Some years ago a lighthouse was erected on the south side of the entrance to the harbour of Port Arthur, and it was of rather a primitive nature as some old ens-lanterns formerly used on the Langshan, a light-vessel which was long ago done away with, were erected inside a lantern. As these lens-lanterns had done good service for many yeats without any protection from the weather, it was rather difficalt to understand why they were at Port Arthur carefully stowed away inside a lantern, but the whole arrangement indicated' the work of an amateur engineer, and its cost might with advantage have been saved. When the Japanese evacuated Port Arthur it was found that the lens-Janterns had disappeared and it was proposed to replace them. There was a suitable light in stock that had been designed by Mr.. Marr Henderson for Kelung, Formosa, and was about to be erected when hostilities broke out between China and Japan, but fortunately it-was for the moment saved to China through the Tamsui Commissioner of Customs sending it to Amoy. 'This light, which was of the sixth order, was designed to show a white occulting light over the entrance channel, coloured sectors of some 30 degrees' of light (one was red, whilst the other was green) to cover dangers on each side of the channel, and white over the remainder of the illuminated angle. The total angle illuminated was 180°, and the light of the landward angle of 180° was reflected by means of a silver-lated reflector and utilised over the sea. the light was to be, occulted at regular intervals by means of screens revolved by a clockwork and be thus rendered incapable of being mistaken for some other light. During the day the lens-lantern was to be housed in an iron cabin, whilst at night it was to be hoisted up guides with the assistance of counterbalance weights and through an aperture in the top of the cabin. The coloured screens were fixtures on the roof of the cabin and at some distance from the lantern so as to give a sharper cut-off than would otherwise have been ible. When a new light was required for Port Arthur it occurred to the Customs Engineer ito use the light in stock and accordingly it was sent to Shanghai for the alterations necessary to make it suitable for Port Arthur. These consisted in altering the sectors of light, and as the approach to the entrance to Port Arthur was a wide one, the green sector intended to be used at Kelung was done away with, and a red light was shown on each side of the fairway at Port Arthur. New supports for the ruby screens were designed by the Customs Engineer and fitted in Shanghai to the cabin by Mr. In Chung, of Honykew. As soon as the alterations were completed the light was shipped to Port Arthur in the R.S. Pingching and erected under ding. The Eogineer would have preferred the apertatendence of Mr. J. R. Hara more powerful light, but this would have involved delay and considerable expenditure which has been avoided. The light and cabin were manufactured by messrs. Barbier and Bénard of Paris.
News has been received that the Russian Commander at Port Arthur has taken over charge of this light as well as of the double flashing first-order one at Laotiehshan, and it is reported that the Inspector-General has lent the necessary lightkeepers for a year to the Russians to look after the lights,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.