Light Keepers Duties 1787 - Part 1



	Duties - 1787 To the keeper of the Light House at Kinnaird Head You are to trim the main burners with cotton wick filling each hole with two or three threads according to the grist of your cotton taking care that your different wicks be neither too strait in the hole to prevent the Oil from coming to feed the flame nor too slack else they will be ready to sink. The wicks should not be above Six inches long when they are first put into the burners. You must cut of(f) every morning the black crust, formed by burning and draw out the wicks to such a length as shall		give a sufficient light at the same time preventing smoke as much as possible which is done by cut(t)ing the wicks of a medium length. You are to fill the lamps every day with Oil till is shall rise to within 1/8 of an Inch of the brim of the square brass box that holds the burner taking care in frosty weather to have the Oil near the fire so as to keep it thin & and not to fill the lamps till you are going to light them if this is not carefully to the Oil may sometimes be so much congealed as to prevent its coming forward in the pipes.

Light Keepers duties from other years