknowledgment and tender my best thanks to the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House, to whose kindness I am indebted 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; and to Robin Allen, Esquire, Secretary to the Trinity House, 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 extremely kind manner in which he afforded me every facility for visiting the various light-vessels and buoys of his district, and for observing the nature and duties of the service.
To the master of the Gull, whose bunk I occupied while he was on shoreto Mr John Leggett, the mate, who was in command during the period of my visitand to the men of the Floating-light I have to offer my heartfelt thanks for not only receiving me with generous hospitality, but for treating me with hearty goodwill during my pleasant sojourn with them in their interesting and peculiar home.
My best thanks, for much useful and thrilling information, are due to Mr Isaac Jarman, the coxswain, and Mr Fish, the bowman, of the Ramsgate 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 systematically grapple with Death and rob him of his prey. To the Harbour Master, and Deputy Harbour Master at Ramsgate, I am also indebted for information and assistance, and to Mr Reading, the master of the Aid steam-tug, which attends upon, and shares the perils of, the Lifeboat.
R.M. Ballantyne .
Edinburgh, 1870 .
Chapter One.
Particular Inquiries
A lightclear, ruddy and brilliant, like a huge carbuncleuprose one evening from the deep, and remained hovering about forty feet above the surface, scattering its rays far and wide, over the Downs to Ramsgate and Deal, along the coast towards Dover, away beyond the North Foreland, across the Goodwin Sands, and far out upon the bosom of the great North Sea.
It was a chill November evening, when this light arose, in the yearwell, it matters not what year. We have good reasons, reader, for shrouding this point in mystery. It may have been recently; it may have been long, long ago. We dont intend to tell. It was not the first time of that lights appearance, and it certainly was not the last. Let it suffice that what we are about to relate did happen, sometime or other within the present century.
Besides being cold, the evening in question was somewhat stormygusty, as was said of it by a traveller with a stern visage and remarkably keen grey eyes, who entered the coffee-room of an hotel which stood on the margin of Ramsgate harbour facing the sea, and from the upper windows of which the light just mentioned was visible.
It is, sir, said the waiter, in reply to the gusty observation, stirring the fire while the traveller divested himself of his hat and greatcoat.
Think its going to blow hard? inquired the traveller, planting himself firmly on the hearth-rug, with his back to the fire, and his thumbs hooked into the armholes of his waistcoat.
It may, sir, and it may not, answered the waiter, with the caution of a man who has resolved, come what may, never to commit himself. Sometimes it comes on to blow, sir, wen we dont look for it; at other times it falls calm wen we least expects it. I dont pretend to understand much about the weather myself, sir, but I shouldnt wonder if it was to come on to blow ard. It aint an uncommon thing at Ramsgate, sir.
The traveller, who was a man of few words, said Humph! to which the waiter dutifully replied Yessir, feeling, no doubt, that the observation was too limited to warrant a lengthened rejoinder.
The waiter of the Fortress Hotel had a pleasant, sociable, expressive countenance, which beamed into a philanthropic smile as he added
Can I do anything for you, sir?
Yestea, answered the traveller with the keen grey eyes, turning, and poking the fire with the heel of his boot.
Anything with it, sir? asked the waiter with that charmingly confident air peculiar to his class, which induces one almost to believe that if a plate of elephants foot or a slice of crocodiles tail were ordered it would be produced, hot, in a few minutes.
Dyou happen to know a man of the name of Jones in the town? demanded the traveller, facing round abruptly.
The waiter replied that he had the pleasure of knowing at least seven Joneses in the town.
Does one of the seven deal largely in cured fish and own a small sloop? asked the traveller.
Yessir, he do, but he dont live in Ramsgate; he belongs to Yarmouth, sir, comes ere only now and then.
Dyou know anything about him?
No, sir, he dont frequent this otel.
The waiter said this in a tone which showed that he deemed that fact sufficient to render Jones altogether unworthy of human interest; but I believe, he added slowly, that he is said to ave plenty of money, bears a bad character, and is rather fond of his bottle, sir.
You know nothing more?
Nothing, sir.
Ham and eggs, dry toast and shrimps, said the keen-eyed traveller in reply to the reiterated question.
Before these viands were placed on the table the brief twilight had passed away and darkness en-shrouded land and sea. After they had been consumed the traveller called for the latest local paper, to which he devoted himself for an hour with unflagging zealreading it straight through, apparently, advertisements and all, with as much diligence as if it were a part of his professional business to do so. Then he tossed it away, rang the bell, and ordered a candle.
I suppose, he said, pointing towards the sea, as he was about to quit the room, that that is the floating light?
It is one of em, sir, replied the waiter. There are three lights on the sands, sir; the Northsan ead, the Gull-stream, and the Southsan ead. That one, sir, is the Gull.
How far off may it be?
About four miles, sir.
What is the mates name?
Welton, sir, John Welton.
Is he aboard just now?
Yessir, its the masters month ashore. The master and mate ave it month an month about, sirone month afloat, next month ashore; but it seems to me, sir, that they have arder work wen ashore than they ave wen afloatlookin after the Trinity stores, sir, an goin off in the tender to shift and paint the buoys an such like; but then you see, sir, wen its their turn ashore they always gits home to spend the nights with their families, sir, wich is a sort of compensation, as it were,thats where it is, sir.