Lighting Vessels at Night

Recently, while doing some research in our Society's library, I came across a report of the treasury dated December 15, 1846, titled, The expediency of requiring vessels navigating along the coasts to carry lights. I was amazed to learn that there was time as recent as the 19th century when vessels navigating at night were not required to display navigation lights. Today, of course, there is a comprehensive system of lighting vessel at night, which not only shows which side of the vessel another mariner sees but the direction which the other vessel is headed, as well as a whole series of rules for ferry boats, tugs with tows, boats fishing at night, pilot boats, etc.