Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Stories by Foreign Authors: Polish, Greek, Belgian, Hungarian
The only guide at that time for the numerous vessels is the light-house.
The task of finding a new keeper fell to the United States consul living in Panama, and this task was no small one first, because it was ab solutely necessary to find the man within twelve hours; second, the man must be unusually con scientious, - it was not possible, of course, to take the first comer at random; finally, there was an utter lack of candidates. Life on a tower is uncommonly difficult, and by no means enticing to people of the South, who love idleness and the freedom of a vagrant life. That light-house keeper is almost aprisoner. He cannot leave his rocky island except on Sundays. A boat from Aspinwall brings him provisions and water once a day, and returns immediately; on the whole island, one acre in area, there is no ih habitant. The keeper lives in the light-house; he keeps it in order. During the day he gives signals by displaying ?ags of various colors to indicate changes of the barometer; in the even ing he lights the lantern. This would be no great labor were it not that to reach the lantern at the summit of the tower he must pass over more than four hundred steep and very high steps; sometimes he must make this journey re peatedly during the day. In general, it is the life of a monk, and indeed more than that, - the life of a hermit. It was not wonderful, therefore.
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