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Note 1. The service which the Corporation of Trinity House renders to
the coasts of England, is rendered to those of Scotland by the
Commissioners of Northern Lights, and to those of Ireland by the
Commissioners of Irish Lights--both, to some extent, under the
supervision of the Trinity House.

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The floating lights of England are illuminated by means of lamps with
metallic reflectors, on what is styled the catoptric system. The
dioptric system, in which the rays of light are transmitted through
glass, has been introduced into the floating lights of India by the
Messrs. Stevenson, C.E., of Edinburgh. The first floating light on this
system in India was shown on the Hoogly in 1865. Since then, several
more dioptric lights have been sent to the same region, and also to
Japan in 1869, and all reports agree in describing these lights as being
eminently successful.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

STRANGE SIGHTS AND SCENES ON LAND AND SEA.

The river Hoogly. Off Calcutta. Tropical vegetation on the shore.
Glittering sunshine on the water. Blue sky and fleecy clouds overhead.
Equally blue sky and fleecy clouds down below. A world of sky and
water, with ships and boats, resting on their own inverted images, in
the midst. Sweltering heat everywhere. Black men revelling in the
sunshine. White men melting in the shade. The general impression such,
that one might almost entertain the belief that the world has become
white-hot, and the end of time is about to be ushered in with a general
conflagration.

Such is the scene, reader, to which we purpose to convey you.

The day was yet young when a large vessel shook out her topsails, and
made other nautical demonstrations of an intention to quit the solid
land ere long, and escape if possible from the threatened conflagration.

"I wonder when those brutes will be sent off," said the first mate of
the ship to the surgeon, who stood on the poop beside him.

"What brutes do you refer to?" asked the surgeon, who was no other than
our young friend Stanley Hall.

"Why, the wild beasts, to be sure. Have you not heard that we are to
have as passengers on the voyage home two leopards, an elephant, and a
rhinoceros?"

"Pleasant company! I wonder what Neptune will say to that?" said
Stanley, with a laugh, as he walked forward to ask the opinion of