For instance, there is probably no such lonely stretch of coastline as that of British Columbia and Alaska. There is only one large port north of Vancouver--Prince Rupert--and this rising hive of maritime activity is 550 miles distant. The coast is as wild as that of Norway, which, indeed, it resembles very closely, bristling as it does with fjords and islands, with rugged cliffs rising abruptly from the water to a height of several hundred feet. Navigation at night is extremely hazardous, as the path leads by devious ways through deep channels intersecting the outer barriers of islands, where fogs hang low and thickly. The captain has to pick his way carefully, determining his course by timing the period between the blast of his siren and its echo, as it is thrown from headland to headland. As the passenger traffic developed, the masters of the vessels entrusted with so many human lives felt the increased responsibility keenly, and agitated for more adequate protection. The erection of lighthouses, even of the most economical type, would have entailed huge expenditure by both the United States and Canadian Governments, while the question of maintenance would have bristled with searching problems. Accordingly, it was decided to adopt the floating automatic system, which had proved eminently satisfactory in other parts of the world. In this manner a highly successful and inexpensive solution of the difficulty was found. These buoys have been installed at all the most treacherous points leading to sounds and canals, as the lochs are called, and have been found in every way equal to the simplest type of attended lighthouse. The southern coast of Nova Scotia has been protected in a similar manner, a chain of automatic lights, spaced ten miles apart, having been completed, so that this wild, rugged shore is patrolled very efficiently at the present moment. Other countries have not been dilatory in adopting the same methods. Consequently, to-day the automatic floating lighthouse is one of the handiest, most efficient and reliable devices for assisting navigation that the lighthouse engineer has at his command. The lights assume different forms, this factor being influenced by position, specific duty, and local conditions. Similarly, the character of the illuminant employed also varies, acetylene, compressed oil-gas, petroleum, and electricity, being utilized, according to circumstances. On the whole, however, acetylene gas appears to be the most favoured illuminating medium, inasmuch as the preparation of the carbide of calcium has undergone such marked improvement.