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。
  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　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。　　Not　only　had　towers　to　be　built　and　apparatus　transplanted；　the　supply　of　oil　must　be　maintained；　and　the　men　fed；　in　the　same　inaccessible　and　distant　scenes；　a　whole　service；　with　its　routine　and　hierarchy；　had　to　be　called　out　of　nothing；　and　a　new　trade　（that　of　lightkeeper）　to　be　taught；　recruited；　and　organised。　　The　funds　of　the　Board　were　at　the　first　laughably　inadequate。　　They　embarked　on　their　career　on　a　loan　of　twelve　hundred　pounds；　and　their　income　in　1789；　after　relief　by　a　fresh　Act　of　Parliament；　amounted　to　less　than　three　hundred。　It　must　be　supposed　that　the　thoughts　of　Thomas　Smith；　in　these　early　years；　were　sometimes　coloured　with　despair；　and　since　he　built　and　lighted　one　tower　after　another；　and　created　and　bequeathed　to　his　successors　the　elements　of　an　excellent　administration；　it　may　be　conceded　that　he　was　not　after　all　an　unfortunate　choice　for　a　first　engineer。
  War　added　fresh　complications。　　In　1794　Smith　came　‘very　near　to　be　taken'　by　a　French　squadron。　　In　1813　Robert　Stevenson　was　cruising　about　the　neighbourhood　of　Cape　Wrath
  in　the　immediate　fear　of　Commodore　Rogers。　　The　men；　and　especially　the　sailors；　of　the　lighthouse　service　must　be　protected　by　a　medal　and　ticket　from　the　brutal　activity　of　the　press…gang。　　And　the　zeal　of　volunteer　patriots　was　at　times　embarrassing。
  ‘I　set　off　on　foot；'　writes　my　grandfather；　‘for　Marazion；　a　town　at　the　head　of　Mount's　Bay；　where　I　was　in　hopes　of　getting　a　boat　to　freight。　　I　had　just　got　that　length；　and　was　making　the　necessary　inquiry；　when　a　young　man；　accompanied　by　several　idle…looking　fellows；　came　up　to　me；　and　in　a　hasty　tone　said；　〃Sir；　in　the　king's　name　I　seize　your　person　and　papers。〃　　To　which　I　replied　that　I　should　be　glad　to　see　his　authority；　and　know　the　reason　of　an　address　so　abrupt。　　He　told　me　the　want　of　time　prevented　his　taking　regular　steps；　but　that　it　would　be　necessary　for　me　to　return　to　Penzance；　as　I　was　suspected　of　being　a　French　spy。　　I　proposed　to　submit　my　papers　to　the　nearest　Justice　of　Peace；　who　was　immediately　applied　to；　and　came　to　the　inn　where　I　was。　　He　seemed　to　be　greatly　agitated；　and　quite　at　a　loss　how　to　proceed。　　The　complaint　preferred　against　me　was　〃that　I　had　examined　the　Longships　Lighthouse　with　the　most　minute　attention；　and　was　no　less　particular　in　my　inquiries　at　the　keepers　of　the　lighthouse　regarding　the　sunk　rocks　lying　off　the　Land's　End；　with　the　sets　of　the　currents　and　tides　along　the　coast：　that　I　seemed　particularly　to　regret　the　situation　of　the　rocks　called　the　Seven　Stones；　and　the　loss　of　a　beacon　which　the　Trinity　Board　had　caused　to　be　fixed　on　the　Wolf　Rock；　that　I　had　taken　notes　of　the　bearings　of　several　sunk　rocks；　and　a　drawing　of　the　lighthouse；　and　of　Cape　Cornwall。　Further；　that　I　had　refused　the　honour　of　Lord　Edgecombe's　invitation　to　dinner；　offering　as　an　apology　that　I　had　some　particular　business　on　hand。〃　'
  My　grandfather　produced　in　answer　his　credentials　and　letter　of　credit；　but　the　justice；　after　perusing　them；　‘very　gravely　observed　that　they　were　〃musty　bits　of　paper；〃　'　and　proposed　to　maintain　the　arrest。　　Some　more　enlightened　magistrates　at　Penzance　relieved　him　of　suspicion　and　left　him　at　liberty　to　pursue　his　journey；　…　‘which　I　did　with　so　much　eagerness；'　he　adds；　‘that　I　gave　the　two　coal　lights　on　the　Lizard　only　a　very　transient　look。'
  Lighthouse　operations　in　Scotland　differed　essentially　in　character　from　those　in　England。　　The　English　coast　is　in　comparison　a　habitable；　homely　place；　well　supplied　with　towns；　the　Scottish　presents　hundreds　of　miles　of　savage　islands　and　desolate　moors。　　The　Parliamentary　committee　of　1834；　profoundly　ignorant　of　this　distinction；　insisted　with　my　grandfather　that　the　work　at　the　various　stations　should　be　let　out　on　contract　‘in　the　neighbourhood；'　where　sheep　and　deer；　and　gulls　and　cormorants；　and　a　few　ragged　gillies；　perhaps　crouching　in　a　bee…hive　house；　made　up　the　only　neighbours。　　In　such　situations　repairs　and　improvements　could　only　be　overtaken　by　collecting　（as　my　grandfather　expressed　it）　a　few　‘lads；'　placing　them　under　charge　of　a　foreman；　and　despatching　them　about　the　coast　as　occasion　served。　　The　particular　danger　of　these　seas　increased　the　difficulty。　　The　course　of　the　lighthouse　tender　lies　amid　iron…bound　coasts；　among　tide…races；　the　whirlpools　of　the　Pentland　Firth；　flocks　of　islands；　flocks　of　reefs；　many　of　them　uncharted。　　The　aid　of　steam　was　not　yet。　　At　first　in　random　coasting　sloop；　and　afterwards　in　the　cutter　belonging　to　the　service；　the　engineer　must　ply　and　run　amongst　these　multiplied　dangers；　and　sometimes　late　into　the　stormy　autumn。　　For　pages　together　my　grandfather's　diary　preserves　a　record　of　these　rude　experiences；　of　hard　winds　and　rough　seas；　and　of　‘the　try…　sail　and　storm…jib；　those　old　friends　which　I　never　like　to　see。'　　They　do　not　tempt　to　quotation；　but　it　was　the　man's　element；　in　which　he　lived；　and　delighted　to　live；　and　some　specimen　must　be　presented。　　On　Friday；　September　10th；　1830；　the　REGENT　lying　in　Lerwick　Bay；　we　have　this　entry：　‘The　gale　increases；　with　continued　rain。'　　On　the　morrow；　Saturday；　11th；　the　weather　appeared　to　moderate；　and　they　put　to　sea；　only　to　be　driven　by　evening　into　Levenswick。　　There　they　lay；　‘rolling　much；'　with　both　anchors　ahead　and　the　square　yard　on　deck；　till　the　morning　of　Saturday；　18th。　　Saturday　and　Sunday　they　were　plying　to　the　southward　with　a　‘strong　breeze　and　a　heavy　sea；'　and　on　Sunday　evening　anchored　in　Otterswick。　‘Monday；　20th；　it　blows　so　fresh　that　we　have　no　communication　with　the　shore。　　We　see　Mr。　Rome　on　the　beach；　but　we　cannot　communicate　with　him。　　It　blows　〃mere　fire；〃　as　the　sailors　express　it。'　　And　for　three　days　more　the　diary　goes　on　with　tales　of　davits　unshipped；　high　seas；　strong　gales　from　the　southward；　and　the　ship　driven　to　refuge　in　Kirkwall　or　Deer　Sound。　　I　have　many　a　passage　before　me　to　transcribe；　in　which　my　grandfather　draws　himself　as　a　man　of　minute　and　anxious　exactitude　about　details。　　It　must　not　be　forgotten　that　these　voyages　in　the　tender　were　the　particular　pleasure　and　reward　of　his　existence；　that　he　had　in　him　a　reserve　of　romance　which　carried　him　delightedly　over　these　hardships　and　perils；　that　to　him　it　was　‘great　gain'　to　be　eight　nights　and　seven　days　in　the　savage　bay　of　Levenswick　…　to　read　a　book　in　the　much　agitated　cabin　…　to　go　on　deck　and　hear　the　gale　scream　in　his　ears；　and　see　the　landscape　dark　with　rain　and　the　ship　plunge　at　her　two　anc