Information
Ballantyne left his native Scotland at the age of 16 to work in Canada for the Hudson’s Bay Fur Company. The book he published based on his experiences there, ‘The Young Fur Traders’ (1856) established his reputation as a writer of stirring adventure tales for children. Having made a comical mistake in his description of a coconut in his best-known novel, ‘The Coral Island’ (1858), he determined that henceforth all his stories should be based on first hand experience and went to great lengths to achieve authenticity. He stayed in Ramsgate at least twice, researching for his books 'The Lifeboat’ (1864) and ‘The Floating Light of The Goodwin Sands’ (1870). For the latter, Trinity House allowed him to spend a week on board the ‘Gull’ light-vessel which in those days marked the area of the dangerous Goodwin Sands nearest to Ramsgate. He was also permitted to sail in the steam tug ‘Aid’ which used to tow the Ramsgate lifeboat to ships in distress. The coxswain of the lifeboat at that time was the famous Isaac Jarman, who was responsible for saving hundreds of lives during his period of service. This extract from ‘The Floating Light of The Goodwin Sands’ describes the hoisting of the light on board the ‘Gull’ light-ship, one of the first to have a revolving light.
Quotations
Five of the crew manned the winch;…. Then the order to hoist was given, and immediately after, just as the sun went down, the floating light went up, - a modest yet all-important luminary of the night. Slowly it rose, for the lantern containing it weighed full half a ton, and caused the hoisting chain and pulleys to groan complainingly. At last it reached its destination at the head of the thick part of the mast…. As it neared the top, Jerry sprang up the chain-ladder to connect the lantern with the rod and pinion by means of which, with clockwork beneath, it was made to revolve and ‘flash’ once every third of a minute.Simultaneously with the ascent of the Gull light there arose out of the sea three bright stars on the nor’-eastern horizon, and another star in the south-west. The first were the three fixed lights of the lightship that marked the North sandhead; the latter was the fixed light that guarded the South sandhead. The Goodwin sentinels were now placed for the night, and the commerce of the world might come and go, and pass those dreaded shoals, in absolute security.
In a raging storm, the Ramsgate lifeboat is called to a vessel in distress by a signal from the ‘Gull’ lightship.
Just then the little door opened quickly, and Pike’s dripping head appeared.
‘ I think the Gull is signalling,’ he said, and vanished.
The coxswain’s sou’wester and coat were on as if by magic, and he stood beside his mate at the end of the pier, partly sheltered by the parapet wall.
They both clung to the wall and gazed intently out to sea , where there was just light enough to show the black waves heaving wildly up against the dark sky, and the foam gleaming in lurid patches everywhere. …. Straining their eyes intently in the direction of the floating-light, which appeared like a little star tossed on the far-off horizon, they observed a slight flash, and then a thin curved line of red fire was seen to leap into the chaos of dark clouds.
‘There she goes!’ cried the coxswain.
…The lifeboat was quickly manned. … eleven stalwart men, with frames inured to fatigue and cold, …sat on the thwarts of the lifeboat, and the coxswain stood on a raised platform in her stern. … Pike made fast the huge hawser that was passed to them over the stern of the steam-tug, and away they went, rushing out right into the teeth of the gale.
Place | Extract |
| Ramsgate | The coxswain of the lifeboat at that time was the famous Isaac Jarman, who was responsible for saving hundreds of lives during his period of service... |
