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They had seen the flashing of the rockets and faintly heard the thunder of the alarm-guns fired by the lightships.
Their signal fires had long before been drowned out, and those who would have saved them could not see more than a few yards around. Presently the booming of distant cannon was heard and then a faint line of fire was seen in the far distance against the black sky. The Prince's and the Girdler lightships were both firing guns and rockets to tell that shipwreck was taking place near to them.
On Friday morning, the Alert tender to the lightships of this district, under command of the Trinity Superintendent, Captain Vaile came off to us, and we learned the name of the vessel, that she was a total wreck, and that the crew, seven men, had taken to their boat, and succeeded in reaching the South-Sand-Head lightship, whence they were almost immediately after taken by the Deal lifeboat, and safely landed at Deal.
The lightships are simply old hulks, with no special marks by which to distinguish them; and as they themselves look exactly like wrecks, they are not of much assistance in the navigation, which is very confusing, and sometimes perilous.
The rounded clouds still towered above them, making the river black with their deep shadows. A few lights twinkled across the waters. They were the lightships marking the middle bank of the Gironde, which is many miles wide at this spot and rendered dangerous by innumerable sand-banks. "In five minutes it will be upon us," said Jean. "You had better turn back."
It is lighted by a number of argand lamps with powerful reflectors. Some lightships have two masts, and some three, with a ball and a lantern on each. Some of these lanterns contain fixed, others revolving lights these differences being for the purpose of indicating to seamen the particular light which they happen to be passing.
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