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to be with you； and that through the goodness of God we shall meet all
well。'
'There are two vessels lying here with emigrants for America； each
with eighty people on board； at all ages； from a few days to upwards of
sixty！ Their prospects must be very forlorn to go with a slender purse for
distant and unknown countries。'
‘LIGHTHOUSE YACHT； OFF GREENOCK； AUG。 18TH。
‘It was after CHURCH…TIME before we got here； but we had prayers
upon deck on the way up the Clyde。 This has； upon the whole； been a
very good voyage； and Captain Wemyss； who enjoys it much； has been an
excellent companion； we met with pleasure； and shall part with regret。'
Strange that； after his long experience； my grandfather should have
learned so little of the attitude and even the dialect of the spiritually…
minded； that after forty…four years in a most religious circle； he could drop
without sense of incongruity from a period of accepted phrases to ‘trust his
wife was GETTING UP HER SPIRITS；' or think to reassure her as to the
character of Captain Wemyss by mentioning that he had read prayers on
the deck of his frigate ‘AGREEABLY TO THE ARTICLES OF WAR'！
Yet there is no doubt … and it is one of the most agreeable features of the
kindly series … that he was doing his best to please； and there is little doubt
that he succeeded。 Almost all my grandfather's private letters have been
destroyed。 This correspondence has not only been preserved entire； but
stitched up in the same covers with the works of the godly women； the
Reverend John Campbell； and the painful Mrs。 Ogle。 I did not think to
mention the good dame； but she comes in usefully as an example。
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RECORDS OF A FAMILY OF ENGINEERS
Amongst the treasures of the ladies of my family； her letters have been
honoured with a volume to themselves。 I read about a half of them
myself； then handed over the task to one of stauncher resolution； with
orders to communicate any fact that should be found to illuminate these
pages。 Not one was found； it was her only art to communicate by post
second…rate sermons at second…hand； and such； I take it； was the
correspondence in which my grandmother delighted。 If I am right； that
of Robert Stevenson； with his quaint smack of the contemporary
‘Sandford and Merton；' his interest in the whole page of experience； his
perpetual quest； and fine scent of all that seems romantic to a boy； his
needless pomp of language； his excellent good sense； his unfeigned；
unstained； unwearied human kindliness； would seem to her； in a
comparison； dry and trivial and worldly。 And if these letters were by an
exception cherished and preserved； it would be for one or both of two
reasons … because they dealt with and were bitter…sweet reminders of a
time of sorrow； or because she was pleased； perhaps touched； by the
writer's guileless efforts to seem spiritually…minded。
After this date there were two more births and two more deaths； so that
the number of the family remained unchanged； in all five children
survived to reach maturity and to outlive their parents。
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RECORDS OF A FAMILY OF ENGINEERS
CHAPTER II THE SERVICE OF
THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
I
IT were hard to imagine a contrast more sharply defined than that
between the lives of the men and women of this family： the one so
chambered； so centred in the affections and the sensibilities； the other so
active； healthy； and expeditious。 From May to November； Thomas Smith
and Robert Stevenson were on the mail； in the saddle； or at sea； and my
grandfather； in particular； seems to have been possessed with a demon of
activity in travel。 In 1802； by direction of the Northern Lighthouse
Board； he had visited the coast of England from St。 Bees； in Cumberland；
and round by the Scilly Islands to some place undecipherable by me； in all
a distance of 2500 miles。 In 1806 I find him starting ‘on a tour round the
south coast of England； from the Humber to the Severn。' Peace was not
long declared ere he found means to visit Holland； where he was in time to
see； in the navy…yard at Helvoetsluys； ‘about twenty of Bonaparte's
ENGLISH FLOTILLA lying in a state of decay； the object of curiosity to
Englishmen。' By 1834 he seems to have been acquainted with the coast
of France from Dieppe to Bordeaux； and a main part of his duty as
Engineer to the Board of Northern Lights was one round of dangerous and
laborious travel。
In 1786； when Thomas Smith first received the appointment； the
extended and formidable coast of Scotland was lighted at a single point …
the Isle of May； in the jaws of the Firth of Forth； where； on a tower already
a hundred and fifty years old； an open coal…fire blazed in an iron chauffer。
The whole archipelago； thus nightly plunged in darkness； was shunned by
sea…going vessels； and the favourite courses were north about Shetland and
west about St。 Kilda。 When the Board met； four new lights formed the
extent of their intentions … Kinnaird Head； in Aberdeenshire； at the eastern
elbow of the coast； North Ronaldsay； in Orkney； to keep the north and
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RECORDS OF A FAMILY OF ENGINEERS
guide ships passing to the south'ard of Shetland； Island Glass； on Harris； to
mark the inner shore of the Hebrides and illuminate the navigation of the
Minch； and the Mull of Kintyre。 These works were to be attempted
against obstacles； material and financial； that might have staggered the
most bold。 Smith had no ship at his command till 1791； the roads in
those outlandish quarters where his business lay were scarce passable
when they existed； and the tower on the Mull of Kintyre stood eleven
months unlighted while the apparatus toiled and foundered by the way
among rocks and mosses。