,transcribed from the #aiab ,chatto ,windus edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org4 ,additional proofing by ,peter ,barnes4 ,,records ,,of ,a ,,family ,,of ,,engineers ,,by ,,robert ,,louis ,,stevenson ,picture3 ,decorative graphic for ,chatto ,windus ,,london ,,chatto ,,windus #aiab ,all rights reserved ,,introduction3 ,,the ,,surname ,,of ,,stevenson ,from the thirteenth century onwards1 the name1 under the various disguises of ,stevinstoun1 ,stevensoun1 ,stevensonne1 ,stenesone1 and ,stewinsoune1 spread across ,scotland from the mouth of the ,firth of ,forth to the mouth of the ,firth of ,clyde4 ,four times at least it occurs as a place-name4 ,there is a parish of ,stevenston in ,cunningham2 a second place of the name in the ,barony of ,bothwell in ,lanark2 a third on ,lyne1 above ,drochil ,castle2 the fourth on the ,tyne1 near ,traprain ,law4 ,stevenson of ,stevenson 7co4 ,lanark7 swore fealty to ,edward ,i in #abif1 and the last of that family died after the ,restoration4 ,stevensons of ,hirdmanshiels1 in ,midlothian1 rode in the ,bishops' ,raid of ,aberlady1 served as jurors1 stood bail for neighbours--,hunter of ,polwood1 for instance--and became extinct about the same period1 or possibly earlier4 ,a ,stevenson of ,luthrie and another of ,pitroddie make their bows1 give their names1 and vanish4 ,and by the year #agjj it does not appear that any acre of ,scots land was vested in any ,stevenson4 #b;a ,here is1 so far1 a melancholy picture of backward progress1 and a family posting towards extinction4 ,but the law 7however administered1 and ,i am bound to aver that1 in ,scotland1 #8it couldna weel be waur'7 acts as a kind of dredge1 and with dispassionate impartiality brings up into the light of day1 and shows us for a moment1 in the jury-box or on the gallows1 the creeping things of the past4 ,by these broken glimpses we are able to trace the existence of many other and more inglorious ,stevensons1 picking a private way through the brawl that makes ,scots history4 ,they were members of ,parliament for ,peebles1 ,stirling1 ,pittenweem1 ,kilrenny1 and ,inverurie4 ,we find them burgesses of ,edinburgh2 indwellers in ,biggar1 ,perth1 and ,dalkeith4 ,thomas was the forester of ,newbattle ,park1 ,gavin was a baker1 ,john a maltman1 ,francis a chirurgeon1 and #8,schir ,william' a priest4 ,in the feuds of ,humes and ,heatleys1 ,cunninghams1 ,montgomeries1 ,mures1 ,ogilvies1 and ,turnbulls1 we find them inconspicuously involved1 and apparently getting rather better than they gave4 ,schir ,william 7reverend gentleman7 was cruellie slaughtered on the ,links of ,kincraig in #aehb2 ,james 7#8in the mill-town of ,roberton'71 murdered in #aeij2 ,archibald 7#8in ,gallowfarren'71 killed with shots of pistols and hagbuts in #afjh4 ,three violent deaths in about seventy years1 against which we can only put the case of ,thomas1 servant to ,hume of ,cowden ,knowes1 who was arraigned with his two young masters for the death of the ,bastard of ,mellerstanes in #aefi4 ,john 7#8in ,dalkeith'7 stood sentry without ,holyrood while the banded lords were despatching ,rizzio within4 ,william1 at the ringing of ,perth bell1 ran before ,gowrie ,house #8with ane sword1 and1 entering to the yearde1 saw ,george ,craiggingilt with ane twa-handit sword and utheris nychtbouris2 at quilk time ,james ,boig cryit ower ane wynds1 8,awa hame6 ye will all be hangit0'--a piece of advice which ,william took1 and immediately #8depairtit4' ,john got a maid with child to him in ,biggar1 and seemingly deserted her2 she was hanged on the ,castle ,hill for infanticide1 ,june #afad2 and ,martin1 elder in ,dalkeith1 eternally disgraced the name by signing witness in a witch trial1 #affa4 ,these are two of our black sheep4 #c;a ,under the ,restoration1 one ,stevenson was a bailie in ,edinburgh1 and another the lessee of the ,canonmills4 ,there were at the same period two physicians of the name in ,edinburgh1 one of whom1 ,dr4 ,archibald1 appears to have been a famous man in his day and generation4 ,the ,court had continual need of him2 it was he who reported1 for instance1 on the state of ,rumbold2 and he was for some time in the enjoyment of a pension of a thousand pounds ,scots 7about eighty pounds sterling7 at a time when five hundred pounds is described as #8an opulent future4' ,i do not know if ,i should be glad or sorry that he failed to keep favour2 but on #fth ,january #afhb 7rather a cheerless ,new ,year's present7 his pension was expunged4 #d;a ,there need be no doubt1 at least1 of my exultation at the fact that he was knighted and recorded arms4 ,not quite so genteel1 but still in public life1 ,hugh was ,under-,clerk to the ,privy ,council1 and liked being so extremely4 ,i gather this from his conduct in ,september #afha1 when1 with all the lords and their servants1 he took the woful and soul-destroying ,test1 swearing it #8word by word upon his knees4' ,and1 behold6 it was in vain1 for ,hugh was turned out of his small post in #afhd4 #d;b ,sir ,archibald and ,hugh were both plainly inclined to be trimmers2 but there was one witness of the name of ,stevenson who held high the banner of the ,covenant--,john1 #8,land-,labourer1 #d;c in the parish of ,daily1 in ,carrick1' that #8eminently pious man4' ,he seems to have been a poor sickly soul1 and shows himself disabled with scrofula1 and prostrate and groaning aloud with fever2 but the enthusiasm of the martyr burned high within him4 #8,i was made to take joyfully the spoiling of my goods1 and with pleasure for ,his name's sake wandered in deserts and in mountains1 in dens and caves of the earth4 ,i lay four months in the coldest season of the year in a haystack in my father's garden1 and a whole ,february in the open fields not far from ,camragen1 and this ,i did without the least prejudice from the night air2 one night1 when lying in the fields near to the ,carrick-,miln1 ,i was all covered with snow in the morning4 ,many nights have ,i lain with pleasure in the churchyard of ,old ,daily1 and made a grave my pillow2 frequently have ,i resorted to the old walls about the glen1 near to ,camragen1 and there sweetly rested4' ,the visible band of ,god protected and directed him4 ,dragoons were turned aside from the bramble-bush where he lay hidden4 ,miracles were performed for his behoof4 #8,i got a horse and a woman to carry the child1 and came to the same mountain1 where ,i wandered by the mist before2 it is commonly known by the name of ,kellsrhins3 when we came to go up the mountain1 there came on a great rain1 which we thought was the occasion of the child's weeping1 and she wept so bitterly1 that all we could do could not divert her from it1 so that she was ready to burst4 ,when we got to the top of the mountain1 where the ,lord had been formerly kind to my soul in prayer1 ,i looked round me for a stone1 and espying one1 ,i went and brought it4 ,when the woman with me saw me set down the stone1 she smiled1 and asked what ,i was going to do with it4 ,i told her ,i was going to set it up as my ,ebenezer1 because hitherto1 and in that place1 the ,lord had formerly helped1 and ,i hoped would yet help4 ,the rain still continuing1 the child weeping bitterly1 ,i went to prayer1 and no sooner did ,i cry to ,god1 but the child gave over weeping1 and when we got up from prayer1 the rain was pouring down on every side1 but in the way where we were to go there fell not one drop2 the place not rained on was as big as an ordinary avenue4' ,and so great a saint was the natural butt of ,satan's persecutions4 #8,i retired to the fields for secret prayer about mid-night4 ,when ,i went to pray ,i was much straitened1 and could not get one request1 but 8,lord pity10 8,lord help02 this ,i came over frequently2 at length the terror of ,satan fell on me in a high degree1 and all ,i could say even then was--8,lord help40 ,i continued in the duty for some time1 notwithstanding of this terror4 ,at length ,i got up to my feet1 and the terror still increased2 then the enemy took me by the arm-pits1 and seemed to lift me up by my arms4 ,i saw a loch just before me1 and ,i concluded he designed to throw me there by force2 and had he got leave to do so1 it might have brought a great reproach upon religion4 #g;a ,but it was otherwise ordered1 and the cause of piety escaped that danger4 #g;b ,on the whole1 the ,stevensons may be described as decent1 reputable folk1 following honest trades--millers1 maltsters1 and doctors1 playing the character parts in the ,waverley ,novels with propriety1 if without distinction2 and to an orphan looking about him in the world for a potential ancestry1 offering a plain and quite unadorned refuge1 equally free from shame and glory4 ,john1 the land-labourer1 is the one living and memorable figure1 and he1 alas6 cannot possibly be more near than a collateral4 ,it was on ,august #ab1 #afgh1 that he heard ,mr4 ,john ,welsh on the ,craigdowhill1 and #8took the heavens1 earth1 and sun in the firmament that was shining on us1 as also the ambassador who made the offer1 and the clerk who raised the psalms1 to witness that ,i did give myself away to the ,lord in a personal and perpetual covenant never to be forgotten'2 and already1 in #afge1 the birth of my direct ascendant was registered in ,glasgow4 ,so that ,i have been pursuing ancestors too far down2 and ,john the land-labourer is debarred me1 and ,i must relinquish from the trophies of my house his rare soul-strengthening and comforting cordial4 ,it is the same case with the ,edinburgh bailie and the miller of the ,canonmills1 worthy man6 and with that public character1 ,hugh the ,under-,clerk1 and1 more than all1 with ,sir ,archibald1 the physician1 who recorded arms4 ,and ,i am reduced to a family of inconspicuous maltsters in what was then the clean and handsome little city on the ,clyde4 ,the name has a certain air of being ,norse4 ,but the story of ,scottish nomenclature is confounded by a continual process of translation and half-translation from the ,gaelic which in olden days may have been sometimes reversed4 ,roy becomes ,reid2 ,gow1 ,smith4 ,a great ,highland clan uses the name of ,robertson2 a sept in ,appin that of ,livingstone2 ,maclean in ,glencoe answers to ,johnstone at ,lockerby4 ,and we find such hybrids as ,macalexander for ,macallister4 ,there is but one rule to be deduced3 that however uncompromisingly ,saxon a name may appear1 you can never be sure it does not designate a ,celt4 ,my great-grandfather wrote the name ,stevenson but pronounced it ,steenson1 after the fashion of the immortal minstrel in ,redgauntlet2 and this elision of a medial consonant appears a ,gaelic process2 and1 curiously enough1 ,i have come across no less than two ,gaelic forms3 ,john ,macstophane cordinerius in ,crossraguel1 #aegc1 and ,william ,m',steen in ,dunskeith 7co4 ,ross71 #afje4 ,stevenson1 ,steenson1 ,macstophane1 ,m',steen3 which is the original8 which the translation8 ,or were these separate creations of the patronymic1 some ,english1 some ,gaelic8 ,the curiously compact territory in which we find them seated--,ayr1 ,lanark1 ,peebles1 ,stirling1 ,perth1 ,fife1 and the ,lothians--would seem to forbid the supposition4 #i;a #8,,stevenson--or according to tradition of one of the proscribed of the clan ,mac,gregor1 who was born among the willows or in a hill-side sheep-pen--8,son of my love10 a heraldic bar sinister1 but history reveals a reason for the birth among the willows far other than the sinister aspect of the name'3 these are the dark words of ,mr4 ,cosmo ,innes2 but history or tradition1 being interrogated1 tells a somewhat tangled tale4 ,the heir of ,macgregor of ,glenorchy1 murdered about #aheh by the ,argyll ,campbells1 appears to have been the original #8,son of my love'2 and his more loyal clansmen took the name to fight under4 ,it may be supposed the story of their resistance became popular1 and the name in some sort identified with the idea of opposition to the ,campbells4 ,twice afterwards1 on some renewed aggression1 in #aejb and #aeeb1 we find the ,macgregors again banding themselves into a sept of #8,sons of my love'2 and when the great disaster fell on them in #afjc1 the whole original legend reappears1 and we have the heir of ,alaster of ,glenstrae born #8among the willows' of a fugitive mother1 and the more loyal clansmen again rallying under the name of ,stevenson4 ,a story would not be told so often unless it had some base in fact2 nor 7if there were no bond at all between the ,red ,macgregors and the ,stevensons7 would that extraneous and somewhat uncouth name be so much repeated in the legends of the ,children of the ,mist4 ,but ,i am enabled1 by my very lively and obliging correspondent1 ,mr4 ,george ,a4 ,macgregor ,stevenson of ,new ,york1 to give an actual instance4 ,his grandfather1 great-grandfather1 great-great-grandfather1 and great-great-great-grandfather1 all used the names of ,macgregor and ,stevenson as occasion served2 being perhaps ,macgregor by night and ,stevenson by day4 ,the great-great-great-grandfather was a mighty man of his hands1 marched with the clan in the #8,forty-five1 and returned with spolia opima in the shape of a sword1 which he had wrested from an officer in the retreat1 and which is in the possession of my correspondent to this day4 ,his great-grandson 7the grandfather of my correspondent71 being converted to ,methodism by some wayside preacher1 discarded in a moment his name1 his old nature1 and his political principles1 and with the zeal of a proselyte sealed his adherence to the ,protestant ,succession by baptising his next son ,george4 ,this ,george became the publisher and editor of the ,wesleyan ,times4 ,his children were brought up in ignorance of their ,highland pedigree2 and my correspondent was puzzled to overhear his father speak of him as a true ,macgregor1 and amazed to find1 in rummaging about that peaceful and pious house1 the sword of the ,hanoverian officer4 ,after he was grown up and was better informed of his descent1 #8,i frequently asked my father1' he writes1 #8why he did not use the name of ,macgregor2 his replies were significant1 and give a picture of the man3 8,it isn't a good ,methodist name4 ,you can use it1 but it will do you no good40 ,yet the old gentleman1 by way of pleasantry1 used to announce himself to friends as 8,colonel ,macgregor40' ,here1 then1 are certain ,macgregors habitually using the name of ,stevenson1 and at last1 under the influence of ,methodism1 adopting it entirely4 ,doubtless a proscribed clan could not be particular2 they took a name as a man takes an umbrella against a shower2 as ,rob ,roy took ,campbell1 and his son took ,drummond4 ,but this case is different2 ,stevenson was not taken and left--it was consistently adhered to4 ,it does not in the least follow that all ,stevensons are of the clan ,alpin2 but it does follow that some may be4 ,and ,i cannot conceal from myself the possibility that ,james ,stevenson in ,glasgow1 my first authentic ancestor1 may have had a ,highland alias upon his conscience and a claymore in his back parlour4 ,to one more tradition ,i may allude1 that we are somehow descended from a ,french barber-surgeon who came to ,st4 ,andrews in the service of one of the ,cardinal ,beatons4 ,no details were added4 ,but the very name of ,france was so detested in my family for three generations1 that ,i am tempted to suppose there may be something in it4 #ab;a ,,chapter ,i3 ,,domestic ,,annals ,it is believed that in #affe1 ,james ,stevenson in ,nether ,carsewell1 parish of ,neilston1 county of ,renfrew1 and presumably a tenant farmer1 married one ,jean ,keir2 and in #afge1 without doubt1 there was born to these two a son ,robert1 possibly a maltster in ,glasgow4 ,in #agaj1 ,robert married1 for a second time1 ,elizabeth ,cumming1 and there was born to them1 in #agbj1 another ,robert1 certainly a maltster in ,glasgow4 ,in #agdb1 ,robert the second married ,margaret ,fulton 7,margret1 she called herself71 by whom he had ten children1 among whom were ,hugh1 born ,february #agdi1 and ,alan1 born ,june #ageb4 ,with these two brothers my story begins4 ,their deaths were simultaneous2 their lives unusually brief and full4 ,tradition whispered me in childhood they were the owners of an islet near ,st4 ,kitts2 and it is certain they had risen to be at the head of considerable interests in the ,west ,indies1 which ,hugh managed abroad and ,alan at home1 at an age when others are still curveting a clerk's stool4 ,my kinsman1 ,mr4 ,stevenson of ,stirling1 has heard his father mention that there had been #8something romantic' about ,alan's marriage3 and1 alas6 he has forgotten what4 ,it was early at least4 ,his wife was ,jean1 daughter of ,david ,lillie1 a builder in ,glasgow1 and several times #8,deacon of the ,wrights'3 the date of the marriage has not reached me2 but on #hth ,june #aggb1 when ,robert1 the only child of the union1 was born1 the husband and father had scarce passed1 or had not yet attained1 his twentieth year4 ,here was a youth making haste to give hostages to fortune4 ,but this early scene of prosperity in love and business was on the point of closing4 ,there hung in the house of this young family1 and successively in those of my grandfather and father1 an oil painting of a ship of many tons burthen4 ,doubtless the brothers had an interest in the vessel2 ,i was told she had belonged to them outright2 and the picture was preserved through years of hardship1 and remains to this day in the possession of the family1 the only memorial of my great-grandsire ,alan4 ,it was on this ship that he sailed on his last adventure1 summoned to the ,west ,indies by ,hugh4 ,an agent had proved unfaithful on a serious scale2 and it used to be told me in my childhood how the brothers pursued him from one island to another in an open boat1 were exposed to the pernicious dews of the tropics1 and simultaneously struck down4 ,the dates and places of their deaths 7now before me7 would seem to indicate a more scattered and prolonged pursuit3 ,hugh1 on the #afth ,april #aggd1 in ,tobago1 within sight of ,trinidad2 ,alan1 so late as #bfth ,may1 and so far away as #8,santt ,kittes1' in the ,leeward ,islands--both1 says the family ,bible1 #8of a fiver'7674 ,the death of ,hugh was probably announced by ,alan in a letter1 to which we may refer the details of the open boat and the dew4 ,thus1 at least1 in something like the course of post1 both were called away1 the one twenty-five1 the other twenty-two2 their brief generation became extinct1 their short-lived house fell with them2 and #8in these lawless parts and lawless times'--the words are my grandfather's--their property was stolen or became involved4 ,many years later1 ,i understand some small recovery to have been made2 but at the moment almost the whole means of the family seem to have perished with the young merchants4 ,on the #bgth ,april1 eleven days after ,hugh ,stevenson1 twenty-nine before ,alan1 died ,david ,lillie1 the ,deacon of the ,wrights2 so that mother and son were orphaned in one month4 ,thus1 from a few scraps of paper bearing little beyond dates1 we construct the outlines of the tragedy that shadowed the cradle of ,robert ,stevenson4 ,jean ,lillie was a young woman of strong sense1 well fitted to contend with poverty1 and of a pious disposition1 which it is like that these misfortunes heated4 ,like so many other widowed ,scots-women1 she vowed her son should wag his head in a pulpit2 but her means were inadequate to her ambition4 ,a charity school1 and some time under a ,mr4 ,m',intyre1 #8a famous linguist1' were all she could afford in the way of education to the would-be minister4 ,he learned no ,greek2 in one place he mentions that the ,orations of ,cicero were his highest book in ,latin2 in another that he had #8delighted' in ,virgil and ,horace2 but his delight could never have been scholarly4 ,this appears to have been the whole of his training previous to an event which changed his own destiny and moulded that of his descendants--the second marriage of his mother4 ,there was a ,merchant-,burgess of ,edinburgh of the name of ,thomas ,smith4 ,the ,smith pedigree has been traced a little more particularly than the ,stevensons'1 with a similar dearth of illustrious names4 ,one character seems to have appeared1 indeed1 for a moment at the wings of history3 a skipper of ,dundee who smuggled over some ,jacobite big-wig at the time of the #8,fifteen1 and was afterwards drowned in ,dundee harbour while going on board his ship4 ,with this exception1 the generations of the ,smiths present no conceivable interest even to a descendant2 and ,thomas1 of ,edinburgh1 was the first to issue from respectable obscurity4 ,his father1 a skipper out of ,broughty ,ferry1 was drowned at sea while ,thomas was still young4 ,he seems to have owned a ship or two--whalers1 ,i suppose1 or coasters--and to have been a member of the ,dundee ,trinity ,house1 whatever that implies4 ,on his death the widow remained in ,broughty1 and the son came to push his future in ,edinburgh4 ,there is a story told of him in the family which ,i repeat here because ,i shall have to tell later on a similar1 but more perfectly authenticated1 experience of his stepson1 ,robert ,stevenson4 ,word reached ,thomas that his mother was unwell1 and he prepared to leave for ,broughty on the morrow4 ,it was between two and three in the morning1 and the early northern daylight was already clear1 when he awoke and beheld the curtains at the bed-foot drawn aside and his mother appear in the interval1 smile upon him for a moment1 and then vanish4 ,the sequel is stereo-type2 he took the time by his watch1 and arrived at ,broughty to learn it was the very moment of her death4 ,the incident is at least curious in having happened to such a person--as the tale is being told of him4 ,in all else1 he appears as a man ardent1 passionate1 practical1 designed for affairs and prospering in them far beyond the average4 ,he founded a solid business in lamps and oils1 and was the sole proprietor of a concern called the ,greenside ,company's ,works--#8a multifarious concern it was1' writes my cousin1 ,professor ,swan1 #8of tinsmiths1 coppersmiths1 brass-founders1 blacksmiths1 and japanners4' ,he was also1 it seems1 a shipowner and underwriter4 ,he built himself #8a land'--,nos4 #a and #b ,baxter's ,place1 then no such unfashionable neighbourhood--and died1 leaving his only son in easy circumstances1 and giving to his three surviving daughters portions of five thousand pounds and upwards4 ,there is no standard of success in life2 but in one of its meanings1 this is to succeed4 ,in what we know of his opinions1 he makes a figure highly characteristic of the time4 ,a high ,tory and patriot1 a captain--so ,i find it in my notes--of ,edinburgh ,spearmen1 and on duty in the ,castle during the ,muir and ,palmer troubles1 he bequeathed to his descendants a bloodless sword and a somewhat violent tradition1 both long preserved4 ,the judge who sat on ,muir and ,palmer1 the famous ,braxfield1 let fall from the bench the obiter dictum--#8,i never liked the ,french all my days1 but now ,i hate them4' ,if ,thomas ,smith1 the ,edinburgh ,spearman1 were in court1 he must have been tempted to applaud4 ,the people of that land were his abhorrence2 he loathed ,buonaparte like ,antichrist4 ,towards the end he fell into a kind of dotage2 his family must entertain him with games of tin soldiers1 which he took a childish pleasure to array and overset2 but those who played with him must be upon their guard1 for if his side1 which was always that of the ,english against the ,french1 should chance to be defeated1 there would be trouble in ,baxter's ,place4 ,for these opinions he may almost be said to have suffered4 ,baptised and brought up in the ,church of ,scotland1 he had1 upon some conscientious scruple1 joined the communion of the ,baptists4 ,like other ,nonconformists1 these were inclined to the ,liberal side in politics1 and1 at least in the beginning1 regarded ,buonaparte as a deliverer4 ,from the time of his joining the ,spearmen1 ,thomas ,smith became in consequence a bugbear to his brethren in the faith4 #8,they that take the sword shall perish with the sword1' they told him2 they gave him #8no rest'2 #8his position became intolerable'2 it was plain he must choose between his political and his religious tenets2 and in the last years of his life1 about #ahab1 he returned to the ,church of his fathers4 ,august #aghf was the date of his chief advancement1 when1 having designed a system of oil lights to take the place of the primitive coal fires before in use1 he was dubbed engineer to the newly-formed ,board of ,northern ,lighthouses4 ,not only were his fortunes bettered by the appointment1 but he was introduced to a new and wider field for the exercise of his abilities1 and a new way of life highly agreeable to his active constitution4 ,he seems to have rejoiced in the long journeys1 and to have combined them with the practice of field sports4 #8,a tall1 stout man coming ashore with his gun over his arm'--so he was described to my father--the only description that has come down to me by a light-keeper old in the service4 ,nor did this change come alone4 ,on the #ith ,july of the same year1 ,thomas ,smith had been left for the second time a widower4 ,as he was still but thirty-three years old1 prospering in his affairs1 newly advanced in the world1 and encumbered at the time with a family of children1 five in number1 it was natural that he should entertain the notion of another wife4 ,expeditious in business1 he was no less so in his choice2 and it was not later than ,june #aghg--;for my grandfather is described as still in his fifteenth year--that he married the widow of ,alan ,stevenson4 ,the perilous experiment of bringing together two families for once succeeded4 ,mr4 ,smith's two eldest daughters1 ,jean and ,janet1 fervent in piety1 unwearied in kind deeds1 were well qualified both to appreciate and to attract the stepmother2 and her son1 on the other hand1 seems to have found immediate favour in the eyes of ,mr4 ,smith4 ,it is1 perhaps1 easy to exaggerate the ready-made resemblances2 the tired woman must have done much to fashion girls who were under ten2 the man1 lusty and opinionated1 must have stamped a strong impression on the boy of fifteen4 ,but the cleavage of the family was too marked1 the identity of character and interest produced between the two men on the one hand1 and the three women on the other1 was too complete to have been the result of influence alone4 ,particular bonds of union must have pre-existed on each side4 ,and there is no doubt that the man and the boy met with common ambitions1 and a common bent1 to the practice of that which had not so long before acquired the name of civil engineering4 ,for the profession which is now so thronged1 famous1 and influential1 was then a thing of yesterday4 ,my grandfather had an anecdote of ,smeaton1 probably learned from ,john ,clerk of ,eldin1 their common friend4 ,smeaton was asked by the ,duke of ,argyll to visit the ,west ,highland coast for a professional purpose4 ,he refused1 appalled1 it seems1 by the rough travelling4 #8,you can recommend some other fit person8' asked the ,duke4 #8,no1' said ,smeaton1 #8,i'm sorry ,i can't4' #8,what6' cried the ,duke1 #8a profession with only one man in it6 ,pray1 who taught you8' #8,why1' said ,smeaton1 #8,i believe ,i may say ,i was self-taught1 an't please your grace4' ,smeaton1 at the date of ,thomas ,smith's third marriage1 was yet living2 and as the one had grown to the new profession from his place at the instrument-maker's1 the other was beginning to enter it by the way of his trade4 ,the engineer of to-day is confronted with a library of acquired results2 tables and formulae to the value of folios full have been calculated and recorded2 and the student finds everywhere in front of him the footprints of the pioneers4 ,in the eighteenth century the field was largely unexplored2 the engineer must read with his own eyes the face of nature2 he arose a volunteer1 from the workshop or the mill1 to undertake works which were at once inventions and adventures4 ,it was not a science then--it was a living art2 and it visibly grew under the eyes and between the hands of its practitioners4 ,the charm of such an occupation was strongly felt by stepfather and stepson4 ,it chanced that ,thomas ,smith was a reformer2 the superiority of his proposed lamp and reflectors over open fires of coal secured his appointment2 and no sooner had he set his hand to the task than the interest of that employment mastered him4 ,the vacant stage on which he was to act1 and where all had yet to be created--the greatness of the difficulties1 the smallness of the means intrusted him--would rouse a man of his disposition like a call to battle4 ,the lad introduced by marriage under his roof was of a character to sympathise2 the public usefulness of the service would appeal to his judgment1 the perpetual need for fresh expedients stimulate his ingenuity4 ,and there was another attraction which1 in the younger man at least1 appealed to1 and perhaps first aroused1 a profound and enduring sentiment of romance3 ,i mean the attraction of the life4 ,the seas into which his labours carried the new engineer were still scarce charted1 the coasts still dark2 his way on shore was often far beyond the convenience of any road2 the isles in which he must sojourn were still partly savage4 ,he must toss much in boats2 he must often adventure on horseback by the dubious bridle-track through unfrequented wildernesses2 he must sometimes plant his lighthouse in the very camp of wreckers2 and he was continually enforced to the vicissitudes of outdoor life4 ,the joy of my grandfather in this career was strong as the love of woman4 ,it lasted him through youth and manhood1 it burned strong in age1 and at the approach of death his last yearning was to renew these loved experiences4 ,what he felt himself he continued to attribute to all around him4 ,and to this supposed sentiment in others ,i find him continually1 almost pathetically1 appealing2 often in vain4 ,snared by these interests1 the boy seems to have become almost at once the eager confidant and adviser of his new connection2 the ,church1 if he had ever entertained the prospect very warmly1 faded from his view2 and at the age of nineteen ,i find him already in a post of some authority1 superintending the construction of the lighthouse on the isle of ,little ,cumbrae1 in the ,firth of ,clyde4 ,the change of aim seems to have caused or been accompanied by a change of character4 ,it sounds absurd to couple the name of my grandfather with the word indolence2 but the lad who had been destined from the cradle to the ,church1 and who had attained the age of fifteen without acquiring more than a moderate knowledge of ,latin1 was at least no unusual student4 ,and from the day of his charge at ,little ,cumbrae he steps before us what he remained until the end1 a man of the most zealous industry1 greedy of occupation1 greedy of knowledge1 a stern husband of time1 a reader1 a writer1 unflagging in his task of self-improvement4 ,thenceforward his summers were spent directing works and ruling workmen1 now in uninhabited1 now in half-savage islands2 his winters were set apart1 first at the ,andersonian ,institution1 then at the ,university of ,edinburgh to improve himself in mathematics1 chemistry1 natural history1 agriculture1 moral philosophy1 and logic2 a bearded student--although no doubt scrupulously shaved4 ,i find one reference to his years in class which will have a meaning for all who have studied in ,scottish ,universities4 ,he mentions a recommendation made by the professor of logic4 #8,the high-school men1' he writes1 #8and bearded men like myself1 were all attention4' ,if my grandfather were throughout life a thought too studious of the art of getting on1 much must be forgiven to the bearded and belated student who looked across1 with a sense of difference1 at #8the high-school men4' ,here was a gulf to be crossed2 but already he could feel that he had made a beginning1 and that must have been a proud hour when he devoted his earliest earnings to the repayment of the charitable foundation in which he had received the rudiments of knowledge4 ,in yet another way he followed the example of his father-in-law1 and from #agid to #ahjg1 when the affairs of the ,bell ,rock made it necessary for him to resign1 he served in different corps of volunteers4 ,in the last of these he rose to a position of distinction1 no less than captain of the ,grenadier ,company1 and his colonel1 in accepting his resignation1 entreated he would do them #8the favour of continuing as an honorary member of a corps which has been so much indebted for your zeal and exertions4' ,to very pious women the men of the house are apt to appear worldly4 ,the wife1 as she puts on her new bonnet before church1 is apt to sigh over that assiduity which enabled her husband to pay the milliner's bill4 ,and in the household of the ,smiths and ,stevensons the women were not only extremely pious1 but the men were in reality a trifle worldly4 ,religious they both were2 conscious1 like all ,scots1 of the fragility and unreality of that scene in which we play our uncomprehended parts2 like all ,scots1 realising daily and hourly the sense of another will than ours and a perpetual direction in the affairs of life4 ,but the current of their endeavours flowed in a more obvious channel4 ,they had got on so far2 to get on further was their next ambition--to gather wealth1 to rise in society1 to leave their descendants higher than themselves1 to be 7in some sense7 among the founders of families4 ,scott was in the same town nourishing similar dreams4 ,but in the eyes of the women these dreams would be foolish and idolatrous4 ,i have before me some volumes of old letters addressed to ,mrs4 ,smith and the two girls1 her favourites1 which depict in a strong light their characters and the society in which they moved4 #8,my very dear and much esteemed ,friend1' writes one correspondent1 #8this day being the anniversary of our acquaintance1 ,i feel inclined to address you2 but where shall ,i find words to express the fealings of a graitful ,heart1 first to the ,lord who graiciously inclined you on this day last year to notice an afflicted ,strainger providentially cast in your way far from any ,earthly friend8 4 4 4 ,methinks ,i shall hear him say unto you1 8,inasmuch as ye shewed kindness to my afflicted handmaiden1 ye did it unto me40' ,this is to ,jean2 but the same afflicted lady wrote indifferently to ,jean1 to ,janet1 and to ,ms4 ,smith1 whom she calls #8my ,edinburgh mother4' ,it is plain the three were as one person1 moving to acts of kindness1 like the ,graces1 inarmed4 ,too much stress must not be laid on the style of this correspondence2 ,clarinda survived1 not far away1 and may have met the ladies on the ,calton ,hill2 and many of the writers appear1 underneath the conventions of the period1 to be genuinely moved4 ,but what unpleasantly strikes a reader is1 that these devout unfortunates found a revenue in their devotion4 ,it is everywhere the same tale2 on the side of the soft-hearted ladies1 substantial acts of help2 on the side of the correspondents1 affection1 italics1 texts1 ecstasies1 and imperfect spelling4 ,when a midwife is recommended1 not at all for proficiency in her important art1 but because she has #8a sister whom ,i the correspondent esteem and respect1 and who is a spiritual daughter of my ,hond ,father in the ,gosple1' the mask seems to be torn off1 and the wages of godliness appear too openly4 ,capacity is a secondary matter in a midwife1 temper in a servant1 affection in a daughter1 and the repetition of a shibboleth fulfils the law4 ,common decency is at times forgot in the same page with the most sanctified advice and aspiration4 ,thus ,i am introduced to a correspondent who appears to have been at the time the housekeeper at ,invermay1 and who writes to condole with my grandmother in a season of distress4 ,for nearly half a sheet she keeps to the point with an excellent discretion in language then suddenly breaks out3 #8,it was fully my intention to have left this at ,martinmass1 but the ,lord fixes the bounds of our habitation4 ,i have had more need of patience in my situation here than in any other1 partly from the very violent1 unsteady1 deceitful temper of the ,mistress of the ,family1 and also from the state of the house4 ,it was in a train of repair when ,i came here two years ago1 and is still in ,confusion4 ,there is above six ,thousand ,pounds' worth of ,furniture come from ,london to be put up when the rooms are completely finished2 and then1 woe be to the ,person who is ,housekeeper at ,invermay6' ,and by the tail of the document1 which is torn1 ,i see she goes on to ask the bereaved family to seek her a new place4 ,it is extraordinary that people should have been so deceived in so careless an impostor2 that a few sprinkled #8,god willings' should have blinded them to the essence of this venomous letter2 and that they should have been at the pains to bind it in with others 7many of them highly touching7 in their memorial of harrowing days4 ,but the good ladies were without guile and without suspicion2 they were victims marked for the axe1 and the religious impostors snuffed up the wind as they drew near4 ,i have referred above to my grandmother2 it was no slip of the pen3 for by an extraordinary arrangement1 in which it is hard not to suspect the managing hand of a mother1 ,jean ,smith became the wife of ,robert ,stevenson4 ,mrs4 ,smith had failed in her design to make her son a minister1 and she saw him daily more immersed in business and worldly ambition4 ,one thing remained that she might do3 she might secure for him a godly wife1 that great means of sanctification2 and she had two under her hand1 trained by herself1 her dear friends and daughters both in law and love--,jean and ,janet4 ,jean's complexion was extremely pale1 ,janet's was florid2 my grandmother's nose was straight1 my great-aunt's aquiline2 but by the sound of the voice1 not even a son was able to distinguish one from other4 ,the marriage of a man of twenty-seven and a girl of twenty who have lived for twelve years as brother and sister1 is difficult to conceive4 ,it took place1 however1 and thus in #agii the family was still further cemented by the union of a representative of the male or worldly element with one of the female and devout4 ,this essential difference remained unbridged1 yet never diminished the strength of their relation4 ,my grandfather pursued his design of advancing in the world with some measure of success2 rose to distinction in his calling1 grew to be the familiar of members of ,parliament1 judges of the ,court of ,session1 and #8landed gentlemen'2 learned a ready address1 had a flow of interesting conversation1 and when he was referred to as #8a highly respectable bourgeois1' resented the description4 ,my grandmother remained to the end devout and unambitious1 occupied with her ,bible1 her children1 and her house2 easily shocked1 and associating largely with a clique of godly parasites4 ,i do not know if she called in the midwife already referred to2 but the principle on which that lady was recommended1 she accepted fully4 ,the cook was a godly woman1 the butcher a ,christian man1 and the table suffered4 ,the scene has been often described to me of my grandfather sawing with darkened countenance at some indissoluble joint--#8,preserve me1 my dear1 what kind of a reedy1 stringy beast is this8'--of the joint removed1 the pudding substituted and uncovered2 and of my grandmother's anxious glance and hasty1 deprecatory comment1 #8,just mismanaged6' ,yet with the invincible obstinacy of soft natures1 she would adhere to the godly woman and the ,christian man1 or find others of the same kidney to replace them4 ,one of her confidants had once a narrow escape2 an unwieldy old woman1 she had fallen from an outside stair in a close of the ,old ,town2 and my grandmother rejoiced to communicate the providential circumstance that a baker had been passing underneath with his bread upon his head4 #8,i would like to know what kind of providence the baker thought it6' cried my grandfather4 ,but the sally must have been unique4 ,in all else that ,i have heard or read of him1 so far from criticising1 he was doing his utmost to honour and even to emulate his wife's pronounced opinions4 ,in the only letter which has come to my hand of ,thomas ,smith's1 ,i find him informing his wife that he was #8in time for afternoon church'2 similar assurances or cognate excuses abound in the correspondence of ,robert ,stevenson2 and it is comical and pretty to see the two generations paying the same court to a female piety more highly strung3 ,thomas ,smith to the mother of ,robert ,stevenson--,robert ,stevenson to the daughter of ,thomas ,smith4 ,and if for once my grandfather suffered himself to be hurried1 by his sense of humour and justice1 into that remark about the case of ,providence and the ,baker1 ,i should be sorry for any of his children who should have stumbled into the same attitude of criticism4 ,in the apocalyptic style of the housekeeper of ,invermay1 woe be to that person6 ,but there was no fear2 husband and sons all entertained for the pious1 tender soul the same chivalrous and moved affection4 ,i have spoken with one who remembered her1 and who had been the intimate and equal of her sons1 and ,i found this witness had been struck1 as ,i had been1 with a sense of disproportion between the warmth of the adoration felt and the nature of the woman1 whether as described or observed4 ,she diligently read and marked her ,bible2 she was a tender nurse2 she had a sense of humour under strong control2 she talked and found some amusement at her 7or rather at her husband's7 dinner-parties4 ,it is conceivable that even my grandmother was amenable to the seductions of dress2 at least1 ,i find her husband inquiring anxiously about #8the gowns from ,glasgow1' and very careful to describe the toilet of the ,princess ,charlotte1 whom he had seen in church #8in a ,pelisse and ,bonnet of the same colour of cloth as the ,boys' ,dress jackets1 trimmed with blue satin ribbons2 the hat or ,bonnet1 ,mr4 ,spittal said1 was a ,parisian slouch1 and had a plume of three white feathers4' ,but all this leaves a blank impression1 and it is rather by reading backward in these old musty letters1 which have moved me now to laughter and now to impatience1 that ,i glean occasional glimpses of how she seemed to her contemporaries1 and trace 7at work in her queer world of godly and grateful parasites7 a mobile and responsive nature4 ,fashion moulds us1 and particularly women1 deeper than we sometimes think2 but a little while ago1 and1 in some circles1 women stood or fell by the degree of their appreciation of old pictures2 in the early years of the century 7and surely with more reason7 a character like that of my grandmother warmed1 charmed1 and subdued1 like a strain of music1 the hearts of the men of her own household4 ,and there is little doubt that ,mrs4 ,smith1 as she looked on at the domestic life of her son and her stepdaughter1 and numbered the heads in their increasing nursery1 must have breathed fervent thanks to her ,creator4 ,yet this was to be a family unusually tried2 it was not for nothing that one of the godly women saluted ,miss ,janet ,smith as #8a veteran in affliction'2 and they were all before middle life experienced in that form of service4 ,by the #ast of ,january #ahjh1 besides a pair of still-born twins1 children had been born and still survived to the young couple4 ,by the #aath two were gone2 by the #bhth a third had followed1 and the two others were still in danger4 ,in the letters of a former nurserymaid--,i give her name1 ,jean ,mitchell1 honoris causa--we are enabled to feel1 even at this distance of time1 some of the bitterness of that month of bereavement4 #8,i have this day received1' she writes to ,miss ,janet1 #8the melancholy news of my dear babys' deaths4 ,my heart is like to break for my dear ,mrs4 ,stevenson4 ,o may she be supported on this trying occasion6 ,i hope her other three babys will be spared to her4 ,o1 ,miss ,smith1 did ,i think when ,i parted from my sweet babys that ,i never was to see them more8' #8,i received1' she begins her next1 #8the mournful news of my dear ,jessie's death4 ,i also received the hair of my three sweet babys1 which ,i will preserve as dear to their memorys and as a token of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,stevenson's friendship and esteem4 ,at my leisure hours1 when the children are in bed1 they occupy all my thoughts1 ,i dream of them4 ,about two weeks ago ,i dreamed that my sweet little ,jessie came running to me in her usual way1 and ,i took her in my arms4 ,o my dear babys1 were mortal eyes permitted to see them in heaven1 we would not repine nor grieve for their loss4' ,by the #bith of ,february1 the ,reverend ,john ,campbell1 a man of obvious sense and human value1 but hateful to the present biographer1 because he wrote so many letters and conveyed so little information1 summed up this first period of affliction in a letter to ,miss ,smith3 #8,your dear sister but a little while ago had a full nursery1 and the dear blooming creatures sitting around her table filled her breast with hope that one day they should fill active stations in society and become an ornament in the ,church below4 ,but ah6' ,near a hundred years ago these little creatures ceased to be1 and for not much less a period the tears have been dried4 ,and to this day1 looking in these stitched sheaves of letters1 we hear the sound of many soft-hearted women sobbing for the lost4 ,never was such a massacre of the innocents2 teething and chincough and scarlet fever and smallpox ran the round2 and little ,lillies1 and ,smiths1 and ,stevensons fell like moths about a candle2 and nearly all the sympathetic correspondents deplore and recall the little losses of their own4 #8,it is impossible to describe the ,heavnly looks of the ,dear ,babe the three last days of his life1' writes ,mrs4 ,laurie to ,mrs4 ,smith4 #8,never--never1 my dear aunt1 could ,i wish to eface the rememberance of this ,dear ,child4 ,never1 never1 my dear aunt6' ,and so soon the memory of the dead and the dust of the survivors are buried in one grave4 ,there was another death in #ahab2 it passes almost unremarked2 a single funeral seemed but a small event to these #8veterans in affliction'2 and by #ahaf the nursery was full again4 ,seven little hopefuls enlivened the house2 some were growing up2 to the elder girl my grandfather already wrote notes in current hand at the tail of his letters to his wife3 and to the elder boys he had begun to print1 with laborious care1 sheets of childish gossip and pedantic applications4 ,here1 for instance1 under date of #bfth ,may #ahaf1 is part of a mythological account of ,london1 with a moral for the three gentlemen1 #8,messieurs ,alan1 ,robert1 and ,james ,stevenson1' to whom the document is addressed3 #8,there are many prisons here like ,bridewell1 for1 like other large towns1 there are many bad men here as well as many good men4 ,the natives of ,london are in general not so tall and strong as the people of ,edinburgh1 because they have not so much pure air1 and instead of taking porridge they eat cakes made with sugar and plums4 ,here you have thousands of carts to draw timber1 thousands of coaches to take you to all parts of the town1 and thousands of boats to sail on the river ,thames4 ,but you must have money to pay1 otherwise you can get nothing4 ,now the way to get money is1 become clever men and men of education1 by being good scholars4' ,from the same absence1 he writes to his wife on a ,sunday3 #8,it is now about eight o'clock with me1 and ,i imagine you to be busy with the young folks1 hearing the questions ,anglic1 catechism1 and indulging the boys with a chapter from the large ,bible1 with their interrogations and your answers in the soundest doctrine4 ,i hope ,james is getting his verse as usual1 and that ,mary is not forgetting her little hymn4 ,while ,jeannie will be reading ,wotherspoon1 or some other suitable and instructive book1 ,i presume our friend1 ,aunt ,mary1 will have just arrived with the news of a throng kirk a crowded church and a great sermon4 ,you may mention1 with my compliments to my mother1 that ,i was at ,st4 ,paul's to-day1 and attended a very excellent service with ,mr4 ,james ,lawrie4 ,the text was 8,examine and see that ye be in the faith40' ,a twinkle of humour lights up this evocation of the distant scene--the humour of happy men and happy homes4 ,yet it is penned upon the threshold of fresh sorrow4 ,james and ,mary--he of the verse and she of the hymn--did not much more than survive to welcome their returning father4 ,on the #beth1 one of the godly women writes to ,janet3 #8,my dearest beloved madam1 when ,i last parted from you1 you was so affected with your affliction you8 or ,i8 could think of nothing else4 ,but on ,saturday1 when ,i went to inquire after your health1 how was ,i startled to hear that dear ,james was gone6 ,ah1 what is this8 ,my dear benefactors1 doing so much good to many1 to the ,lord1 suddenly to be deprived of their most valued comforts6 ,i was thrown into great perplexity1 could do nothing but murmur1 why these things were done to such a family4 ,i could not rest1 but at midnight1 whether spoken or not it was presented to my mind--8,those whom ye deplore are walking with me in white40 ,i conclude from this the ,lord saying to sweet ,mrs4 ,stevenson3 8,i gave them to be brought up for me3 well done1 good and faithful6 they are fully prepared1 and now ,i must present them to my father and your father1 to my ,god and your ,god40' ,it would be hard to lay on flattery with a more sure and daring hand4 ,i quote it as a model of a letter of condolence2 be sure it would console4 ,very different1 perhaps quite as welcome1 is this from a lighthouse inspector to my grandfather3 #8,in reading your letter the trickling tear ran down ray cheeks in silent sorrow for your departed dear ones1 my sweet little friends4 ,well do ,i remember1 and you will call to mind1 their little innocent and interesting stories4 ,often have they come round me and taken me by the hand1 but alas6 ,i am no more destined to behold them4' ,the child who is taken becomes canonised1 and the looks of the homeliest babe seem in the retrospect #8heavenly the three last days of his life4' ,but it appears that ,james and ,mary had indeed been children more than usually engaging2 a record was preserved a long while in the family of their remarks and #8little innocent and interesting stories1' and the blow and the blank were the more sensible4 ,early the next month ,robert ,stevenson must proceed upon his voyage of inspection1 part by land1 part by sea4 ,he left his wife plunged in low spirits2 the thought of his loss1 and still more of her concern1 was continually present in his mind1 and he draws in his letters home an interesting picture of his family relations3 #8,windygates ,inn1 ,monday 7,postmark ,july #afth7 #8,,my ,,dearest ,,jeannie1--,while the people of the inn are getting me a little bit of something to eat1 ,i sit down to tell you that ,i had a most excellent passage across the water1 and got to ,wemyss at mid-day4 ,i hope the children will be very good1 and that ,robert will take a course with you to learn his ,latin lessons daily2 he may1 however1 read ,english in company4 ,let them have strawberries on ,saturdays4' #8,westhaven1 #agth ,july4 #8,i have been occupied to-day at the harbour of ,newport1 opposite ,dundee1 and am this far on my way to ,arbroath4 ,you may tell the boys that ,i slept last night in ,mr4 ,steadman's tent4 ,i found my bed rather hard1 but the lodgings were otherwise extremely comfortable4 ,the encampment is on the ,fife side of the ,tay1 immediately opposite to ,dundee4 ,from the door of the tent you command the most beautiful view of the ,firth1 both up and down1 to a great extent4 ,at night all was serene and still1 the sky presented the most beautiful appearance of bright stars1 and the morning was ushered in with the song of many little birds4' #8,aberdeen1 ,july #aith4 #8,i hope1 my dear1 that you are going out of doors regularly and taking much exercise4 ,i would have you to make the markets daily--and by all means to take a seat in the coach once or twice in the week and see what is going on in town4 ,the family were at the sea-side4 ,it will be good not to be too great a stranger to the house4 ,it will be rather painful at first1 but as it is to be done1 ,i would have you not to be too strange to the house in town4 #8,tell the boys that ,i fell in with a soldier--his name is ,henderson--who was twelve years with ,lord ,wellington and other commanders4 ,he returned very lately with only eightpence-halfpenny in his pocket1 and found his father and mother both in life1 though they had never heard from him1 nor he from them4 ,he carried my great-coat and umbrella a few miles4' #8,fraserburgh1 ,july #bjth4 #8,fraserburgh is the same dull place which ,auntie ,mary and ,jeannie found it4 ,as ,i am travelling along the coast which they are acquainted with1 you had better cause ,robert bring down the map from ,edinburgh2 and it will be a good exercise in geography for the young folks to trace my course4 ,i hope they have entered upon the writing4 ,the library will afford abundance of excellent books1 which ,i wish you would employ a little4 ,i hope you are doing me the favour to go much out with the boys1 which will do you much good and prevent them from getting so very much overheated4' ,to the ,boys--,printed4 #8,when ,i had last the pleasure of writing to you1 your dear little brother ,james and your sweet little sister ,mary were still with us4 ,but it has pleased ,god to remove them to another and a better world1 and we must submit to the will of ,providence4 ,i must1 however1 request of you to think sometimes upon them1 and to be very careful not to do anything that will displease or vex your mother4 ,it is therefore proper that you do not roamp ,scottish indeed too much about1 and that you learn your lessons4' #8,i went to ,fraserburgh and visited ,kinnaird ,head ,lighthouse1 which ,i found in good order4 ,all this time ,i travelled upon good roads1 and paid many a toll-man by the way2 but from ,fraserburgh to ,banff there is no toll-bars1 and the road is so bad that ,i had to walk up and down many a hill1 and for want of bridges the horses had to drag the chaise up to the middle of the wheels in water4 ,at ,banff ,i saw a large ship of #cjj tons lying on the sands upon her beam-ends1 and a wreck for want of a good harbour4 ,captain ,wilson--to whom ,i beg my compliments--will show you a ship of #cjj tons4 ,at the towns of ,macduff1 ,banff1 and ,portsoy1 many of the houses are built of marble1 and the rocks on this part of the coast or sea-side are marble4 ,but1 my dear ,boys1 unless marble be polished and dressed1 it is a very coarse-looking stone1 and has no more beauty than common rock4 ,as a proof of this1 ask the favour of your mother to take you to ,thomson's ,marble ,works in ,south ,leith1 and you will see marble in all its stages1 and perhaps you may there find ,portsoy marble6 ,the use ,i wish to make of this is to tell you that1 without education1 a man is just like a block of rough1 unpolished marble4 ,notice1 in proof of this1 how much ,mr4 ,neill and ,mr4 ,m',gregor the tutor know1 and observe how little a man knows who is not a good scholar4 ,on my way to ,fochabers ,i passed through many thousand acres of ,fir timber1 and saw many deer running in these woods4' ,to ,mrs4 ,stevenson4 #8,inverness1 ,july #bast4 #8,i propose going to church in the afternoon1 and as ,i have breakfasted late1 ,i shall afterwards take a walk1 and dine about six o'clock4 ,i do not know who is the clergyman here1 but ,i shall think of you all4 ,i travelled in the mail-coach from ,banff almost alone4 ,while it was daylight ,i kept the top1 and the passing along a country ,i had never before seen was a considerable amusement4 ,but1 my dear1 you are all much in my thoughts1 and many are the objects which recall the recollection of our tender and engaging children we have so recently lost4 ,we must not1 however1 repine4 ,i could not for a moment wish any change of circumstances in their case2 and in every comparative view of their state1 ,i see the ,lord's goodness in removing them from an evil world to an abode of bliss2 and ,i must earnestly hope that you may be enabled to take such a view of this affliction as to live in the happy prospect of our all meeting again to part no more--and that under such considerations you are getting up your spirits4 ,i wish you would walk about1 and by all means go to town1 and do not sit much at home4' #8,inverness1 ,july #bcrd4 #8,i am duly favoured with your much-valued letter1 and ,i am happy to find that you are so much with my mother1 because that sort of variety has a tendency to occupy the mind1 and to keep it from brooding too much upon one subject4 ,sensibility and tenderness are certainly two of the most interesting and pleasing qualities of the mind4 ,these qualities are also none of the least of the many endearingments of the female character4 ,but if that kind of sympathy and pleasing melancholy1 which is familiar to us under distress1 be much indulged1 it becomes habitual1 and takes such a hold of the mind as to absorb all the other affections1 and unfit us for the duties and proper enjoyments of life4 ,resignation sinks into a kind of peevish discontent4 ,i am far1 however1 from thinking there is the least danger of this in your case1 my dear2 for you have been on all occasions enabled to look upon the fortunes of this life as under the direction of a higher power1 and have always preserved that propriety and consistency of conduct in all circumstances which endears your example to your family in particular1 and to your friends4 ,i am therefore1 my dear1 for you to go out much1 and to go to the house up-stairs he means to go up-stairs in the house1 to visit the place of the dead children1 and to put yourself in the way of the visits of your friends4 ,i wish you would call on the ,miss ,grays1 and it would be a good thing upon a ,saturday to dine with my mother1 and take ,meggy and all the family with you1 and let them have their strawberries in town4 ,the tickets of one of the old-fashioned coaches would take you all up1 and if the evening were good1 they could all walk down1 excepting ,meggy and little ,david4' #8,inverness1 ,july #beth1 #aa p4m4 #8,captain ,wemyss1 of ,wemyss1 has come to ,inverness to go the voyage with me1 and as we are sleeping in a double-bedded room1 ,i must no longer transgress4 ,you must remember me the best way you can to the children4' #8,on board of the ,lighthouse ,yacht1 ,july #bith4 #8,i got to ,cromarty yesterday about mid-day1 and went to church4 ,it happened to be the sacrament there1 and ,i heard a ,mr4 ,smith at that place conclude the service with a very suitable exhortation4 ,there seemed a great concourse of people1 but they had rather an unfortunate day for them at the tent1 as it rained a good deal4 ,after drinking tea at the inn1 ,captain ,wemyss accompanied me on board1 and we sailed about eight last night4 ,the wind at present being rather a beating one1 ,i think ,i shall have an opportunity of standing into the bay of ,wick1 and leaving this letter to let you know my progress and that ,i am well4' #8,lighthouse ,yacht1 ,stornoway1 ,august #dth4 #8,to-day we had prayers on deck as usual when at sea4 ,i read the #adth chapter1 ,i think1 of ,job4 ,captain ,wemyss has been in the habit of doing this on board his own ship1 agreeably to the ,articles of ,war4 ,our passage round the ,cape ,cape ,wrath was rather a cross one1 and as the wind was northerly1 we had a pretty heavy sea1 but upon the whole have made a good passage1 leaving many vessels behind us in ,orkney4 ,i am quite well1 my dear2 and ,captain ,wemyss1 who has much spirit1 and who is much given to observation1 and a perfect enthusiast in his profession1 enlivens the voyage greatly4 ,let me entreat you to move about much1 and take a walk with the boys to ,leith4 ,i think they have still many places to see there1 and ,i wish you would indulge them in this respect4 ,mr4 ,scales is the best person ,i know for showing them the sailcloth-weaving1 etc41 and he would have great pleasure in undertaking this4 ,my dear1 ,i trust soon to be with you1 and that through the goodness of ,god we shall meet all well4' #8,there are two vessels lying here with emigrants for ,america1 each with eighty people on board1 at all ages1 from a few days to upwards of sixty6 ,their prospects must be very forlorn to go with a slender purse for distant and unknown countries4' #8,lighthouse ,yacht1 off ,greenock1 ,aug4 #ahth4 #8,it was after church-time before we got here1 but we had prayers upon deck on the way up the ,clyde4 ,this has1 upon the whole1 been a very good voyage1 and ,captain ,wemyss1 who enjoys it much1 has been an excellent companion2 we met with pleasure1 and shall part with regret4' ,strange that1 after his long experience1 my grandfather should have learned so little of the attitude and even the dialect of the spiritually-minded2 that after forty-four years in a most religious circle1 he could drop without sense of incongruity from a period of accepted phrases to #8trust his wife was getting up her spirits1' or think to reassure her as to the character of ,captain ,wemyss by mentioning that he had read prayers on the deck of his frigate #8agreeably to the ,articles of ,war'6 ,yet there is no doubt--and it is one of the most agreeable features of the kindly series--that he was doing his best to please1 and there is little doubt that he succeeded4 ,almost all my grandfather's private letters have been destroyed4 ,this correspondence has not only been preserved entire1 but stitched up in the same covers with the works of the godly women1 the ,reverend ,john ,campbell1 and the painful ,mrs4 ,ogle4 ,i did not think to mention the good dame1 but she comes in usefully as an example4 ,amongst the treasures of the ladies of my family1 her letters have been honoured with a volume to themselves4 ,i read about a half of them myself2 then handed over the task to one of stauncher resolution1 with orders to communicate any fact that should be found to illuminate these pages4 ,not one was found2 it was her only art to communicate by post second-rate sermons at second-hand2 and such1 ,i take it1 was the correspondence in which my grandmother delighted4 ,if ,i am right1 that of ,robert ,stevenson1 with his quaint smack of the contemporary #8,sandford and ,merton1' his interest in the whole page of experience1 his perpetual quest1 and fine scent of all that seems romantic to a boy1 his needless pomp of language1 his excellent good sense1 his unfeigned1 unstained1 unwearied human kindliness1 would seem to her1 in a comparison1 dry and trivial and worldly4 ,and if these letters were by an exception cherished and preserved1 it would be for one or both of two reasons--because they dealt with and were bitter-sweet reminders of a time of sorrow2 or because she was pleased1 perhaps touched1 by the writer's guileless efforts to seem spiritually-minded4 ,after this date there were two more births and two more deaths1 so that the number of the family remained unchanged2 in all five children survived to reach maturity and to outlive their parents4 ,,chapter ,,ii3 ,,the ,,service ,,of ,,the ,,northern ,,lights ,i ,it were hard to imagine a contrast more sharply defined than that between the lives of the men and women of this family3 the one so chambered1 so centred in the affections and the sensibilities2 the other so active1 healthy1 and expeditious4 ,from ,may to ,november1 ,thomas ,smith and ,robert ,stevenson were on the mail1 in the saddle1 or at sea2 and my grandfather1 in particular1 seems to have been possessed with a demon of activity in travel4 ,in #ahjb1 by direction of the ,northern ,lighthouse ,board1 he had visited the coast of ,england from ,st4 ,bees1 in ,cumberland1 and round by the ,scilly ,islands to some place undecipherable by me2 in all a distance of #bejj miles4 ,in #ahjf ,i find him starting #8on a tour round the south coast of ,england1 from the ,humber to the ,severn4' ,peace was not long declared ere he found means to visit ,holland1 where he was in time to see1 in the navy-yard at ,helvoetsluys1 #8about twenty of ,bonaparte's ,english flotilla lying in a state of decay1 the object of curiosity to ,englishmen4' ,by #ahcd he seems to have been acquainted with the coast of ,france from ,dieppe to ,bordeaux2 and a main part of his duty as ,engineer to the ,board of ,northern ,lights was one round of dangerous and laborious travel4 ,in #aghf1 when ,thomas ,smith first received the appointment1 the extended and formidable coast of ,scotland was lighted at a single point--the ,isle of ,may1 in the jaws of the ,firth of ,forth1 where1 on a tower already a hundred and fifty years old1 an open coal-fire blazed in an iron chauffer4 ,the whole archipelago1 thus nightly plunged in darkness1 was shunned by sea-going vessels1 and the favourite courses were north about ,shetland and west about ,st4 ,kilda4 ,when the ,board met1 four new lights formed the extent of their intentions--,kinnaird ,head1 in ,aberdeenshire1 at the eastern elbow of the coast2 ,north ,ronaldsay1 in ,orkney1 to keep the north and guide ships passing to the south'ard of ,shetland2 ,island ,glass1 on ,harris1 to mark the inner shore of the ,hebrides and illuminate the navigation of the ,minch2 and the ,mull of ,kintyre4 ,these works were to be attempted against obstacles1 material and financial1 that might have staggered the most bold4 ,smith had no ship at his command till #agia2 the roads in those outlandish quarters where his business lay were scarce passable when they existed1 and the tower on the ,mull of ,kintyre stood eleven months unlighted while the apparatus toiled and foundered by the way among rocks and mosses4 ,not only had towers to be built and apparatus transplanted2 the supply of oil must be maintained1 and the men fed1 in the same inaccessible and distant scenes2 a whole service1 with its routine and hierarchy1 had to be called out of nothing2 and a new trade 7that of lightkeeper7 to be taught1 recruited1 and organised4 ,the funds of the ,board were at the first laughably inadequate4 ,they embarked on their career on a loan of twelve hundred pounds1 and their income in #aghi1 after relief by a fresh ,act of ,parliament1 amounted to less than three hundred4 ,it must be supposed that the thoughts of ,thomas ,smith1 in these early years1 were sometimes coloured with despair2 and since he built and lighted one tower after another1 and created and bequeathed to his successors the elements of an excellent administration1 it may be conceded that he was not after all an unfortunate choice for a first engineer4 ,war added fresh complications4 ,in #agid ,smith came #8very near to be taken' by a ,french squadron4 ,in #ahac ,robert ,stevenson was cruising about the neighbourhood of ,cape ,wrath in the immediate fear of ,commodore ,rogers4 ,the men1 and especially the sailors1 of the lighthouse service must be protected by a medal and ticket from the brutal activity of the press-gang4 ,and the zeal of volunteer patriots was at times embarrassing4 #8,i set off on foot1' writes my grandfather1 #8for ,marazion1 a town at the head of ,mount's ,bay1 where ,i was in hopes of getting a boat to freight4 ,i had just got that length1 and was making the necessary inquiry1 when a young man1 accompanied by several idle-looking fellows1 came up to me1 and in a hasty tone said1 8,sir1 in the king's name ,i seize your person and papers40 ,to which ,i replied that ,i should be glad to see his authority1 and know the reason of an address so abrupt4 ,he told me the want of time prevented his taking regular steps1 but that it would be necessary for me to return to ,penzance1 as ,i was suspected of being a ,french spy4 ,i proposed to submit my papers to the nearest ,justice of ,peace1 who was immediately applied to1 and came to the inn where ,i was4 ,he seemed to be greatly agitated1 and quite at a loss how to proceed4 ,the complaint preferred against me was 8that ,i had examined the ,longships ,lighthouse with the most minute attention1 and was no less particular in my inquiries at the keepers of the lighthouse regarding the sunk rocks lying off the ,land's ,end1 with the sets of the currents and tides along the coast3 that ,i seemed particularly to regret the situation of the rocks called the ,seven ,stones1 and the loss of a beacon which the ,trinity ,board had caused to be fixed on the ,wolf ,rock2 that ,i had taken notes of the bearings of several sunk rocks1 and a drawing of the lighthouse1 and of ,cape ,cornwall4 ,further1 that ,i had refused the honour of ,lord ,edgecombe's invitation to dinner1 offering as an apology that ,i had some particular business on hand40' ,my grandfather produced in answer his credentials and letter of credit2 but the justice1 after perusing them1 #8very gravely observed that they were 8musty bits of paper10' and proposed to maintain the arrest4 ,some more enlightened magistrates at ,penzance relieved him of suspicion and left him at liberty to pursue his journey1--#8which ,i did with so much eagerness1' he adds1 #8that ,i gave the two coal lights on the ,lizard only a very transient look4' ,lighthouse operations in ,scotland differed essentially in character from those in ,england4 ,the ,english coast is in comparison a habitable1 homely place1 well supplied with towns2 the ,scottish presents hundreds of miles of savage islands and desolate moors4 ,the ,parliamentary committee of #ahcd1 profoundly ignorant of this distinction1 insisted with my grandfather that the work at the various stations should be let out on contract #8in the neighbourhood1' where sheep and deer1 and gulls and cormorants1 and a few ragged gillies1 perhaps crouching in a bee-hive house1 made up the only neighbours4 ,in such situations repairs and improvements could only be overtaken by collecting 7as my grandfather expressed it7 a few #8lads1' placing them under charge of a foreman1 and despatching them about the coast as occasion served4 ,the particular danger of these seas increased the difficulty4 ,the course of the lighthouse tender lies amid iron-bound coasts1 among tide-races1 the whirlpools of the ,pentland ,firth1 flocks of islands1 flocks of reefs1 many of them uncharted4 ,the aid of steam was not yet4 ,at first in random coasting sloop1 and afterwards in the cutter belonging to the service1 the engineer must ply and run amongst these multiplied dangers1 and sometimes late into the stormy autumn4 ,for pages together my grandfather's diary preserves a record of these rude experiences2 of hard winds and rough seas2 and of #8the try-sail and storm-jib1 those old friends which ,i never like to see4' ,they do not tempt to quotation1 but it was the man's element1 in which he lived1 and delighted to live1 and some specimen must be presented4 ,on ,friday1 ,september #ajth1 #ahcj1 the ,regent lying in ,lerwick ,bay1 we have this entry3 #8,the gale increases1 with continued rain4' ,on the morrow1 ,saturday1 #aath1 the weather appeared to moderate1 and they put to sea1 only to be driven by evening into ,levenswick4 ,there they lay1 #8rolling much1' with both anchors ahead and the square yard on deck1 till the morning of ,saturday1 #ahth4 ,saturday and ,sunday they were plying to the southward with a #8strong breeze and a heavy sea1' and on ,sunday evening anchored in ,otterswick4 #8,monday1 #bjth1 it blows so fresh that we have no communication with the shore4 ,we see ,mr4 ,rome on the beach1 but we cannot communicate with him4 ,it blows 8mere fire10 as the sailors express it4' ,and for three days more the diary goes on with tales of davits unshipped1 high seas1 strong gales from the southward1 and the ship driven to refuge in ,kirkwall or ,deer ,sound4 ,i have many a passage before me to transcribe1 in which my grandfather draws himself as a man of minute and anxious exactitude about details4 ,it must not be forgotten that these voyages in the tender were the particular pleasure and reward of his existence2 that he had in him a reserve of romance which carried him delightedly over these hardships and perils2 that to him it was #8great gain' to be eight nights and seven days in the savage bay of ,levenswick--to read a book in the much agitated cabin--to go on deck and hear the gale scream in his ears1 and see the landscape dark with rain and the ship plunge at her two anchors--and to turn in at night and wake again at morning1 in his narrow berth1 to the glamorous and continued voices of the gale4 ,his perils and escapes were beyond counting4 ,i shall only refer to two3 the first1 because of the impression made upon himself2 the second1 from the incidental picture it presents of the north islanders4 ,on the #ith ,october #agid he took passage from ,orkney in the sloop ,elizabeth of ,stromness4 ,she made a fair passage till within view of ,kinnaird ,head1 where1 as she was becalmed some three miles in the offing1 and wind seemed to threaten from the south-east1 the captain landed him1 to continue his journey more expeditiously ashore4 ,a gale immediately followed1 and the ,elizabeth was driven back to ,orkney and lost with all hands4 ,the second escape ,i have been in the habit of hearing related by an eye-witness1 my own father1 from the earliest days of childhood4 ,on a ,september night1 the ,regent lay in the ,pentland ,firth in a fog and a violent and windless swell4 ,it was still dark1 when they were alarmed by the sound of breakers1 and an anchor was immediately let go4 ,the peep of dawn discovered them swinging in desperate proximity to the ,isle of ,swona #ed;a and the surf bursting close under their stern4 ,there was in this place a hamlet of the inhabitants1 fisher-folk and wreckers2 their huts stood close about the head of the beach4 ,all slept2 the doors were closed1 and there was no smoke1 and the anxious watchers on board ship seemed to contemplate a village of the dead4 ,it was thought possible to launch a boat and tow the ,regent from her place of danger2 and with this view a signal of distress was made and a gun fired with a red-hot poker from the galley4 ,its detonation awoke the sleepers4 ,door after door was opened1 and in the grey light of the morning fisher after fisher was seen to come forth1 yawning and stretching himself1 nightcap on head4 ,fisher after fisher1 ,i wrote1 and my pen tripped2 for it should rather stand wrecker after wrecker4 ,there was no emotion1 no animation1 it scarce seemed any interest2 not a hand was raised2 but all callously awaited the harvest of the sea1 and their children stood by their side and waited also4 ,to the end of his life1 my father remembered that amphitheatre of placid spectators on the beach2 and with a special and natural animosity1 the boys of his own age4 ,but presently a light air sprang up1 and filled the sails1 and fainted1 and filled them again2 and little by little the ,regent fetched way against the swell1 and clawed off shore into the turbulent firth4 ,the purpose of these voyages was to effect a landing on open beaches or among shelving rocks1 not for persons only1 but for coals and food1 and the fragile furniture of light-rooms4 ,it was often impossible4 ,in #ahca ,i find my grandfather #8hovering for a week' about the ,pentland ,skerries for a chance to land2 and it was almost always difficult4 ,much knack and enterprise were early developed among the seamen of the service2 their management of boats is to this day a matter of admiration2 and ,i find my grandfather in his diary depicting the nature of their excellence in one happily descriptive phrase1 when he remarks that ,captain ,soutar had landed #8the small stores and nine casks of oil with all the activity of a smuggler4' ,and it was one thing to land1 another to get on board again4 ,i have here a passage from the diary1 where it seems to have been touch-and-go4 #8,i landed at ,tarbetness1 on the eastern side of the point1 in a mere gale or blast of wind from west-south-west1 at #b p4m4 ,it blew so fresh that the captain1 in a kind of despair1 went off to the ship1 leaving myself and the steward ashore4 ,while ,i was in the light-room1 ,i felt it shaking and waving1 not with the tremor of the ,bell ,rock1 but with the waving of a tree6 ,this the light-keepers seemed to be quite familiar to1 the principal keeper remarking that 8it was very pleasant10 perhaps meaning interesting or curious4 ,the captain worked the vessel into smooth water with admirable dexterity1 and ,i got on board again about #f p4m4 from the other side of the point4' ,but not even the dexterity of ,soutar could prevail always2 and my grandfather must at times have been left in strange berths and with but rude provision4 ,i may instance the case of my father1 who was storm-bound three days upon an islet1 sleeping in the uncemented and unchimneyed houses of the islanders1 and subsisting on a diet of nettle-soup and lobsters4 ,the name of ,soutar has twice escaped my pen1 and ,i feel ,i owe him a vignette4 ,soutar first attracted notice as mate of a praam at the ,bell ,rock1 and rose gradually to be captain of the ,regent4 ,he was active1 admirably skilled in his trade1 and a man incapable of fear4 ,once1 in ,london1 he fell among a gang of confidence-men1 naturally deceived by his rusticity and his prodigious accent4 ,they plied him with drink--a hopeless enterprise1 for ,soutar could not be made drunk2 they proposed cards1 and ,soutar would not play4 ,at last1 one of them1 regarding him with a formidable countenance1 inquired if he were not frightened8 #8,i'm no' very easy fleyed1' replied the captain4 ,and the rooks withdrew after some easier pigeon4 ,so many perils shared1 and the partial familiarity of so many voyages1 had given this man a stronghold in my grandfather's estimation2 and there is no doubt but he had the art to court and please him with much hypocritical skill4 ,he usually dined on ,sundays in the cabin4 ,he used to come down daily after dinner for a glass of port or whisky1 often in his full rig of sou'-wester1 oilskins1 and long boots2 and ,i have often heard it described how insinuatingly he carried himself on these appearances1 artfully combining the extreme of deference with a blunt and seamanlike demeanour4 ,my father and uncles1 with the devilish penetration of the boy1 were far from being deceived2 and my father1 indeed1 was favoured with an object-lesson not to be mistaken4 ,he had crept one rainy night into an apple-barrel on deck1 and from this place of ambush overheard ,soutar and a comrade conversing in their oilskins4 ,the smooth sycophant of the cabin had wholly disappeared1 and the boy listened with wonder to a vulgar and truculent ruffian4 ,of ,soutar1 ,i may say tantum vidi1 having met him in the ,leith docks now more than thirty years ago1 when he abounded in the praises of my grandfather1 encouraged me 7in the most admirable manner7 to pursue his footprints1 and left impressed for ever on my memory the image of his own ,bardolphian nose4 ,he died not long after4 ,the engineer was not only exposed to the hazards of the sea2 he must often ford his way by land to remote and scarce accessible places1 beyond reach of the mail or the post-chaise1 beyond even the tracery of the bridle-path1 and guided by natives across bog and heather4 ,up to #ahjg my grand-father seems to have travelled much on horseback2 but he then gave up the idea--#8such1' he writes with characteristic emphasis and capital letters1 #8is the ,plague of ,baiting4' ,he was a good pedestrian2 at the age of fifty-eight ,i find him covering seventeen miles over the moors of the ,mackay country in less than seven hours1 and that is not bad travelling for a scramble4 ,the piece of country traversed was already a familiar track1 being that between ,loch ,eriboll and ,cape ,wrath2 and ,i think ,i can scarce do better than reproduce from the diary some traits of his first visit4 ,the tender lay in ,loch ,eriboll2 by five in the morning they sat down to breakfast on board2 by six they were ashore--my grandfather1 ,mr4 ,slight an assistant1 and ,soutar of the jolly nose1 and had been taken in charge by two young gentlemen of the neighbourhood and a pair of gillies4 ,about noon they reached the ,kyle of ,durness and passed the ferry4 ,by half-past three they were at ,cape ,wrath--not yet known by the emphatic abbreviation of #8,the ,cape'--and beheld upon all sides of them unfrequented shores1 an expanse of desert moor1 and the high-piled ,western ,ocean4 ,the site of the tower was chosen4 ,perhaps it is by inheritance of blood1 but ,i know few things more inspiriting than this location of a lighthouse in a designated space of heather and air1 through which the sea-birds are still flying4 ,by #i p4m4 the return journey had brought them again to the shores of the ,kyle4 ,the night was dirty1 and as the sea was high and the ferry-boat small1 ,soutar and ,mr4 ,stevenson were left on the far side1 while the rest of the party embarked and were received into the darkness4 ,they made1 in fact1 a safe though an alarming passage2 but the ferryman refused to repeat the adventure2 and my grand-father and the captain long paced the beach1 impatient for their turn to pass1 and tormented with rising anxiety as to the fate of their companions4 ,at length they sought the shelter of a shepherd's house4 #8,we had miserable up-putting1' the diary continues1 #8and on both sides of the ferry much anxiety of mind4 ,our beds were clean straw1 and but for the circumstance of the boat1 ,i should have slept as soundly as ever ,i did after a walk through moss and mire of sixteen hours4' ,to go round the lights1 even to-day1 is to visit past centuries4 ,the tide of tourists that flows yearly in ,scotland1 vulgarising all where it approaches1 is still defined by certain barriers4 ,it will be long ere there is a hotel at ,sumburgh or a hydropathic at ,cape ,wrath2 it will be long ere any char--banc1 laden with tourists1 shall drive up to ,barra ,head or ,monach1 the ,island of the ,monks4 ,they are farther from ,london than ,st4 ,petersburg1 and except for the towers1 sounding and shining all night with fog-bells and the radiance of the light-room1 glittering by day with the trivial brightness of white paint1 these island and moorland stations seem inaccessible to the civilisation of to-day1 and even to the end of my grandfather's career the isolation was far greater4 ,there ran no post at all in the ,long ,island2 from the light-house on ,barra ,head a boat must be sent for letters as far as ,tobermory1 between sixty and seventy miles of open sea2 and the posts of ,shetland1 which had surprised ,sir ,walter ,scott in #ahad1 were still unimproved in #ahcc1 when my grandfather reported on the subject4 ,the group contained at the time a population of #cj1jjj souls1 and enjoyed a trade which had increased in twenty years seven-fold1 to between three and four thousand tons4 ,yet the mails were despatched and received by chance coasting vessels at the rate of a penny a letter2 six and eight weeks often elapsed between opportunities1 and when a mail was to be made up1 sometimes at a moment's notice1 the bellman was sent hastily through the streets of ,lerwick4 ,between ,shetland and ,orkney1 only seventy miles apart1 there was #8no trade communication whatever4' ,such was the state of affairs1 only sixty years ago1 with the three largest clusters of the ,scottish ,archipelago2 and forty-seven years earlier1 when ,thomas ,smith began his rounds1 or forty-two1 when ,robert ,stevenson became conjoined with him in these excursions1 the barbarism was deep1 the people sunk in superstition1 the circumstances of their life perhaps unique in history4 ,lerwick and ,kirkwall1 like ,guam or the ,bay of ,islands1 were but barbarous ports where whalers called to take up and to return experienced seamen4 ,on the outlying islands the clergy lived isolated1 thinking other thoughts1 dwelling in a different country from their parishioners1 like missionaries in the ,south ,seas4 ,my grandfather's unrivalled treasury of anecdote was never written down2 it embellished his talk while he yet was1 and died with him when he died2 and such as have been preserved relate principally to the islands of ,ronaldsay and ,sanday1 two of the ,orkney group4 ,these bordered on one of the water-highways of civilisation2 a great fleet passed annually in their view1 and of the shipwrecks of the world they were the scene and cause of a proportion wholly incommensurable to their size4 ,in one year1 #agih1 my grandfather found the remains of no fewer than five vessels on the isle of ,sanday1 which is scarcely twelve miles long4 #8,hardly a year passed1' he writes1 #8without instances of this kind2 for1 owing to the projecting points of this strangely formed island1 the lowness and whiteness of its eastern shores1 and the wonderful manner in which the scanty patches of land are intersected with lakes and pools of water1 it becomes1 even in daylight1 a deception1 and has often been fatally mistaken for an open sea4 ,it had even become proverbial with some of the inhabitants to observe that 8if wrecks were to happen1 they might as well be sent to the poor isle of ,sanday as anywhere else40 ,on this and the neighbouring islands the inhabitants had certainly had their share of wrecked goods1 for the eye is presented with these melancholy remains in almost every form4 ,for example1 although quarries are to be met with generally in these islands1 and the stones are very suitable for building dykes 7,anglic1 walls71 yet instances occur of the land being enclosed1 even to a considerable extent1 with ship-timbers4 ,the author has actually seen a park 7,anglic1 meadow7 paled round chiefly with cedar-wood and mahogany from the wreck of a ,honduras-built ship2 and in one island1 after the wreck of a ship laden with wine1 the inhabitants have been known to take claret to their barley-meal porridge4 ,on complaining to one of the pilots of the badness of his boat's sails1 he replied to the author with some degree of pleasantry1 8,had it been ,his will that you came na' here wi' your lights1 we might #8a' had better sails to our boats1 and more o' other things40 ,it may further be mentioned that when some of ,lord ,dundas's farms are to be let in these islands a competition takes place for the lease1 and it is bona fide understood that a much higher rent is paid than the lands would otherwise give were it not for the chance of making considerably by the agency and advantages attending shipwrecks on the shores of the respective farms4' ,the people of ,north ,ronaldsay still spoke ,norse1 or1 rather1 mixed it with their ,english4 ,the walls of their huts were built to a great thickness of rounded stones from the sea-beach2 the roof flagged1 loaded with earth1 and perforated by a single hole for the escape of smoke4 ,the grass grew beautifully green on the flat house-top1 where the family would assemble with their dogs and cats1 as on a pastoral lawn2 there were no windows1 and in my grandfather's expression1 #8there was really no demonstration of a house unless it were the diminutive door4' ,he once landed on ,ronaldsay with two friends4 ,the inhabitants crowded and pressed so much upon the strangers that the bailiff1 or resident factor of the island1 blew with his ox-horn1 calling out to the natives to stand off and let the gentlemen come forward to the laird2 upon which one of the islanders1 as spokesman1 called out1 8,god ha'e us1 man6 thou needsna mak' sic a noise4 ,it's no' every day we ha'e three hatted men on our isle40' ,when the ,surveyor of ,taxes came 7for the first time1 perhaps7 to ,sanday1 and began in the ,king's name to complain of the unconscionable swarms of dogs1 and to menace the inhabitants with taxation1 it chanced that my grandfather and his friend1 ,dr4 ,patrick ,neill1 were received by an old lady in a ,ronaldsay hut4 ,her hut1 which was similar to the model described1 stood on a ,ness1 or point of land jutting into the sea4 ,they were made welcome in the firelit cellar1 placed #8in casey or straw-worked chairs1 after the ,norwegian fashion1 with arms1 and a canopy overhead1' and given milk in a wooden dish4 ,these hospitalities attended to1 the old lady turned at once to ,dr4 ,neill1 whom she took for the ,surveyor of ,taxes4 #8,sir1' said she1 #8gin ye'll tell the ,king that ,i canna keep the ,ness free o' the ,bangers 7sheep7 without twa hun's1 and twa guid hun's too1 he'll pass me threa the tax on dugs4' ,this familiar confidence1 these traits of engaging simplicity1 are characters of a secluded people4 ,mankind--and1 above all1 islanders--come very swiftly to a bearing1 and find very readily1 upon one convention or another1 a tolerable corporate life4 ,the danger is to those from without1 who have not grown up from childhood in the islands1 but appear suddenly in that narrow horizon1 life-sized apparitions4 ,for these no bond of humanity exists1 no feeling of kinship is awakened by their peril2 they will assist at a shipwreck1 like the fisher-folk of ,lunga1 as spectators1 and when the fatal scene is over1 and the beach strewn with dead bodies1 they will fence their fields with mahogany1 and1 after a decent grace1 sup claret to their porridge4 ,it is not wickedness3 it is scarce evil2 it is only1 in its highest power1 the sense of isolation and the wise disinterestedness of feeble and poor races4 ,think how many viking ships had sailed by these islands in the past1 how many vikings had landed1 and raised turmoil1 and broken up the barrows of the dead1 and carried off the wines of the living2 and blame them1 if you are able1 for that belief 7which may be called one of the parables of the devil's gospel7 that a man rescued from the sea will prove the bane of his deliverer4 ,it might be thought that my grandfather1 coming there unknown1 and upon an employment so hateful to the inhabitants1 must have run the hazard of his life4 ,but this were to misunderstand4 ,he came franked by the laird and the clergyman2 he was the ,king's officer2 the work was #8opened with prayer by the ,rev4 ,walter ,trail1 minister of the parish'2 ,god and the ,king had decided it1 and the people of these pious islands bowed their heads4 ,there landed1 indeed1 in ,north ,ronaldsay1 during the last decade of the eighteenth century1 a traveller whose life seems really to have been imperilled4 ,a very little man of a swarthy complexion1 he came ashore1 exhausted and unshaved1 from a long boat passage1 and lay down to sleep in the home of the parish schoolmaster4 ,but he had been seen landing4 ,the inhabitants had identified him for a ,pict1 as1 by some singular confusion of name1 they called the dark and dwarfish aboriginal people of the land4 ,immediately the obscure ferment of a race-hatred1 grown into a superstition1 began to work in their bosoms1 and they crowded about the house and the room-door with fearful whisperings4 ,for some time the schoolmaster held them at bay1 and at last despatched a messenger to call my grand-father4 ,he came3 he found the islanders beside themselves at this unwelcome resurrection of the dead and the detested2 he was shown1 as adminicular of testimony1 the traveller's uncouth and thick-soled boots2 he argued1 and finding argument unavailing1 consented to enter the room and examine with his own eyes the sleeping ,pict4 ,one glance was sufficient3 the man was now a missionary1 but he had been before that an ,edinburgh shopkeeper with whom my grandfather had dealt4 ,he came forth again with this report1 and the folk of the island1 wholly relieved1 dispersed to their own houses4 ,they were timid as sheep and ignorant as limpets2 that was all4 ,but the ,lord deliver us from the tender mercies of a frightened flock6 ,i will give two more instances of their superstition4 ,when ,sir ,walter ,scott visited the ,stones of ,stennis1 my grandfather put in his pocket a hundred-foot line1 which he unfortunately lost4 #8,some years afterwards1' he writes1 #8one of my assistants on a visit to the ,stones of ,stennis took shelter from a storm in a cottage close by the lake2 and seeing a box-measuring-line in the bole or sole of the cottage window1 he asked the woman where she got this well-known professional appendage4 ,she said3 8,o sir1 ane of the bairns fand it lang syne at the ,stanes2 and when drawing it out we took fright1 and thinking it had belanged to the fairies1 we threw it into the bole1 and it has layen there ever since40' ,this is for the one2 the last shall be a sketch by the master hand of ,scott himself3 #8,at the village of ,stromness1 on the ,orkney main island1 called ,pomona1 lived1 in #ahad1 an aged dame called ,bessie ,millie1 who helped out her subsistence by selling favourable winds to mariners4 ,he was a venturous master of a vessel who left the roadstead of ,stromness without paying his offering to propitiate ,bessie ,millie6 ,her fee was extremely moderate1 being exactly sixpence1 for which she boiled her kettle and gave the bark the advantage of her prayers1 for she disclaimed all unlawful acts4 ,the wind thus petitioned for was sure1 she said1 to arrive1 though occasionally the mariners had to wait some time for it4 ,the woman's dwelling and appearance were not unbecoming her pretensions4 ,her house1 which was on the brow of the steep hill on which ,stromness is founded1 was only accessible by a series of dirty and precipitous lanes1 and for exposure might have been the abode of ,eolus himself1 in whose commodities the inhabitant dealt4 ,she herself was1 as she told us1 nearly one hundred years old1 withered and dried up like a mummy4 ,a clay-coloured kerchief1 folded round her neck1 corresponded in colour to her corpse-like complexion4 ,two light blue eyes that gleamed with a lustre like that of insanity1 an utterance of astonishing rapidity1 a nose and chin that almost met together1 and a ghastly expression of cunning1 gave her the effect of ,hecate4 ,such was ,bessie ,millie1 to whom the mariners paid a sort of tribute with a feeling between jest and earnest4' ,,ii ,from about the beginning of the century up to #ahjg ,robert ,stevenson was in partnership with ,thomas ,smith4 ,in the last-named year the partnership was dissolved2 ,thomas ,smith returning to his business1 and my grandfather becoming sole engineer to the ,board of ,northern ,lights4 ,i must try1 by excerpts from his diary and correspondence1 to convey to the reader some idea of the ardency and thoroughness with which he threw himself into the largest and least of his multifarious engagements in this service4 ,but first ,i must say a word or two upon the life of lightkeepers1 and the temptations to which they are more particularly exposed4 ,the lightkeeper occupies a position apart among men4 ,in sea-towers the complement has always been three since the deplorable business in the ,eddystone1 when one keeper died1 and the survivor1 signalling in vain for relief1 was compelled to live for days with the dead body4 ,these usually pass their time by the pleasant human expedient of quarrelling2 and sometimes1 ,i am assured1 not one of the three is on speaking terms with any other4 ,on shore stations1 which on the ,scottish coast are sometimes hardly less isolated1 the usual number is two1 a principal and an assistant4 ,the principal is dissatisfied with the assistant1 or perhaps the assistant keeps pigeons1 and the principal wants the water from the roof4 ,their wives and families are with them1 living cheek by jowl4 ,the children quarrel2 ,jockie hits ,jimsie in the eye1 and the mothers make haste to mingle in the dissension4 ,perhaps there is trouble about a broken dish2 perhaps ,mrs4 ,assistant is more highly born than ,mrs4 ,principal and gives herself airs2 and the men are drawn in and the servants presently follow4 #8,church privileges have been denied the keeper's and the assistant's servants1' ,i read in one case1 and the eminently ,scots periphrasis means neither more nor less than excommunication1 #8on account of the discordant and quarrelsome state of the families4 ,the cause1 when inquired into1 proves to be tittle-tattle on both sides4' ,the tender comes round2 the foremen and artificers go from station to station2 the gossip flies through the whole system of the service1 and the stories1 disfigured and exaggerated1 return to their own birthplace with the returning tender4 ,the ,english ,board was apparently shocked by the picture of these dissensions4 #8,when the ,trinity ,house can1' ,i find my grandfather writing at ,beachy ,head1 in #ahcd1 #8they do not appoint two keepers1 they disagree so ill4 ,a man who has a family is assisted by his family2 and in this way1 to my experience and present observation1 the business is very much neglected4 ,one keeper is1 in my view1 a bad system4 ,this day's visit to an ,english lighthouse convinces me of this1 as the lightkeeper was walking on a staff with the gout1 and the business performed by one of his daughters1 a girl of thirteen or fourteen years of age4' ,this man received a hundred a year6 ,it shows a different reading of human nature1 perhaps typical of ,scotland and ,england1 that ,i find in my grandfather's diary the following pregnant entry3 #8,the lightkeepers1 agreeing ill1 keep one another to their duty4' ,but the ,scottish system was not alone founded on this cynical opinion4 ,the dignity and the comfort of the northern lightkeeper were both attended to4 ,he had a uniform to #8raise him in his own estimation1 and in that of his neighbour1 which is of consequence to a person of trust4 ,the keepers1' my grandfather goes on1 in another place1 #8are attended to in all the detail of accommodation in the best style as shipmasters2 and this is believed to have a sensible effect upon their conduct1 and to regulate their general habits as members of society4' ,he notes1 with the same dip of ink1 that #8the brasses were not clean1 and the persons of the keepers not trig'2 and thus we find him writing to a culprit3 #8,i have to complain that you are not cleanly in your person1 and that your manner of speech is ungentle1 and rather inclines to rudeness4 ,you must therefore take a different view of your duties as a lightkeeper4' ,a high ideal for the service appears in these expressions1 and will be more amply illustrated further on4 ,but even the ,scottish lightkeeper was frail4 ,during the unbroken solitude of the winter months1 when inspection is scarce possible1 it must seem a vain toil to polish the brass hand-rail of the stair1 or to keep an unrewarded vigil in the light-room2 and the keepers are habitually tempted to the beginnings of sloth1 and must unremittingly resist4 ,he who temporises with his conscience is already lost4 ,i must tell here an anecdote that illustrates the difficulties of inspection4 ,in the days of my uncle ,david and my father there was a station which they regarded with jealousy4 ,the two engineers compared notes and were agreed4 ,the tower was always clean1 but seemed always to bear traces of a hasty cleansing1 as though the keepers had been suddenly forewarned4 ,on inquiry1 it proved that such was the case1 and that a wandering fiddler was the unfailing harbinger of the engineer4 ,at last my father was storm-stayed one ,sunday in a port at the other side of the island4 ,the visit was quite overdue1 and as he walked across upon the ,monday morning he promised himself that he should at last take the keepers unprepared4 ,they were both waiting for him in uniform at the gate2 the fiddler had been there on ,saturday6 ,my grandfather1 as will appear from the following extracts1 was much a martinet1 and had a habit of expressing himself on paper with an almost startling emphasis4 ,personally1 with his powerful voice1 sanguine countenance1 and eccentric and original locutions1 he was well qualified to inspire a salutary terror in the service4 #8,i find that the keepers have1 by some means or another1 got into the way of cleaning too much with rotten-stone and oil4 ,i take the principal keeper to task on this subject1 and make him bring a clean towel and clean one of the brazen frames1 which leaves the towel in an odious state4 ,this towel ,i put up in a sheet of paper1 seal1 and take with me to confront ,mr4 ,murdoch1 who has just left the station4' #8,this letter'--a stern enumeration of complaints--#8to lie a week on the light-room book-place1 and to be put in the ,inspector's hands when he comes round4' #8,it is the most painful thing that can occur for me to have a correspondence of this kind with any of the keepers2 and when ,i come to the ,lighthouse1 instead of having the satisfaction to meet them with approbation1 it is distressing when one is obliged to put on a most angry countenance and demeanour2 but from such culpable negligence as you have shown there is no avoiding it4 ,i hold it as a fixed maxim that1 when a man or a family put on a slovenly appearance in their houses1 stairs1 and lanterns1 ,i always find their reflectors1 burners1 windows1 and light in general1 ill attended to2 and1 therefore1 ,i must insist on cleanliness throughout4' #8,i find you very deficient in the duty of the high tower4 ,you thus place your appointment as ,principal ,keeper in jeopardy2 and ,i think it necessary1 as an old servant of the ,board1 to put you upon your guard once for all at this time4 ,i call upon you to recollect what was formerly and is now said to you4 ,the state of the backs of the reflectors at the high tower was disgraceful1 as ,i pointed out to you on the spot4 ,they were as if spitten upon1 and greasy finger-marks upon the back straps4 ,i demand an explanation of this state of things4' #8,the cause of the ,commissioners dismissing you is expressed in the minute2 and it must be a matter of regret to you that you have been so much engaged in smuggling1 and also that the ,reports relative to the cleanliness of the ,lighthouse1 upon being referred to1 rather added to their unfavourable opinion4' #8,i do not go into the dwelling-house1 but severely chide the lightkeepers for the disagreement that seems to subsist among them4' #8,the families of the two lightkeepers here agree very ill4 ,i have effected a reconciliation for the present4' #8,things are in a very humdrum state here4 ,there is no painting1 and in and out of doors no taste or tidiness displayed4 ,robert's wife greets and ,m',gregor's scolds2 and ,robert is so down-hearted that he says he is unfit for duty4 ,i told him that if he was to mind wives' quarrels1 and to take them up1 the only way was for him and ,m',gregor to go down to the point like ,sir ,g4 ,grant and ,lord ,somerset4' #8,i cannot say that ,i have experienced a more unpleasant meeting than that of the lighthouse folks this morning1 or ever saw a stronger example of unfeeling barbarity than the conduct which the ---s exhibited4 ,these two cold-hearted persons1 not contented with having driven the daughter of the poor nervous woman from her father's house1 both kept pouncing at her1 lest she should forget her great misfortune4 ,write me of their conduct4 ,do not make any communication of the state of these families at ,kinnaird ,head1 as this would be like ,tale-bearing4' ,there is the great word out4 ,tales and ,tale-bearing1 always with the emphatic capitals1 run continually in his correspondence4 ,i will give but two instances3-- #8,write to ,david one of the lightkeepers and caution him to be more prudent how he expresses himself4 ,let him attend his duty to the ,lighthouse and his family concerns1 and give less heed to ,tale-bearers4' #8,i have not your last letter at hand to quote its date2 but1 if ,i recollect1 it contains some kind of tales1 which nonsense ,i wish you would lay aside1 and notice only the concerns of your family and the important charge committed to you4' ,apparently1 however1 my grandfather was not himself inaccessible to the ,tale-bearer1 as the following indicates3 #8,in walking along with ,mr4 --- 1 ,i explain to him that ,i should be under the necessity of looking more closely into the business here from his conduct at ,buddonness1 which had given an instance of weakness in the ,moral principle which had staggered my opinion of him4 ,his answer was1 8,that will be with regard to the lass80 ,i told him ,i was to enter no farther with him upon the subject4' #8,mr4 ,miller appears to be master and man4 ,i am sorry about this foolish fellow4 ,had ,i known his train1 ,i should not1 as ,i did1 have rather forced him into the service4 ,upon finding the windows in the state they were1 ,i turned upon ,mr4 ,watt1 and especially upon ,mr4 ,stewart4 ,the latter did not appear for a length of time to have visited the light-room4 ,on asking the cause--did ,mr4 ,watt and him 7sic7 disagree2 he said no2 but he had got very bad usage from the assistant1 8who was a very obstreperous man40 ,i could not bring ,mr4 ,watt to put in language his objections to ,miller2 all ,i could get was that1 he being your friend1 and saying he was unwell1 he did not like to complain or to push the man2 that the man seemed to have no liking to anything like work2 that he was unruly2 that1 being an educated man1 he despised them4 ,i was1 however1 determined to have out of these unwilling witnesses the language alluded to4 ,i fixed upon ,mr4 ,stewart as chief2 he hedged4 ,my curiosity increased1 and ,i urged4 ,then he said1 8,what would ,i think1 just exactly1 of ,mr4 ,watt being called an ,old ,b-80 ,you may judge of my surprise4 ,there was not another word uttered4 ,this was quite enough1 as coming from a person ,i should have calculated upon quite different behaviour from4 ,it spoke a volume of the man's mind and want of principle4' #8,object to the keeper keeping a ,bull-,terrier dog of ferocious appearance4 ,it is dangerous1 as we land at all times of the night4' #8,have only to complain of the storehouse floor being spotted with oil4 ,give orders for this being instantly rectified1 so that on my return to-morrow ,i may see things in good order4' #8,the furniture of both houses wants much rubbing4 ,mrs4 ---'s carpets are absurd beyond anything ,i have seen4 ,i want her to turn the fenders up with the bottom to the fireplace3 the carpets1 when not likely to be in use1 folded up and laid as a hearthrug partly under the fender4' ,my grandfather was king in the service to his finger-tips4 ,all should go in his way1 from the principal lightkeeper's coat to the assistant's fender1 from the gravel in the garden-walks to the bad smell in the kitchen1 or the oil-spots on the store-room floor4 ,it might be thought there was nothing more calculated to awake men's resentment1 and yet his rule was not more thorough than it was beneficent4 ,his thought for the keepers was continual1 and it did not end with their lives4 ,he tried to manage their successions2 he thought no pains too great to arrange between a widow and a son who had succeeded his father2 he was often harassed and perplexed by tales of hardship2 and ,i find him writing1 almost in despair1 of their improvident habits and the destitution that awaited their families upon a death4 #8,the house being completely furnished1 they come into possession without necessaries1 and they go out ,,naked4 ,the insurance seems to have failed1 and what next is to be tried8' ,while they lived he wrote behind their backs to arrange for the education of their children1 or to get them other situations if they seemed unsuitable for the ,northern ,lights4 ,when he was at a lighthouse on a ,sunday he held prayers and heard the children read4 ,when a keeper was sick1 he lent him his horse and sent him mutton and brandy from the ship4 #8,the assistant's wife having been this morning confined1 there was sent ashore a bottle of sherry and a few rusks--a practice which ,i have always observed in this service1' he writes4 ,they dwelt1 many of them1 in uninhabited isles or desert forelands1 totally cut off from shops4 ,many of them were1 besides1 fallen into a rustic dishabitude of life1 so that even when they visited a city they could scarce be trusted with their own affairs1 as 7for example7 he who carried home to his children1 thinking they were oranges1 a bag of lemons4 ,and my grandfather seems to have acted1 at least in his early years1 as a kind of gratuitous agent for the service4 ,thus ,i find him writing to a keeper in #ahjf1 when his mind was already preoccupied with arrangements for the ,bell ,rock3 #8,i am much afraid ,i stand very unfavourably with you as a man of promise1 as ,i was to send several things of which ,i believe ,i have more than once got the memorandum4 ,all ,i can say is that in this respect you are not singular4 ,this makes me no better2 but really ,i have been driven about beyond all example in my past experience1 and have been essentially obliged to neglect my own urgent affairs4' ,no servant of the ,northern ,lights came to ,edinburgh but he was entertained at ,baxter's ,place to breakfast4 ,there1 at his own table1 my grandfather sat down delightedly with his broad-spoken1 homespun officers4 ,his whole relation to the service was1 in fact1 patriarchal2 and ,i believe ,i may say that throughout its ranks he was adored4 ,i have spoken with many who knew him2 ,i was his grandson1 and their words may have very well been words of flattery2 but there was one thing that could not be affected1 and that was the look and light that came into their faces at the name of ,robert ,stevenson4 ,in the early part of the century the foreman builder was a young man of the name of ,george ,peebles1 a native of ,anstruther4 ,my grandfather had placed in him a very high degree of confidence1 and he was already designated to be foreman at the ,bell ,rock1 when1 on ,christmas-day #ahjf1 on his way home from ,orkney1 he was lost in the schooner ,traveller4 ,the tale of the loss of the ,traveller is almost a replica of that of the ,elizabeth of ,stromness2 like the ,elizabeth she came as far as ,kinnaird ,head1 was then surprised by a storm1 driven back to ,orkney1 and bilged and sank on the island of ,flotta4 ,it seems it was about the dusk of the day when the ship struck1 and many of the crew and passengers were drowned4 ,about the same hour1 my grandfather was in his office at the writing-table2 and the room beginning to darken1 he laid down his pen and fell asleep4 ,in a dream he saw the door open and ,george ,peebles come in1 #8reeling to and fro1 and staggering like a drunken man1' with water streaming from his head and body to the floor4 ,there it gathered into a wave which1 sweeping forward1 submerged my grandfather4 ,well1 no matter how deep2 versions vary2 and at last he awoke1 and behold it was a dream6 ,but it may be conceived how profoundly the impression was written even on the mind of a man averse from such ideas1 when the news came of the wreck on ,flotta and the death of ,george4 ,george's vouchers and accounts had perished with himself2 and it appeared he was in debt to the ,commissioners4 ,but my grandfather wrote to ,orkney twice1 collected evidence of his disbursements1 and proved him to be seventy pounds ahead4 ,with this sum1 he applied to ,george's brothers1 and had it apportioned between their mother and themselves4 ,he approached the ,board and got an annuity of #e bestowed on the widow ,peebles2 and we find him writing her a long letter of explanation and advice1 and pressing on her the duty of making a will4 ,that he should thus act executor was no singular instance4 ,but besides this we are able to assist at some of the stages of a rather touching experiment2 no less than an attempt to secure ,charles ,peebles heir to ,george's favour4 ,he is despatched1 under the character of #8a fine young man'2 recommended to gentlemen for #8advice1 as he's a stranger in your place1 and indeed to this kind of charge1 this being his first outset as ,foreman'2 and for a long while after1 the letter-book1 in the midst of that thrilling first year of the ,bell ,rock1 is encumbered with pages of instruction and encouragement4 ,the nature of a bill1 and the precautions that are to be observed about discounting it1 are expounded at length and with clearness4 #8,you are not1 ,i hope1 neglecting1 ,charles1 to work the harbour at spring-tides2 and see that you pay the greatest attention to get the well so as to supply the keeper with water1 for he is a very helpless fellow1 and so unfond of hard work that ,i fear he could do ill to keep himself in water by going to the other side for it4'--#8,with regard to spirits1 ,charles1 ,i see very little occasion for it4' ,these abrupt apostrophes sound to me like the voice of an awakened conscience2 but they would seem to have reverberated in vain in the ears of ,charles4 ,there was trouble in ,pladda1 his scene of operations2 his men ran away from him1 there was at least a talk of calling in the ,sheriff4 #8,i fear1' writes my grandfather1 #8you have been too indulgent1 and ,i am sorry to add that men do not answer to be too well treated1 a circumstance which ,i have experienced1 and which you will learn as you go on in business4' ,i wonder1 was not ,charles ,peebles himself a case in point8 ,either death1 at least1 or disappointment and discharge1 must have ended his service in the ,northern ,lights2 and in later correspondence ,i look in vain for any mention of his name--,charles1 ,i mean1 not ,peebles3 for as late as #ahci my grandfather is patiently writing to another of the family3 #8,i am sorry you took the trouble of applying to me about your son1 as it lies quite out of my way to forward his views in the line of his profession as a ,draper4' ,,iii ,a professional life of ,robert ,stevenson has been already given to the world by his son ,david1 and to that ,i would refer those interested in such matters4 ,but my own design1 which is to represent the man1 would be very ill carried out if ,i suffered myself or my reader to forget that he was1 first of all and last of all1 an engineer4 ,his chief claim to the style of a mechanical inventor is on account of the ,jib or ,balance ,crane of the ,bell ,rock1 which are beautiful contrivances4 ,but the great merit of this engineer was not in the field of engines4 ,he was above all things a projector of works in the face of nature1 and a modifier of nature itself4 ,a road to be made1 a tower to be built1 a harbour to be constructed1 a river to be trained and guided in its channel--these were the problems with which his mind was continually occupied2 and for these and similar ends he travelled the world for more than half a century1 like an artist1 note-book in hand4 ,he once stood and looked on at the emptying of a certain oil-tube2 he did so watch in hand1 and accurately timed the operation2 and in so doing offered the perfect type of his profession4 ,the fact acquired might never be of use3 it was acquired3 another link in the world's huge chain of processes was brought down to figures and placed at the service of the engineer4 #8,the very term mensuration sounds engineer-like1' ,i find him writing2 and in truth what the engineer most properly deals with is that which can be measured1 weighed1 and numbered4 ,the time of any operation in hours and minutes1 its cost in pounds1 shillings1 and pence1 the strain upon a given point in foot-pounds--these are his conquests1 with which he must continually furnish his mind1 and which1 after he has acquired them1 he must continually apply and exercise4 ,they must be not only entries in note-books1 to be hurriedly consulted2 in the actor's phrase1 he must be stale in them2 in a word of my grandfather's1 they must be #8fixed in the mind like the ten fingers and ten toes4' ,these are the certainties of the engineer2 so far he finds a solid footing and clear views4 ,but the province of formulas and constants is restricted4 ,even the mechanical engineer comes at last to an end of his figures1 and must stand up1 a practical man1 face to face with the discrepancies of nature and the hiatuses of theory4 ,after the machine is finished1 and the steam turned on1 the next is to drive it2 and experience and an exquisite sympathy must teach him where a weight should be applied or a nut loosened4 ,with the civil engineer1 more properly so called 7if anything can be proper with this awkward coinage71 the obligation starts with the beginning4 ,he is always the practical man4 ,the rains1 the winds and the waves1 the complexity and the fitfulness of nature1 are always before him4 ,he has to deal with the unpredictable1 with those forces 7in ,smeaton's phrase7 that #8are subject to no calculation'2 and still he must predict1 still calculate them1 at his peril4 ,his work is not yet in being1 and he must foresee its influence3 how it shall deflect the tide1 exaggerate the waves1 dam back the rain-water1 or attract the thunderbolt4 ,he visits a piece of sea-board2 and from the inclination and soil of the beach1 from the weeds and shell-fish1 from the configuration of the coast and the depth of soundings outside1 he must deduce what magnitude of waves is to be looked for4 ,he visits a river1 its summer water babbling on shallows2 and he must not only read1 in a thousand indications1 the measure of winter freshets1 but be able to predict the violence of occasional great floods4 ,nay1 and more2 he must not only consider that which is1 but that which may be4 ,thus ,i find my grandfather writing1 in a report on the ,north ,esk ,bridge3 #8,a less waterway might have sufficed1 but the valleys may come to be meliorated by drainage4' ,one field drained after another through all that confluence of vales1 and we come to a time when they shall precipitate by so much a more copious and transient flood1 as the gush of the flowing drain-pipe is superior to the leakage of a peat4 ,it is plain there is here but a restricted use for formulas4 ,in this sort of practice1 the engineer has need of some transcendental sense4 ,smeaton1 the pioneer1 bade him obey his #8feelings'2 my father1 that #8power of estimating obscure forces which supplies a coefficient of its own to every rule4' ,the rules must be everywhere indeed2 but they must everywhere be modified by this transcendental coefficient1 everywhere bent to the impression of the trained eye and the feelings of the engineer4 ,a sentiment of physical laws and of the scale of nature1 which shall have been strong in the beginning and progressively fortified by observation1 must be his guide in the last recourse4 ,i had the most opportunity to observe my father4 ,he would pass hours on the beach1 brooding over the waves1 counting them1 noting their least deflection1 noting when they broke4 ,on ,tweedside1 or by ,lyne or ,manor1 we have spent together whole afternoons2 to me1 at the time1 extremely wearisome2 to him1 as ,i am now sorry to think1 bitterly mortifying4 ,the river was to me a pretty and various spectacle2 ,i could not see--,i could not be made to see--it otherwise4 ,to my father it was a chequer-board of lively forces1 which he traced from pool to shallow with minute appreciation and enduring interest4 #8,that bank was being under-cut1' he might say4 #8,why8 ,suppose you were to put a groin out here1 would not the filum fluminis be cast abruptly off across the channel8 and where would it impinge upon the other shore8 and what would be the result8 ,or suppose you were to blast that boulder1 what would happen8 ,follow it--use the eyes ,god has given you--can you not see that a great deal of land would be reclaimed upon this side8' ,it was to me like school in holidays2 but to him1 until ,i had worn him out with my invincible triviality1 a delight4 ,thus he pored over the engineer's voluminous handy-book of nature2 thus must1 too1 have pored my grand-father and uncles4 ,but it is of the essence of this knowledge1 or this knack of mind1 to be largely incommunicable4 #8,it cannot be imparted to another1' says my father4 ,the verbal casting-net is thrown in vain over these evanescent1 inferential relations4 ,hence the insignificance of much engineering literature4 ,so far as the science can be reduced to formulas or diagrams1 the book is to the point2 so far as the art depends on intimate study of the ways of nature1 the author's words will too often be found vapid4 ,this fact--that engineering looks one way1 and literature another--was what my grand-father overlooked4 ,all his life long1 his pen was in his hand1 piling up a treasury of knowledge1 preparing himself against all possible contingencies4 ,scarce anything fell under his notice but he perceived in it some relation to his work1 and chronicled it in the pages of his journal in his always lucid1 but sometimes inexact and wordy1 style4 ,the ,travelling ,diary 7so he called it7 was kept in fascicles of ruled paper1 which were at last bound up1 rudely indexed1 and put by for future reference4 ,such volumes as have reached me contain a surprising medley3 the whole details of his employment in the ,northern ,lights and his general practice2 the whole biography of an enthusiastic engineer4 ,much of it is useful and curious2 much merely otiose2 and much can only be described as an attempt to impart that which cannot be imparted in words4 ,of such are his repeated and heroic descriptions of reefs2 monuments of misdirected literary energy1 which leave upon the mind of the reader no effect but that of a multiplicity of words and the suggested vignette of a lusty old gentleman scrambling among tangle4 ,it is to be remembered that he came to engineering while yet it was in the egg and without a library1 and that he saw the bounds of that profession widen daily4 ,he saw iron ships1 steamers1 and the locomotive engine1 introduced4 ,he lived to travel from ,glasgow to ,edinburgh in the inside of a forenoon1 and to remember that he himself had #8often been twelve hours upon the journey1 and his grand-father 7,lillie7 two days'6 ,the profession was still but in its second generation1 and had already broken down the barriers of time and space4 ,who should set a limit to its future encroachments8 ,and hence1 with a kind of sanguine pedantry1 he pursued his design of #8keeping up with the day' and posting himself and his family on every mortal subject4 ,of this unpractical idealism we shall meet with many instances2 there was not a trade1 and scarce an accomplishment1 but he thought it should form part of the outfit of an engineer2 and not content with keeping an encyclopaedic diary himself1 he would fain have set all his sons to work continuing and extending it4 ,they were more happily inspired4 ,my father's engineering pocket-book was not a bulky volume2 with its store of pregnant notes and vital formulas1 it served him through life1 and was not yet filled when he came to die4 ,as for ,robert ,stevenson and the ,travelling ,diary1 ,i should be ungrateful to complain1 for it has supplied me with many lively traits for this and subsequent chapters2 but ,i must still remember much of the period of my study there as a sojourn in the ,valley of the ,shadow4 ,the duty of the engineer is twofold--to design the work1 and to see the work done4 ,we have seen already something of the vociferous thoroughness of the man1 upon the cleaning of lamps and the polishing of reflectors4 ,in building1 in road-making1 in the construction of bridges1 in every detail and byway of his employments1 he pursued the same ideal4 ,perfection 7with a capital ,p and violently under-scored7 was his design4 ,a crack for a penknife1 the waste of #8six-and-thirty shillings1' #8the loss of a day or a tide1' in each of these he saw and was revolted by the finger of the sloven2 and to spirits intense as his1 and immersed in vital undertakings1 the slovenly is the dishonest1 and wasted time is instantly translated into lives endangered4 ,on this consistent idealism there is but one thing that now and then trenches with a touch of incongruity1 and that is his love of the picturesque4 ,as when he laid out a road on ,hogarth's line of beauty2 bade a foreman be careful1 in quarrying1 not #8to disfigure the island'2 or regretted in a report that #8the great stone1 called the ,devil in the ,hole1 was blasted or broken down to make road-metal1 and for other purposes of the work4' ,,chapter ,,iii3 ,,the ,,building ,,of ,,the ,,bell ,,rock ,off the mouths of the ,tay and the ,forth1 thirteen miles from ,fifeness1 eleven from ,arbroath1 and fourteen from the ,red ,head of ,angus1 lies the ,inchcape or ,bell ,rock4 ,it extends to a length of about fourteen hundred feet1 but the part of it discovered at low water to not more than four hundred and twenty-seven4 ,at a little more than half-flood in fine weather the seamless ocean joins over the reef1 and at high-water springs it is buried sixteen feet4 ,as the tide goes down1 the higher reaches of the rock are seen to be clothed by ,conferva rupestris as by a sward of grass2 upon the more exposed edges1 where the currents are most swift and the breach of the sea heaviest1 ,baderlock or ,henware flourishes2 and the great ,tangle grows at the depth of several fathoms with luxuriance4 ,before man arrived1 and introduced into the silence of the sea the smoke and clangour of a blacksmith's shop1 it was a favourite resting-place of seals4 ,the crab and lobster haunt in the crevices2 and limpets1 mussels1 and the white buckie abound4 ,according to a tradition1 a bell had been once hung upon this rock by an abbot of ,arbroath1 #ia;a #8and being taken down by a sea-pirate1 a year thereafter he perished upon the same rock1 with ship and goods1 in the righteous judgment of ,god4' ,from the days of the abbot and the sea-pirate no man had set foot upon the ,inchcape1 save fishers from the neighbouring coast1 or perhaps--for a moment1 before the surges swallowed them--the unfortunate victims of shipwreck4 ,the fishers approached the rock with an extreme timidity2 but their harvest appears to have been great1 and the adventure no more perilous than lucrative4 ,in #ahjj1 on the occasion of my grandfather's first landing1 and during the two or three hours which the ebb-tide and the smooth water allowed them to pass upon its shelves1 his crew collected upwards of two hundredweight of old metal3 pieces of a kedge anchor and a cabin stove1 crowbars1 a hinge and lock of a door1 a ship's marking-iron1 a piece of a ship's caboose1 a soldier's bayonet1 a cannon ball1 several pieces of money1 a shoe-buckle1 and the like4 ,such were the spoils of the ,bell ,rock4 ,from #agid onward1 the mind of my grandfather had been exercised with the idea of a light upon this formidable danger4 ,to build a tower on a sea rock1 eleven miles from shore1 and barely uncovered at low water of neaps1 appeared a fascinating enterprise4 ,it was something yet unattempted1 unessayed2 and even now1 after it has been lighted for more than eighty years1 it is still an exploit that has never been repeated4 #ib;a ,my grandfather was1 besides1 but a young man1 of an experience comparatively restricted1 and a reputation confined to ,scotland2 and when he prepared his first models1 and exhibited them in ,merchants' ,hall1 he can hardly be acquitted of audacity4 ,john ,clerk of ,eldin stood his friend from the beginning1 kept the key of the model room1 to which he carried #8eminent strangers1' and found words of counsel and encouragement beyond price4 #8,mr4 ,clerk had been personally known to ,smeaton1 and used occasionally to speak of him to me1' says my grandfather2 and again3 #8,i felt regret that ,i had not the opportunity of a greater range of practice to fit me for such an undertaking2 but ,i was fortified by an expression of my friend ,mr4 ,clerk in one of our conversations4 8,this work10 said he1 8is unique1 and can be little forwarded by experience of ordinary masonic operations4 ,in this case ,smeaton's #8,narrative' must be the text-book1 and energy and perseverance the pratique40' ,a ,bill for the work was introduced into ,parliament and lost in the ,lords in #ahjb-c4 ,john ,rennie was afterwards1 at my grandfather's suggestion1 called in council1 with the style of chief engineer4 ,the precise meaning attached to these words by any of the parties appears irrecoverable4 ,chief engineer should have full authority1 full responsibility1 and a proper share of the emoluments2 and there were none of these for ,rennie4 ,i find in an appendix a paper which resumes the controversy on this subject2 and it will be enough to say here that ,rennie did not design the ,bell ,rock1 that he did not execute it1 and that he was not paid for it4 #id;a ,from so much of the correspondence as has come down to me1 the acquaintance of this man1 eleven years his senior1 and already famous1 appears to have been both useful and agreeable to ,robert ,stevenson4 ,it is amusing to find my grandfather seeking high and low for a brace of pistols which his colleague had lost by the way between ,aberdeen and ,edinburgh2 and writing to ,messrs4 ,dollond1 #8,i have not thought it necessary to trouble ,mr4 ,rennie with this order1 but ,i beg you will see to get two minutes of him as he passes your door'--a proposal calculated rather from the latitude of ,edinburgh than from ,london1 even in #ahjg4 ,it is pretty1 too1 to observe with what affectionate regard ,smeaton was held in mind by his immediate successors4 #8,poor old fellow1' writes ,rennie to ,stevenson1 #8,i hope he will now and then take a peep at us1 and inspire you with fortitude and courage to brave all difficulties and dangers to accomplish a work which will1 if successful1 immortalise you in the annals of fame4' ,the style might be bettered1 but the sentiment is charming4 ,smeaton was1 indeed1 the patron saint of the ,bell ,rock4 ,undeterred by the sinister fate of ,winstanley1 he had tackled and solved the problem of the ,eddystone2 but his solution had not been in all respects perfect4 ,it remained for my grand-father to outdo him in daring1 by applying to a tidal rock those principles which had been already justified by the success of the ,eddystone1 and to perfect the model by more than one exemplary departure4 ,smeaton had adopted in his floors the principle of the arch2 each therefore exercised an outward thrust upon the walls1 which must be met and combated by embedded chains4 ,my grandfather's flooring-stones1 on the other hand1 were flat1 made part of the outer wall1 and were keyed and dovetailed into a central stone1 so as to bind the work together and be positive elements of strength4 ,in #agjc ,winstanley still thought it possible to erect his strange pagoda1 with its open gallery1 its florid scrolls and candlesticks3 like a rich man's folly for an ornamental water in a park4 ,smeaton followed2 then ,stevenson in his turn corrected such flaws as were left in ,smeaton's design2 and with his improvements1 it is not too much to say the model was made perfect4 ,smeaton and ,stevenson had between them evolved and finished the sea-tower4 ,no subsequent builder has departed in anything essential from the principles of their design4 ,it remains1 and it seems to us as though it must remain for ever1 an ideal attained4 ,every stone in the building1 it may interest the reader to know1 my grandfather had himself cut out in the model2 and the manner in which the courses were fitted1 joggled1 trenailed1 wedged1 and the bond broken1 is intricate as a puzzle and beautiful by ingenuity4 ,in #ahjf a second ,bill passed both ,houses1 and the preliminary works were at once begun4 ,the same year the ,navy had taken a great harvest of prizes in the ,north ,sea1 one of which1 a ,prussian fishing dogger1 flat-bottomed and rounded at the stem and stern1 was purchased to be a floating lightship1 and re-named the ,pharos4 ,by ,july #ahjg she was overhauled1 rigged for her new purpose1 and turned into the lee of the ,isle of ,may4 #8,it was proposed that the whole party should meet in her and pass the night2 but she rolled from side to side in so extraordinary a manner1 that even the most seahardy fled4 ,it was humorously observed of this vessel that she was in danger of making a round turn and appearing with her keel uppermost2 and that she would even turn a half-penny if laid upon deck4' ,by two o'clock on the morning of the #aeth ,july this purgatorial vessel was moored by the ,bell ,rock4 ,a sloop of forty tons had been in the meantime built at ,leith1 and named the ,smeaton2 by the #gth of ,august my grandfather set sail in her-- #8carrying with him ,mr4 ,peter ,logan1 foreman builder1 and five artificers selected from their having been somewhat accustomed to the sea1 the writer being aware of the distressing trial which the floating light would necessarily inflict upon landsmen from her rolling motion4 ,here he remained till the #ajth1 and1 as the weather was favourable1 a landing was effected daily1 when the workmen were employed in cutting the large seaweed from the sites of the lighthouse and beacon1 which were respectively traced with pickaxes upon the rock4 ,in the meantime the crew of the ,smeaton was employed in laying down the several sets of moorings within about half a mile of the rock for the convenience of vessels4 ,the artificers1 having1 fortunately1 experienced moderate weather1 returned to the workyard of ,arbroath with a good report of their treatment afloat2 when their comrades ashore began to feel some anxiety to see a place of which they had heard so much1 and to change the constant operations with the iron and mallet in the process of hewing for an occasional tide's work on the rock1 which they figured to themselves as a state of comparative ease and comfort4' ,i am now for many pages to let my grandfather speak for himself1 and tell in his own words the story of his capital achievement4 ,the tall quarto of #ecc pages from which the following narrative has been dug out is practically unknown to the general reader1 yet good judges have perceived its merit1 and it has been named 7with flattering wit7 #8,the ,romance of ,stone and ,lime' and #8,the ,robinson ,crusoe of ,civil ,engineering4' ,the tower was but four years in the building2 it took ,robert ,stevenson1 in the midst of his many avocations1 no less than fourteen to prepare the ,account4 ,the title-page is a solid piece of literature of upwards of a hundred words2 the table of contents runs to thirteen pages2 and the dedication 7to that revered monarch1 ,george ,,iv7 must have cost him no little study and correspondence4 ,walter ,scott was called in council1 and offered one miscorrection which still blots the page4 ,in spite of all this pondering and filing1 there remain pages not easy to construe1 and inconsistencies not easy to explain away4 ,i have sought to make these disappear1 and to lighten a little the baggage with which my grandfather marches2 here and there ,i have rejointed and rearranged a sentence1 always with his own words1 and all with a reverent and faithful hand2 and ,i offer here to the reader the true ,monument of ,robert ,stevenson with a little of the moss removed from the inscription1 and the ,portrait of the artist with some superfluous canvas cut away4 ,i--,,operations ,,of #ahjg ,sunday1 #afth ,aug4 ,everything being arranged for sailing to the rock on ,saturday the #aeth1 the vessel might have proceeded on the ,sunday2 but understanding that this would not be so agreeable to the artificers it was deferred until ,monday4 ,here we cannot help observing that the men allotted for the operations at the rock seemed to enter upon the undertaking with a degree of consideration which fully marked their opinion as to the hazardous nature of the undertaking on which they were about to enter4 ,they went in a body to church on ,sunday1 and whether it was in the ordinary course1 or designed for the occasion1 the writer is not certain1 but the service was1 in many respects1 suitable to their circumstances4 ,monday1 #agth ,aug4 ,the tide happening to fall late in the evening of ,monday the #agth1 the party1 counting twenty-four in number1 embarked on board of the ,smeaton about ten o'clock p4m41 and sailed from ,arbroath with a gentle breeze at west4 ,our ship's colours having been flying all day in compliment to the commencement of the work1 the other vessels in the harbour also saluted1 which made a very gay appearance4 ,a number of the friends and acquaintances of those on board having been thus collected1 the piers1 though at a late hour1 were perfectly crowded1 and just as the ,smeaton cleared the harbour1 all on board united in giving three hearty cheers1 which were returned by those on shore in such good earnest1 that1 in the still of the evening1 the sound must have been heard in all parts of the town1 re-echoing from the walls and lofty turrets of the venerable ,abbey of ,aberbrothwick4 ,the writer felt much satisfaction at the manner of this parting scene1 though he must own that the present rejoicing was1 on his part1 mingled with occasional reflections upon the responsibility of his situation1 which extended to the safety of all who should be engaged in this perilous work4 ,with such sensations he retired to his cabin2 but as the artificers were rather inclined to move about the deck than to remain in their confined berths below1 his repose was transient1 and the vessel being small every motion was necessarily heard4 ,some who were musically inclined occasionally sung2 but he listened with peculiar pleasure to the sailor at the helm1 who hummed over ,dibdin's characteristic air3-- #8,they say there's a ,providence sits up aloft1 ,to keep watch for the life of poor ,jack4' ,tuesday1 #ahth ,aug4 ,the weather had been very gentle all night1 and1 about four in the morning of the #ahth1 the ,smeaton anchored4 ,agreeably to an arranged plan of operations1 all hands were called at five o'clock a4m41 just as the highest part of the ,bell ,rock began to show its sable head among the light breakers1 which occasionally whitened with the foaming sea4 ,the two boats belonging to the floating light attended the ,smeaton1 to carry the artificers to the rock1 as her boat could only accommodate about six or eight sitters4 ,every one was more eager than his neighbour to leap into the boats and it required a good deal of management on the part of the coxswains to get men unaccustomed to a boat to take their places for rowing and at the same time trimming her properly4 ,the landing-master and foreman went into one boat1 while the writer took charge of another1 and steered it to and from the rock4 ,this became the more necessary in the early stages of the work1 as places could not be spared for more than two1 or at most three seamen to each boat1 who were always stationed1 one at the bow1 to use the boat-hook in fending or pushing off1 and the other at the aftermost oar1 to give the proper time in rowing1 while the middle oars were double-banked1 and rowed by the artificers4 ,as the weather was extremely fine1 with light airs of wind from the east1 we landed without difficulty upon the central part of the rock at half-past five1 but the water had not yet sufficiently left it for commencing the work4 ,this interval1 however1 did not pass unoccupied4 ,the first and last of all the principal operations at the ,bell ,rock were accompanied by three hearty cheers from all hands1 and1 on occasions like the present1 the steward of the ship attended1 when each man was regaled with a glass of rum4 ,as the water left the rock about six1 some began to bore the holes for the great bats or holdfasts1 for fixing the beams of the ,beacon-house1 while the smith was fully attended in laying out the site of his forge1 upon a somewhat sheltered spot of the rock1 which also recommended itself from the vicinity of a pool of water for tempering his irons4 ,these preliminary steps occupied about an hour1 and as nothing further could be done during this tide towards fixing the forge1 the workmen gratified their curiosity by roaming about the rock1 which they investigated with great eagerness till the tide overflowed it4 ,those who had been sick picked dulse 7,fucus palmatus71 which they ate with much seeming appetite2 others were more intent upon collecting limpets for bait1 to enjoy the amusement of fishing when they returned on board of the vessel4 ,indeed1 none came away empty-handed1 as everything found upon the ,bell ,rock was considered valuable1 being connected with some interesting association4 ,several coins1 and numerous bits of shipwrecked iron1 were picked up1 of almost every description2 and1 in particular1 a marking-iron lettered ,,james--a circumstance of which it was thought proper to give notice to the public1 as it might lead to the knowledge of some unfortunate shipwreck1 perhaps unheard of till this simple occurrence led to the discovery4 ,when the rock began to be overflowed1 the landing-master arranged the crews of the respective boats1 appointing twelve persons to each4 ,according to a rule which the writer had laid down to himself1 he was always the last person who left the rock4 ,in a short time the ,bell ,rock was laid completely under water1 and the weather being extremely fine1 the sea was so smooth that its place could not be pointed out from the appearance of the surface--a circumstance which sufficiently demonstrates the dangerous nature of this rock1 even during the day1 and in the smoothest and calmest state of the sea4 ,during the interval between the morning and the evening tides1 the artificers were variously employed in fishing and reading2 others were busy in drying and adjusting their wet clothes1 and one or two amused their companions with the violin and ,german flute4 ,about seven in the evening the signal bell for landing on the rock was again rung1 when every man was at his quarters4 ,in this service it was thought more appropriate to use the bell than to pipe to quarters1 as the use of this instrument is less known to the mechanic than the sound of the bell4 ,the landing1 as in the morning1 was at the eastern harbour4 ,during this tide the seaweed was pretty well cleared from the site of the operations1 and also from the tracks leading to the different landing-places2 for walking upon the rugged surface of the ,bell ,rock1 when covered with seaweed1 was found to be extremely difficult and even dangerous4 ,every hand that could possibly be occupied now employed in assisting the smith to fit up the apparatus for his forge4 ,at #i p4m4 the boats returned to the tender1 after other two hours' work1 in the same order as formerly--perhaps as much gratified with the success that attended the work of this day as with any other in the whole course of the operations4 ,although it could not he said that the fatigues of this day had been great1 yet all on board retired early to rest4 ,the sea being calm1 and no movement on deck1 it was pretty generally remarked in the morning that the bell awakened the greater number on board from their first sleep2 and though this observation was not altogether applicable to the writer himself1 yet he was not a little pleased to find that thirty people could all at once become so reconciled to a night's quarters within a few hundred paces of the ,bell ,rock4 ,wednesday1 #aith ,aug4 ,being extremely anxious at this time to get forward with fixing the smith's forge1 on which the progress of the work at present depended1 the writer requested that he might be called at daybreak to learn the landing-master's opinion of the weather from the appearance of the rising sun1 a criterion by which experienced seamen can generally judge pretty accurately of the state of the weather for the following day4 ,about five o'clock1 on coming upon deck1 the sun's upper limb or disc had just begun to appear as if rising from the ocean1 and in less than a minute he was seen in the fullest splendour2 but after a short interval he was enveloped in a soft cloudy sky1 which was considered emblematical of fine weather4 ,his rays had not yet sufficiently dispelled the clouds which hid the land from view1 and the ,bell ,rock being still overflowed1 the whole was one expanse of water4 ,this scene in itself was highly gratifying2 and1 when the morning bell was tolled1 we were gratified with the happy forebodings of good weather and the expectation of having both a morning and an evening tide's work on the rock4 ,the boat which the writer steered happened to be the last which approached the rock at this tide2 and1 in standing up in the stern1 while at some distance1 to see how the leading boat entered the creek1 he was astonished to observe something in the form of a human figure1 in a reclining posture1 upon one of the ledges of the rock4 ,he immediately steered the boat through a narrow entrance to the eastern harbour1 with a thousand unpleasant sensations in his mind4 ,he thought a vessel or boat must have been wrecked upon the rock during the night2 and it seemed probable that the rock might be strewed with dead bodies1 a spectacle which could not fail to deter the artificers from returning so freely to their work4 ,in the midst of these reveries the boat took the ground at an improper landing-place2 but1 without waiting to push her off1 he leapt upon the rock1 and making his way hastily to the spot which had privately given him alarm1 he had the satisfaction to ascertain that he had only been deceived by the peculiar situation and aspect of the smith's anvil and block1 which very completely represented the appearance of a lifeless body upon the rock4 ,the writer carefully suppressed his feelings1 the simple mention of which might have had a bad effect upon the artificers1 and his haste passed for an anxiety to examine the apparatus of the smith's forge1 left in an unfinished state at evening tide4 ,in the course of this morning's work two or three apparently distant peals of thunder were heard1 and the atmosphere suddenly became thick and foggy4 ,but as the ,smeaton1 our present tender1 was moored at no great distance from the rock1 the crew on board continued blowing with a horn1 and occasionally fired a musket1 so that the boats got to the ship without difficulty4 ,thursday1 #bjth ,aug4 ,the wind this morning inclined from the north-east1 and the sky had a heavy and cloudy appearance1 but the sea was smooth1 though there was an undulating motion on1 the surface1 which indicated easterly winds1 and occasioned a slight surf upon the rock4 ,but the boats found no difficulty in landing at the western creek at half-past seven1 and1 after a good tide's work1 left it again about a quarter from eleven4 ,in the evening the artificers landed at half-past seven1 and continued till half-past eight1 having completed the fixing of the smith's forge1 his vice1 and a wooden board or bench1 which were also batted to a ledge of the rock1 to the great joy of all1 under a salute of three hearty cheers4 ,from an oversight on the part of the smith1 who had neglected to bring his tinder-box and matches from the vessel1 the work was prevented from being continued for at least an hour longer4 ,the smith's shop was1 of course1 in open space3 the large bellows were carried to and from the rock every tide1 for the serviceable condition of which1 together with the tinder-box1 fuel1 and embers of the former fire1 the smith was held responsible4 ,those who have been placed in situations to feel the inconveniency and want of this useful artisan1 will be able to appreciate his value in a case like the present4 ,it often happened1 to our annoyance and disappointment1 in the early state of the work1 when the smith was in the middle of a favourite heat in making some useful article1 or in sharpening the tools1 after the flood-tide had obliged the pickmen to strike work1 a sea would come rolling over the rocks1 dash out the fire1 and endanger his indispensable implement1 the bellows4 ,if the sea was smooth1 while the smith often stood at work knee-deep in water1 the tide rose by imperceptible degrees1 first cooling the exterior of the fireplace1 or hearth1 and then quietly blackening and extinguishing the fire from below4 ,the writer has frequently been amused at the perplexing anxiety of the blacksmith when coaxing his fire and endeavouring to avert the effects of the rising tide4 ,friday1 #bast ,aug4 ,everything connected with the forge being now completed1 the artificers found no want of sharp tools1 and the work went forward with great alacrity and spirit4 ,it was also alleged that the rock had a more habitable appearance from the volumes of smoke which ascended from the smith's shop and the busy noise of his anvil1 the operations of the masons1 the movements of the boats1 and shipping at a distance--all contributed to give life and activity to the scene4 ,this noise and traffic had1 however1 the effect of almost completely banishing the herd of seals which had hitherto frequented the rock as a resting-place during the period of low water4 ,the rock seemed to be peculiarly adapted to their habits1 for1 excepting two or three days at neap-tides1 a part of it always dries at low water--at least1 during the summer season--and as there was good fishing-ground in the neighbourhood1 without a human being to disturb or molest them1 it had become a very favourite residence of these amphibious animals1 the writer having occasionally counted from fifty to sixty playing about the rock at a time4 ,but when they came to be disturbed every tide1 and their seclusion was broken in upon by the kindling of great fires1 together with the beating of hammers and picks during low water1 after hovering about for a time1 they changed their place1 and seldom more than one or two were to be seen about the rock upon the more detached outlayers which dry partially1 whence they seemed to look with that sort of curiosity which is observable in these animals when following a boat4 ,saturday1 #bbnd ,aug4 ,hitherto the artificers had remained on board the ,smeaton1 which was made fast to one of the mooring buoys at a distance only of about a quarter of a mile from the rock1 and1 of course1 a very great conveniency to the work4 ,being so near1 the seamen could never be mistaken as to the progress of the tide1 or state of the sea upon the rock1 nor could the boats be much at a loss to pull on board of the vessel during fog1 or even in very rough weather2 as she could be cast loose from her moorings at pleasure1 and brought to the lee side of the rock4 ,but the ,smeaton being only about forty register tons1 her accommodations were extremely limited4 ,it may1 therefore1 be easily imagined that an addition of twenty-four persons to her own crew must have rendered the situation of those on board rather uncomfortable4 ,the only place for the men's hammocks on board being in the hold1 they were unavoidably much crowded3 and if the weather had required the hatches to be fastened down1 so great a number of men could not possibly have been accommodated4 ,to add to this evil1 the co-boose or cooking-place being upon deck1 it would not have been possible to have cooked for so large a company in the event of bad weather4 ,the stock of water was now getting short1 and some necessaries being also wanted for the floating light1 the ,smeaton was despatched for ,arbroath2 and the writer1 with the artificers at the same time shifted their quarters from her to the floating light4 ,although the rock barely made its appearance at this period of the tides till eight o'clock1 yet1 having now a full mile to row from the floating light to the rock1 instead of about a quarter of a mile from the moorings of the ,smeaton1 it was necessary to be earlier astir1 and to form different arrangements2 breakfast was accordingly served up at seven o'clock this morning4 ,from the excessive motion of the floating light1 the writer had looked forward rather with anxiety to the removal of the workmen to this ship4 ,some among them1 who had been congratulating themselves upon having become sea-hardy while on board the ,smeaton1 had a complete relapse upon returning to the floating light4 ,this was the case with the writer4 ,from the spacious and convenient berthage of the floating light1 the exchange to the artificers was1 in this respect1 much for the better4 ,the boats were also commodious1 measuring sixteen feet in length on the keel1 so that1 in fine weather1 their complement of sitters was sixteen persons for each1 with which1 however1 they were rather crowded1 but she could not stow two boats of larger dimensions4 ,when there was what is called a breeze of wind1 and a swell in the sea1 the proper number for each boat could not1 with propriety1 be rated at more than twelve persons4 ,when the tide-bell rung the boats were hoisted out1 and two active seamen were employed to keep them from receiving damage alongside4 ,the floating light being very buoyant1 was so quick in her motions that when those who were about to step from her gunwale into a boat1 placed themselves upon a cleat or step on the ship's side1 with the man or rail ropes in their hands1 they had often to wait for some time till a favourable opportunity occurred for stepping into the boat4 ,while in this situation1 with the vessel rolling from side to side1 watching the proper time for letting go the man-ropes1 it required the greatest dexterity and presence of mind to leap into the boats4 ,one who was rather awkward would often wait a considerable period in this position3 at one time his side of the ship would be so depressed that he would touch the boat to which he belonged1 while the next sea would elevate him so much that he would see his comrades in the boat on the opposite side of the ship1 his friends in the one boat calling to him to #8,jump1' while those in the boat on the other side1 as he came again and again into their view1 would jocosely say1 #8,are you there yet8 ,you seem to enjoy a swing4' ,in this situation it was common to see a person upon each side of the ship for a length of time1 waiting to quit his hold4 ,on leaving the rock to-day a trial of seamanship was proposed amongst the rowers1 for by this time the artificers had become tolerably expert in this exercise4 ,by inadvertency some of the oars provided had been made of fir instead of ash1 and although a considerable stock had been laid in1 the workmen1 being at first awkward in the art1 were constantly breaking their oars2 indeed it was no uncommon thing to see the broken blades of a pair of oars floating astern1 in the course of a passage from the rock to the vessel4 ,the men1 upon the whole1 had but little work to perform in the course of a day2 for though they exerted themselves extremely hard while on the rock1 yet1 in the early state of the operations1 this could not be continued for more than three or four hours at a time1 and as their rations were large--consisting of one pound and a half of beef1 one pound of ship biscuit1 eight ounces oatmeal1 two ounces barley1 two ounces butter1 three quarts of small beer1 with vegetables and salt--they got into excellent spirits when free of sea-sickness4 ,the rowing of the boats against each other became a favourite amusement1 which was rather a fortunate circumstance1 as it must have been attended with much inconvenience had it been found necessary to employ a sufficient number of sailors for this purpose4 ,the writer1 therefore1 encouraged the spirit of emulation1 and the speed of their respective boats became a favourite topic4 ,premiums for boat-races were instituted1 which were contended for with great eagerness1 and the respective crews kept their stations in the boats with as much precision as they kept their beds on board of the ship4 ,with these and other pastimes1 when the weather was favourable1 the time passed away among the inmates of the forecastle and waist of the ship4 ,the writer looks back with interest upon the hours of solitude which he spent in this lonely ship with his small library4 ,this being the first ,saturday that the artificers were afloat1 all hands were served with a glass of rum and water at night1 to drink the sailors' favourite toast of #8,wives and ,sweethearts4' ,it was customary1 upon these occasions1 for the seamen and artificers to collect in the galley1 when the musical instruments were put in requisition3 for1 according to invariable practice1 every man must play a tune1 sing a song1 or tell a story4 ,sunday1 #bcrd ,aug4 ,having1 on the previous evening1 arranged matters with the landing-master as to the business of the day1 the signal was rung for all hands at half-past seven this morning4 ,in the early state of the spring-tides the artificers went to the rock before breakfast1 but as the tides fell later in the day1 it became necessary to take this meal before leaving the ship4 ,at eight o'clock all hands were assembled on the quarter-deck for prayers1 a solemnity which was gone through in as orderly a manner as circumstances would admit4 ,when the weather permitted1 the flags of the ship were hung up as an awning or screen1 forming the quarter-deck into a distinct compartment2 the pendant was also hoisted at the mainmast1 and a large ensign flag was displayed over the stern2 and lastly1 the ship's companion1 or top of the staircase1 was covered with the flag proper of the ,lighthouse ,service1 on which the ,bible was laid4 ,a particular toll of the bell called all hands to the quarter-deck1 when the writer read a chapter of the ,bible1 and1 the whole ship's company being uncovered1 he also read the impressive prayer composed by the ,reverend ,dr4 ,brunton1 one of the ministers of ,edinburgh4 ,upon concluding this service1 which was attended with becoming reverence and attention1 all on board retired to their respective berths to breakfast1 and1 at half-past nine1 the bell again rung for the artificers to take their stations in their respective boats4 ,some demur having been evinced on board about the propriety of working on ,sunday1 which had hitherto been touched upon as delicately as possible1 all hands being called aft1 the writer1 from the quarter-deck1 stated generally the nature of the service1 expressing his hopes that every man would feel himself called upon to consider the erection of a lighthouse on the ,bell ,rock1 in every point of view1 as a work of necessity and mercy4 ,he knew that scruples had existed with some1 and these had1 indeed1 been fairly and candidly urged before leaving the shore2 but it was expected that1 after having seen the critical nature of the rock1 and the necessity of the measure1 every man would now be satisfied of the propriety of embracing all opportunities of landing on the rock when the state of the weather would permit4 ,the writer further took them to witness that it did not proceed from want of respect for the appointments and established forms of religion that he had himself adopted the resolution of attending the ,bell ,rock works on the ,sunday2 but1 as he hoped1 from a conviction that it was his bounden duty1 on the strictest principles of morality4 ,at the same time it was intimated that1 if any were of a different opinion1 they should be perfectly at liberty to hold their sentiments without the imputation of contumacy or disobedience2 the only difference would be in regard to the pay4 ,upon stating this much1 he stepped into his boat1 requesting all who were so disposed to follow him4 ,the sailors1 from their habits1 found no scruple on this subject1 and all of the artificers1 though a little tardy1 also embarked1 excepting four of the masons1 who1 from the beginning1 mentioned that they would decline working on ,sundays4 ,it may here be noticed that throughout the whole of the operations it was observable that the men wrought1 if possible1 with more keenness upon the ,sundays than at other times from an impression that they were engaged in a work of imperious necessity1 which required every possible exertion4 ,on returning to the floating light1 after finishing the tide's work1 the boats were received by the part of the ship's crew left on board with the usual attention of handing ropes to the boats and helping the artificers on board2 but the four masons who had absented themselves from the work did not appear upon deck4 ,monday1 #bdth ,aug4 ,the boats left the floating light at a quarter-past nine o'clock this morning1 and the work began at three-quarters past nine2 but as the neap-tides were approaching the working time at the rock became gradually shorter1 and it was now with difficulty that two and a half hours' work could be got4 ,but so keenly had the workmen entered into the spirit of the beacon-house operations1 that they continued to bore the holes in the rock till some of them were knee-deep in water4 ,the operations at this time were entirely directed to the erection of the beacon1 in which every man felt an equal interest1 as at this critical period the slightest casualty to any of the boats at the rock might have been fatal to himself individually1 while it was perhaps peculiar to the writer more immediately to feel for the safety of the whole4 ,each log or upright beam of the beacon was to be fixed to the rock by two strong and massive bats or stanchions of iron4 ,these bats1 for the fixture of the principal and diagonal beams and bracing chains1 required fifty-four holes1 each measuring two inches in diameter and eighteen inches in depth4 ,there had already been so considerable a progress made in boring and excavating the holes that the writer's hopes of getting the beacon erected this year began to be more and more confirmed1 although it was now advancing towards what was considered the latter end of the proper working season at the ,bell ,rock4 ,the foreman joiner1 ,mr4 ,francis ,watt1 was accordingly appointed to attend at the rock to-day1 when the necessary levels were taken for the step or seat of each particular beam of the beacon1 that they might be cut to their respective lengths1 to suit the inequalities of the rock2 several of the stanchions were also tried into their places1 and other necessary observations made1 to prevent mistakes on the application of the apparatus1 and to facilitate the operations when the beams came to be set up1 which would require to be done in the course of a single tide4 ,tuesday1 #beth ,aug4 ,we had now experienced an almost unvaried tract of light airs of easterly wind1 with clear weather in the fore-part of the day and fog in the evenings4 ,to-day1 however1 it sensibly changed2 when the wind came to the south-west1 and blew a fresh breeze4 ,at nine a4m4 the bell rung1 and the boats were hoisted out1 and though the artificers were now pretty well accustomed to tripping up and down the sides of the floating light1 yet it required more seamanship this morning than usual4 ,it therefore afforded some merriment to those who had got fairly seated in their respective boats to see the difficulties which attended their companions1 and the hesitating manner in which they quitted hold of the man-ropes in leaving the ship4 ,the passage to the rock was tedious1 and the boats did not reach it till half-past ten4 ,it being now the period of neap-tides1 the water only partially left the rock1 and some of the men who were boring on the lower ledges of the site of the beacon stood knee-deep in water4 ,the situation of the smith to-day was particularly disagreeable1 but his services were at all times indispensable4 ,as the tide did not leave the site of the forge1 he stood in the water1 and as there was some roughness on the surface it was with considerable difficulty that1 with the assistance of the sailors1 he was enabled to preserve alive his fire2 and1 while his feet were immersed in water1 his face was not only scorched but continually exposed to volumes of smoke1 accompanied with sparks from the fire1 which were occasionally set up owing to the strength and direction of the wind4 ,wednesday1 #bfth ,aug4 ,the wind had shifted this morning to ,n4,n4,w41 with rain1 and was blowing what sailors call a fresh breeze4 ,to speak1 perhaps1 somewhat more intelligibly to the general reader1 the wind was such that a fishing-boat could just carry full sail4 ,but as it was of importance1 specially in the outset of the business1 to keep up the spirit of enterprise for landing on all practicable occasions1 the writer1 after consulting with the landing-master1 ordered the bell to be rung for embarking1 and at half-past eleven the boats reached the rock1 and left it again at a quarter-past twelve1 without1 however1 being able to do much work1 as the smith could not be set to work from the smallness of the ebb and the strong breach of sea1 which lashed with great force among the bars of the forge4 ,just as we were about to leave the rock the wind shifted to the ,s4,w41 and1 from a fresh gale1 it became what seamen term a hard gale1 or such as would have required the fisherman to take in two or three reefs in his sail4 ,it is a curious fact that the respective tides of ebb and flood are apparent upon the shore about an hour and a half sooner than at the distance of three or four miles in the offing4 ,but what seems chiefly interesting here is that the tides around this small sunken rock should follow exactly the same laws as on the extensive shores of the mainland4 ,when the boats left the ,bell ,rock to-day it was overflowed by the flood-tide1 but the floating light did not swing round to the flood-tide for more than an hour afterwards4 ,under this disadvantage the boats had to struggle with the ebb-tide and a hard gale of wind1 so that it was with the greatest difficulty that they reached the floating light4 ,had this gale happened in spring-tides when the current was strong we must have been driven to sea in a very helpless condition4 ,the boat which the writer steered was considerably behind the other1 one of the masons having unluckily broken his oar4 ,our prospect of getting on board1 of course1 became doubtful1 and our situation was rather perilous1 as the boat shipped so much sea that it occupied two of the artificers to bale and clear her of water4 ,when the oar gave way we were about half a mile from the ship1 but1 being fortunately to windward1 we got into the wake of the floating light1 at about #bej fathoms astern1 just as the landing-master's boat reached the vessel4 ,he immediately streamed or floated a life-buoy astern1 with a line which was always in readiness1 and by means of this useful implement the boat was towed alongside of the floating light1 where1 from her rolling motion1 it required no small management to get safely on board1 as the men were much worn out with their exertions in pulling from the rock4 ,on the present occasion the crews of both boats were completely drenched with spray1 and those who sat upon the bottom of the boats to bale them were sometimes pretty deep in the water before it could be cleared out4 ,after getting on board1 all hands were allowed an extra dram1 and1 having shifted and got a warm and comfortable dinner1 the affair1 it is believed1 was little more thought of4 ,thursday1 #bgth ,aug4 ,the tides were now in that state which sailors term the dead of the neap1 and it was not expected that any part of the rock would be seen above water to-day2 at any rate1 it was obvious1 from the experience of yesterday1 that no work could be done upon it1 and therefore the artificers were not required to land4 ,the wind was at west1 with light breezes1 and fine clear weather2 and as it was an object with the writer to know the actual state of the ,bell ,rock at neap-tides1 he got one of the boats manned1 and1 being accompanied by the landing-master1 went to it at a quarter-past twelve4 ,the parts of the rock that appeared above water being very trifling1 were covered by every wave1 so that no landing was made4 ,upon trying the depth of water with a boathook1 particularly on the sites of the lighthouse and beacon1 on the former1 at low water1 the depth was found to be three feet1 and on the central parts of the latter it was ascertained to be two feet eight inches4 ,having made these remarks1 the boat returned to the ship at two p4m41 and the weather being good1 the artificers were found amusing themselves with fishing4 ,the ,smeaton came from ,arbroath this afternoon1 and made fast to her moorings1 having brought letters and newspapers1 with parcels of clean linen1 etc41 for the workmen1 who were also made happy by the arrival of three of their comrades from the workyard ashore4 ,from these men they not only received all the news of the workyard1 but seemed themselves to enjoy great pleasure in communicating whatever they considered to be interesting with regard to the rock4 ,some also got letters from their friends at a distance1 the postage of which for the men afloat was always free1 so that they corresponded the more readily4 ,the site of the building having already been carefully traced out with the pick-axe1 the artificers this day commenced the excavation of the rock for the foundation or first course of the lighthouse4 ,four men only were employed at this work1 while twelve continued at the site of the beacon-house1 at which every possible opportunity was embraced1 till this essential art of the operations should be completed4 ,wednesday1 #bnd ,sept4 ,the floating light's bell rung this morning at half-past four o'clock1 as a signal for the boats to be got ready1 and the landing took place at half-past five4 ,in passing the ,smeaton at her moorings near the rock1 her boat followed with eight additional artificers who had come from ,arbroath with her at last trip1 but there being no room for them in the floating light's boats1 they had continued on board4 ,the weather did not look very promising in the morning1 the wind blowing pretty fresh from ,w4,s4,w43 and had it not been that the writer calculated upon having a vessel so much at command1 in all probability he would not have ventured to land4 ,the ,smeaton rode at what sailors call a salvagee1 with a cross-head made fast to the floating buoy4 ,this kind of attachment was found to be more convenient than the mode of passing the hawser through the ring of the buoy when the vessel was to be made fast4 ,she had then only to be steered very close to the buoy1 when the salvagee was laid hold of with a boat-hook1 and the bite of the hawser thrown over the cross-head4 ,but the salvagee1 by this method1 was always left at the buoy1 and was1 of course1 more liable to chafe and wear than a hawser passed through the ring1 which could be wattled with canvas1 and shifted at pleasure4 ,the salvagee and cross method is1 however1 much practised2 but the experience of this morning showed it to be very unsuitable for vessels riding in an exposed situation for any length of time4 ,soon after the artificers landed they commenced work2 but the wind coming to blow hard1 the ,smeaton's boat and crew1 who had brought their complement of eight men to the rock1 went off to examine her riding ropes1 and see that they were in proper order4 ,the boat had no sooner reached the vessel than she went adrift1 carrying the boat along with her4 ,by the time that she was got round to make a tack towards the rock1 she had drifted at least three miles to leeward1 with the praam-boat astern2 and1 having both the wind and a tide against her1 the writer perceived1 with no little anxiety1 that she could not possibly return to the rock till long after its being overflowed2 for1 owing to the anomaly of the tides formerly noticed1 the ,bell ,rock is completely under water when the ebb abates to the offing4 ,in this perilous predicament1 indeed1 he found himself placed between hope and despair--but certainly the latter was by much the most predominant feeling of his mind--situate upon a sunken rock in the middle of the ocean1 which1 in the progress of the flood-tide1 was to be laid under water to the depth of at least twelve feet in a stormy sea4 ,there were this morning thirty-two persons in all upon the rock1 with only two boats1 whose complement1 even in good weather1 did not exceed twenty-four sitters2 but to row to the floating light with so much wind1 and in so heavy a sea1 a complement of eight men for each boat was as much as could1 with propriety1 be attempted1 so that1 in this way1 about one-half of our number was unprovided for4 ,under these circumstances1 had the writer ventured to despatch one of the boats in expectation of either working the ,smeaton sooner up towards the rock1 or in hopes of getting her boat brought to our assistance1 this must have given an immediate alarm to the artificers1 each of whom would have insisted upon taking to his own boat1 and leaving the eight artificers belonging to the ,smeaton to their chance4 ,of course a scuffle might have ensued1 and it is hard to say1 in the ardour of men contending for life1 where it might have ended4 ,it has even been hinted to the writer that a party of the pickmen were determined to keep exclusively to their own boat against all hazards4 ,the unfortunate circumstance of the ,smeaton and her boat having drifted was1 for a considerable time1 only known to the writer and to the landing-master1 who removed to the farther point of the rock1 where he kept his eye steadily upon the progress of the vessel4 ,while the artificers were at work1 chiefly in sitting or kneeling postures1 excavating the rock1 or boring with the jumpers1 and while their numerous hammers1 with the sound of the smith's anvil1 continued1 the situation of things did not appear so awful4 ,in this state of suspense1 with almost certain destruction at hand1 the water began to rise upon those who were at work on the lower parts of the sites of the beacon and lighthouse4 ,from the run of sea upon the rock1 the forge fire was also sooner extinguished this morning than usual1 and the volumes of smoke having ceased1 objects in every direction became visible from all parts of the rock4 ,after having had about three #8hours' work1 the men began1 pretty generally1 to make towards their respective boats for their jackets and stockings1 when1 to their astonishment1 instead of three1 they found only two boats1 the third being adrift with the ,smeaton4 ,not a word was uttered by any one1 but all appeared to be silently calculating their numbers1 and looking to each other with evident marks of perplexity depicted in their countenances4 ,the landing-master1 conceiving that blame might be attached to him for allowing the boat to leave the rock1 still kept at a distance4 ,at this critical moment the author was standing upon an elevated part of ,smith's ,ledge1 where he endeavoured to mark the progress of the ,smeaton1 not a little surprised that her crew did not cut the praam adrift1 which greatly retarded her way1 and amazed that some effort was not making to bring at least the boat1 and attempt our relief4 ,the workmen looked steadfastly upon the writer1 and turned occasionally towards the vessel1 still far to leeward4 #abb;a ,all this passed in the most perfect silence1 and the melancholy solemnity of the group made an impression never to be effaced from his mind4 ,the writer had all along been considering of various schemes--providing the men could be kept under command--which might be put in practice for the general safety1 in hopes that the ,smeaton might be able to pick up the boats to leeward1 when they were obliged to leave the rock4 ,he was1 accordingly1 about to address the artificers on the perilous nature of their circumstances1 and to propose that all hands should unstrip their upper clothing when the higher parts of the rock were laid under water2 that the seamen should remove every unnecessary weight and encumbrance from the boats2 that a specified number of men should go into each boat1 and that the remainder should hang by the gunwales1 while the boats were to be rowed gently towards the ,smeaton1 as the course to the ,pharos1 or floating light1 lay rather to windward of the rock4 ,but when he attempted to speak his mouth was so parched that his tongue refused utterance1 and he now learned by experience that the saliva is as necessary as the tongue itself for speech4 ,he turned to one of the pools on the rock and lapped a little water1 which produced immediate relief4 ,but what was his happiness1 when on rising from this unpleasant beverage1 some one called out1 #8,a boat6 a boat6' and1 on looking around1 at no great distance1 a large boat was seen through the haze making towards the rock4 ,this at once enlivened and rejoiced every heart4 ,the timeous visitor proved to be ,james ,spink1 the ,bell ,rock pilot1 who had come express from ,arbroath with letters4 ,spink had for some time seen the ,smeaton1 and had even supposed1 from the state of the weather1 that all hands were on board of her till he approached more nearly and observed people upon the rock2 but not supposing that the assistance of his boat was necessary to carry the artificers off the rock1 he anchored on the lee-side and began to fish1 waiting1 as usual1 till the letters were sent for1 as the pilot-boat was too large and unwieldy for approaching the rock when there was any roughness or run of the sea at the entrance of the landing creeks4 ,upon this fortunate change of circumstances1 sixteen of the artificers were sent1 at two trips1 in one of the boats1 with instructions for ,spink to proceed with them to the floating light4 ,this being accomplished1 the remaining sixteen followed in the two boats belonging to the service of the rock4 ,every one felt the most perfect happiness at leaving the ,bell ,rock this morning1 though a very hard and even dangerous passage to the floating light still awaited us1 as the wind by this time had increased to a pretty hard gale1 accompanied with a considerable swell of sea4 ,every one was as completely drenched in water as if he had been dragged astern of the boats4 ,the writer1 in particular1 being at the helm1 found1 on getting on board1 that his face and ears were completely coated with a thin film of salt from the sea spray1 which broke constantly over the bows of the boat4 ,after much baling of water and severe work at the oars1 the three boats reached the floating light1 where some new difficulties occurred in getting on board in safety1 owing partly to the exhausted state of the men1 and partly to the violent rolling of the vessel4 ,as the tide flowed1 it was expected that the ,smeaton would have got to windward2 but1 seeing that all was safe1 after tacking for several hours and making little progress1 she bore away for ,arbroath1 with the praam-boat4 ,as there was now too much wind for the pilot-boat to return to ,arbroath1 she was made fast astern of the floating light1 and the crew remained on board till next day1 when the weather moderated4 ,there can be very little doubt that the appearance of ,james ,spink with his boat on this critical occasion was the means of preventing the loss of lives at the rock this morning4 ,when these circumstances1 some years afterwards1 came to the knowledge of the ,board1 a small pension was ordered to our faithful pilot1 then in his seventieth year2 and he still continues to wear the uniform clothes and badge of the ,lighthouse service4 ,spink is a remarkably strong man1 whose tout ensemble is highly characteristic of a ,north-country fisherman4 ,he usually dresses in a p-jacket1 cut after a particular fashion1 and wears a large1 flat1 blue bonnet4 ,a striking likeness of ,spink in his pilot-dress1 with the badge or insignia on his left arm which is characteristic of the boatmen in the service of the ,northern ,lights1 has been taken by ,howe1 and is in the writer's possession4 ,thursday1 #crd ,sept4 ,the bell rung this morning at five o'clock1 but the writer must acknowledge1 from the circumstances of yesterday1 that its sound was extremely unwelcome4 ,this appears also to have been the feelings of the artificers1 for when they came to be mustered1 out of twenty-six1 only eight1 besides the foreman and seamen1 appeared upon deck to accompany the writer to the rock4 ,such are the baneful effects of anything like misfortune or accident connected with a work of this description4 ,the use of argument to persuade the men to embark in cases of this kind would have been out of place1 as it is not only discomfort1 or even the risk of the loss of a limb1 but life itself that becomes the question4 ,the boats1 notwithstanding the thinness of our ranks1 left the vessel at half-past five4 ,the rough weather of yesterday having proved but a summer's gale1 the wind came to-day in gentle breezes2 yet1 the atmosphere being cloudy1 it a not a very favourable appearance4 ,the boats reached the rock at six a4m41 and the eight artificers who landed were employed in clearing out the bat-holes for the beacon-house1 and had a very prosperous tide of four hours' work1 being the longest yet experienced by half an hour4 ,the boats left the rock again at ten o'clock1 and the weather having cleared up as we drew near the vessel1 the eighteen artificers who had remained on board were observed upon deck1 but as the boats approached they sought their way below1 being quite ashamed of their conduct4 ,this was the only instance of refusal to go to the rock which occurred during the whole progress of the work1 excepting that of the four men who declined working upon ,sunday1 a case which the writer did not conceive to be at all analogous to the present4 ,it may here be mentioned1 much to the credit of these four men1 that they stood foremost in embarking for the rock this morning4 ,saturday1 #eth ,sept4 ,it was fortunate that a landing was not attempted this evening1 for at eight o'clock the wind shifted to ,e4,s4,e41 and at ten it had become a hard gale1 when fifty fathoms of the floating light's hempen cable were veered out4 ,the gale still increasing1 the ship rolled and laboured excessively1 and at midnight eighty fathoms of cable were veered out2 while the sea continued to strike the vessel with a degree of force which had not before been experienced4 ,sunday1 #fth ,sept4 ,during the last night there was little rest on board of the ,pharos1 and daylight1 though anxiously wished for1 brought no relief1 as the gale continued with unabated violence4 ,the sea struck so hard upon the vessel's bows that it rose in great quantities1 or in #8green seas1' as the sailors termed it1 which were carried by the wind as far aft as the quarter-deck1 and not infrequently over the stern of the ship altogether4 ,it fell occasionally so heavily on the skylight of the writer's cabin1 though so far aft as to be within five feet of the helm1 that the glass was broken to pieces before the dead-light could be got into its place1 so that the water poured down in great quantities4 ,in shutting out the water1 the admission of light was prevented1 and in the morning all continued in the most comfortless state of darkness4 ,about ten o'clock a4m4 the wind shifted to ,n4,e41 and blew1 if possible1 harder than before1 and it was accompanied by a much heavier swell of sea4 ,in the course of the gale1 the part of the cable in the hause-hole had been so often shifted that nearly the whole length of one of her hempen cables1 of #abj fathoms1 had been veered out1 besides the chain-moorings4 ,the cable1 for its preservation1 was also carefully served or wattled with pieces of canvas round the windlass1 and with leather well greased in the hause-hole4 ,in this state things remained during the whole day1 every sea which struck the vessel--and the seas followed each other in close succession--causing her to shake1 and all on board occasionally to tremble4 ,at each of these strokes of the sea the rolling and pitching of the vessel ceased for a time1 and her motion was felt as if she had either broke adrift before the wind or were in the act of sinking2 but1 when another sea came1 she ranged up against it with great force1 and this became the regular intimation of our being still riding at anchor4 ,about eleven o'clock1 the writer with some difficulty got out of bed1 but1 in attempting to dress1 he was thrown twice upon the floor at the opposite end of the cabin4 ,in an undressed state he made shift to get about half-way up the companion-stairs1 with an intention to observe the state of the sea and of the ship upon deck2 but he no sooner looked over the companion than a heavy sea struck the vessel1 which fell on the quarter-deck1 and rushed downstairs in the officers' cabin in so considerable a quantity that it was found necessary to lift one of the scuttles in the floor1 to let the water into the limbers of the ship1 as it dashed from side to side in such a manner as to run into the lower tier of beds4 ,having been foiled in this attempt1 and being completely wetted1 he again got below and went to bed4 ,in this state of the weather the seamen had to move about the necessary or indispensable duties of the ship with the most cautious use both of hands and feet1 while it required all the art of the landsman to keep within the precincts of his bed4 ,the writer even found himself so much tossed about that it became necessary1 in some measure1 to shut himself in bed1 in order to avoid being thrown upon the floor4 ,indeed1 such was the motion of the ship that it seemed wholly impracticable to remain in any other than a lying posture4 ,on deck the most stormy aspect presented itself1 while below all was wet and comfortless4 ,about two o'clock p4m4 a great alarm was given throughout the ship from the effects of a very heavy sea which struck her1 and almost filled the waist1 pouring down into the berths below1 through every chink and crevice of the hatches and skylights4 ,from the motion of the vessel being thus suddenly deadened or checked1 and from the flowing in of the water above1 it is believed there was not an individual on board who did not think1 at the moment1 that the vessel had foundered1 and was in the act of sinking4 ,the writer could withstand this no longer1 and as soon as she again began to range to the sea he determined to make another effort to get upon deck4 ,in the first instance1 however1 he groped his way in darkness from his own cabin through the berths of the officers1 where all was quietness4 ,he next entered the galley and other compartments occupied by the artificers4 ,here also all was shut up in darkness1 the fire having been drowned out in the early part of the gale4 ,several of the artificers were employed in prayer1 repeating psalms and other devotional exercises in a full tone of voice2 others protesting that1 if they should fortunately get once more on shore1 no one should ever see them afloat again4 ,with the assistance of the landing-master1 the writer made his way1 holding on step by step1 among the numerous impediments which lay in the way4 ,such was the creaking noise of the bulk-heads or partitions1 the dashing of the water1 and the whistling noise of the winds1 that it was hardly possible to break in upon such a confusion of sounds4 ,in one or two instances1 anxious and repeated inquiries were made by the artificers as to the state of things upon deck1 to which the captain made the usual answer1 that it could not blow long in this way1 and that we must soon have better weather4 ,the next berth in succession1 moving forward in the ship1 was that allotted for the seamen4 ,here the scene was considerably different4 ,having reached the middle of this darksome berth without its inmates being aware of any intrusion1 the writer had the consolation of remarking that1 although they talked of bad weather and the cross accidents of the sea1 yet the conversation was carried on in that sort of tone and manner which bespoke an ease and composure of mind highly creditable to them and pleasing to him4 ,the writer immediately accosted the seamen about the state of the ship4 ,to these inquiries they replied that the vessel being light1 and having but little hold of the water1 no top-rigging1 with excellent ground-tackle1 and everything being fresh and new1 they felt perfect confidence in their situation4 ,it being impossible to open any of the hatches in the fore part of the ship in communicating with the deck1 the watch was changed by passing through the several berths to the companion-stair leading to the quarter-deck4 ,the writer1 therefore1 made the best of his way aft1 and1 on a second attempt to look out1 he succeeded1 and saw indeed an astonishing sight4 ,the sea or waves appeared to be ten or fifteen feet in height of unbroken water1 and every approaching billow seemed as if it would overwhelm our vessel1 but she continued to rise upon the waves and to fall between the seas in a very wonderful manner4 ,it seemed to be only those seas which caught her in the act of rising which struck her with so much violence and threw such quantities of water aft4 ,on deck there was only one solitary individual looking out1 to give the alarm in the event of the ship breaking from her moorings4 ,the seaman on watch continued only two hours2 he who kept watch at this time was a tall1 slender man of a black complexion2 he had no greatcoat nor over-all of any kind1 but was simply dressed in his ordinary jacket and trousers2 his hat was tied under his chin with a napkin1 and he stood aft the foremast1 to which he had lashed himself with a gasket or small rope round his waist1 to prevent his falling upon deck or being washed overboard4 ,when the writer looked up1 he appeared to smile1 which afforded a further symptom of the confidence of the crew in their ship4 ,this person on watch was as completely wetted as if he had been drawn through the sea1 which was given as a reason for his not putting on a greatcoat1 that he might wet as few of his clothes as possible1 and have a dry shift when he went below4 ,upon deck everything that was movable was out of sight1 having either been stowed below1 previous to the gale1 or been washed overboard4 ,some trifling parts of the quarter boards were damaged by the breach of the sea2 and one of the boats upon deck was about one-third full of water1 the oyle-hole or drain having been accidently stopped up1 and part of her gunwale had received considerable injury4 ,these observations were hastily made1 and not without occasionally shutting the companion1 to avoid being wetted by the successive seas which broke over the bows and fell upon different parts of the deck according to the impetus with which the waves struck the vessel4 ,by this time it was about three o'clock in the afternoon1 and the gale1 which had now continued with unabated force for twenty-seven hours1 had not the least appearance of going off4 ,in the dismal prospect of undergoing another night like the last1 and being in imminent hazard of parting from our cable1 the writer thought it necessary to advise with the master and officers of the ship as to the probable event of the vessel's drifting from her moorings4 ,they severally gave it as their opinion that we had now every chance of riding out the gale1 which1 in all probability1 could not continue with the same fury many hours longer2 and that even if she should part from her anchor1 the storm-sails had been laid to hand1 and could be bent in a very short time4 ,they further stated that from the direction of the wind being ,n4,e41 she would sail up the ,firth of ,forth to ,leith ,roads4 ,but if this should appear doubtful1 after passing the ,island and ,light of ,may1 it might be advisable at once to steer for ,tyningham ,sands1 on the western side of ,dunbar1 and there run the vessel ashore4 ,if this should happen at the time of high-water1 or during the ebbing of the tide1 they were of opinion1 from the flatness and strength of the floating light1 that no danger would attend her taking the ground1 even with a very heavy sea4 ,the writer1 seeing the confidence which these gentlemen possessed with regard to the situation of things1 found himself as much relieved with this conversation as he had previously been with the seeming indifference of the forecastle men1 and the smile of the watch upon deck1 though literally lashed to the foremast4 ,from this time he felt himself almost perfectly at ease2 at any rate1 he was entirely resigned to the ultimate result4 ,about six o'clock in the evening the ship's company was heard moving upon deck1 which on the present occasion was rather the cause of alarm4 ,the writer accordingly rang his bell to know what was the matter1 when he was informed by the steward that the weather looked considerably better1 and that the men upon deck were endeavouring to ship the smoke-funnel of the galley that the people might get some meat4 ,this was a more favourable account than had been anticipated4 ,during the last twenty-one hours he himself had not only had nothing to eat1 but he had almost never passed a thought on the subject4 ,upon the mention of a change of weather1 he sent the steward to learn how the artificers felt1 and on his return he stated that they now seemed to be all very happy1 since the cook had begun to light the galley-fire and make preparations for the suet-pudding of ,sunday1 which was the only dish to be attempted for the mess1 from the ease with which it could both be cooked and served up4 ,the principal change felt upon the ship as the wind abated was her increased rolling motion1 but the pitching was much diminished1 and now hardly any sea came farther aft than the foremast3 but she rolled so extremely hard as frequently to dip and take in water over the gunwales and rails in the waist4 ,by nine o'clock all hands had been refreshed by the exertions of the cook and steward1 and were happy in the prospect of the worst of the gale being over4 ,the usual complement of men was also now set on watch1 and more quietness was experienced throughout the ship4 ,although the previous night had been a very restless one1 it had not the effect of inducing repose in the writer's berth on the succeeding night2 for having been so much tossed about in bed during the last thirty hours1 he found no easy spot to turn to1 and his body was all sore to the touch1 which ill accorded with the unyielding materials with which his bed-place was surrounded4 ,monday1 #gth ,sept4 ,this morning1 about eight o'clock1 the writer was agreeably surprised to see the scuttle of his cabin sky-light removed1 and the bright rays of the sun admitted4 ,although the ship continued to roll excessively1 and the sea was still running very high1 yet the ordinary business on board seemed to be going forward on deck4 ,it was impossible to steady a telescope1 so as to look minutely at the progress of the waves and trace their breach upon the ,bell ,rock2 but the height to which the cross-running waves rose in sprays when they met each other was truly grand1 and the continued roar and noise of the sea was very perceptible to the ear4 ,to estimate the height of the sprays at forty or fifty feet would surely be within the mark4 ,those of the workmen who were not much afflicted with sea-sickness1 came upon deck1 and the wetness below being dried up1 the cabins were again brought into a habitable state4 ,every one seemed to meet as if after a long absence1 congratulating his neighbour upon the return of good weather4 ,little could be said as to the comfort of the vessel1 but after riding out such a gale1 no one felt the least doubt or hesitation as to the safety and good condition of her moorings4 ,the master and mate were extremely anxious1 however1 to heave in the hempen cable1 and see the state of the clinch or iron ring of the chain-cable4 ,but the vessel rolled at such a rate that the seamen could not possibly keep their feet at the windlass nor work the hand-spikes1 though it had been several times attempted since the gale took off4 ,about twelve noon1 however1 the vessel's motion was observed to be considerably less1 and the sailors were enabled to walk upon deck with some degree of freedom4 ,but1 to the astonishment of every one1 it was soon discovered that the floating light was adrift6 ,the windlass was instantly manned1 and the men soon gave out that there was no strain upon the cable4 ,the mizzen sail1 which was bent for the occasional purpose of making the vessel ride more easily to the tide1 was immediately set1 and the other sails were also hoisted in a short time1 when1 in no small consternation1 we bore away about one mile to the south-westward of the former station1 and there let go the best bower anchor and cable in twenty fathoms water1 to ride until the swell of the sea should fall1 when it might be practicable to grapple for the moorings1 and find a better anchorage for the ship4 ,tuesday1 #aeth ,sept4 ,this morning1 at five a4m41 the bell rung as a signal for landing upon the rock1 a sound which1 after a lapse of ten days1 it is believed was welcomed by every one on board4 ,there being a heavy breach of sea at the eastern creek1 we landed1 though not without difficulty1 on the western side1 every one seeming more eager than another to get upon the rock2 and never did hungry men sit down to a hearty meal with more appetite than the artificers began to pick the dulse from the rocks4 ,this marine plant had the effect of reviving the sickly1 and seemed to be no less relished by those who were more hardy4 ,while the water was ebbing1 and the men were roaming in quest of their favourite morsel1 the writer was examining the effects of the storm upon the forge and loose apparatus left upon the rock4 ,six large blocks of granite which had been landed1 by way of experiment1 on the #ast instant1 were now removed from their places and1 by the force of the sea1 thrown over a rising ledge into a hole at the distance of twelve or fifteen paces from the place on which they had been landed4 ,this was a pretty good evidence both of the violence of the storm and the agitation of the sea upon the rock4 ,the safety of the smith's forge was always an object of essential regard4 ,the ash-pan of the hearth or fireplace1 with its weighty cast-iron back1 had been washed from their places of supposed security2 the chains of attachment had been broken1 and these ponderous articles were found at a very considerable distance in a hole on the western side of the rock2 while the tools and picks of the ,aberdeen masons were scattered about in every direction4 ,it is1 however1 remarkable that not a single article was ultimately lost4 ,this being the night on which the floating light was advertised to be lighted1 it was accordingly exhibited1 to the great joy of every one4 ,wednesday1 #afth ,sept4 ,the writer was made happy to-day by the return of the ,lighthouse yacht from a voyage to the ,northern ,lighthouses4 ,having immediately removed on board of this fine vessel of eighty-one tons register1 the artificers gladly followed2 for1 though they found themselves more pinched for accommodation on board of the yacht1 and still more so in the ,smeaton1 yet they greatly preferred either of these to the ,pharos1 or floating light1 on account of her rolling motion1 though in all respects fitted up for their conveniency4 ,the writer called them to the quarter-deck and informed them that1 having been one mouth afloat1 in terms of their agreement they were now at liberty to return to the workyard at ,arbroath if they preferred this to continuing at the ,bell ,rock4 ,but they replied that1 in the prospect of soon getting the beacon erected upon the rock1 and having made a change from the floating light1 they were now perfectly reconciled to their situation1 and would remain afloat till the end of the working season4 ,thursday1 #agth ,sept4 ,the wind was at ,n4,e4 this morning1 and though they were only light airs1 yet there was a pretty heavy swell coming ashore upon the rock4 ,the boats landed at half-past seven o'clock a4m41 at the creek on the southern side of the rock1 marked ,port ,hamilton4 ,but as one of the boats was in the act of entering this creek1 the seaman at the bow-oar1 who had just entered the service1 having inadvertently expressed some fear from a heavy sea which came rolling towards the boat1 and one of the artificers having at the same time looked round and missed a stroke with his oar1 such a preponderance was thus given to the rowers upon the opposite side that when the wave struck the boat it threw her upon a ledge of shelving rocks1 where the water left her1 and she having kanted to seaward1 the next wave completely filled her with water4 ,after making considerable efforts the boat was again got afloat in the proper track of the creek1 so that we landed without any other accident than a complete ducking4 ,there being no possibility of getting a shift of clothes1 the artificers began with all speed to work1 so as to bring themselves into heat1 while the writer and his assistants kept as much as possible in motion4 ,having remained more than an hour upon the rock1 the boats left it at half-past nine2 and1 after getting on board1 the writer recommended to the artificers1 as the best mode of getting into a state of comfort1 to strip off their wet clothes and go to bed for an hour or two4 ,no further inconveniency was felt1 and no one seemed to complain of the affection called #8catching cold4' ,friday1 #ahth ,sept4 ,an important occurrence connected with the operations of this season was the arrival of the ,smeaton at four p4m41 having in tow the six principal beams of the beacon-house1 together with all the stanchions and other work on board for fixing it on the rock4 ,the mooring of the floating light was a great point gained1 but in the erection of the beacon at this late period of the season new difficulties presented themselves4 ,the success of such an undertaking at any season was precarious1 because a single day of bad weather occurring before the necessary fixtures could be made might sweep the whole apparatus from the rock4 ,notwithstanding these difficulties1 the writer had determined to make the trial1 although he could almost have wished1 upon looking at the state of the clouds and the direction of the wind1 that the apparatus for the beacon had been still in the workyard4 ,saturday1 #aith ,sept4 ,the main beams of the beacon were made up in two separate rafts1 fixed with bars and bolts of iron4 ,one of these rafts1 not being immediately wanted1 was left astern of the floating light1 and the other was kept in tow by the ,smeaton1 at the buoy nearest to the rock4 ,the ,lighthouse yacht rode at another buoy with all hands on board that could possibly be spared out of the floating light4 ,the party of artificers and seamen which landed on the rock counted altogether forty in number4 ,at half-past eight o'clock a derrick1 or mast of thirty feet in height1 was erected and properly supported with guy-ropes1 for suspending the block for raising the first principal beam of the beacon2 and a winch machine was also bolted down to the rock for working the purchase-tackle4 ,upon raising the derrick1 all hands on the rock spontaneously gave three hearty cheers1 as a favourable omen of our future exertions in pointing out more permanently the position of the rock4 ,even to this single spar of timber1 could it be preserved1 a drowning man might lay hold4 ,when the ,smeaton drifted on the #bnd of this month such a spar would have been sufficient to save us till she could have come to our relief4 ,sunday1 #bjth ,sept4 ,the wind this morning was variable1 but the weather continued extremely favourable for the operations throughout the whole day4 ,at six a4m4 the boats were in motion1 and the raft1 consisting of four of the six principal beams of the beacon-house1 each measuring about sixteen inches square1 and fifty feet in length1 was towed to the rock1 where it was anchored1 that it might ground upon it as the water ebbed4 ,the sailors and artificers1 including all hands1 to-day counted no fewer than fifty-two1 being perhaps the greatest number of persons ever collected upon the ,bell ,rock4 ,it was early in the tide when the boats reached the rock1 and the men worked a considerable time up to their middle in water1 every one being more eager than his neighbour to be useful4 ,even the four artificers who had hitherto declined working on ,sunday were to-day most zealous in their exertions4 ,they had indeed become so convinced of the precarious nature and necessity of the work that they never afterwards absented themselves from the rock on ,sunday when a landing was practicable4 ,having made fast a piece of very good new line1 at about two-thirds from the lower end of one of the beams1 the purchase-tackle of the derrick was hooked into the turns of the line1 and it was speedily raised by the number of men on the rock and the power of the winch tackle4 ,when this log was lifted to a sufficient height1 its foot1 or lower end1 was stepped into the spot which had been previously prepared for it4 ,two of the great iron stanchions were then set in their respective holes on each side of the beam1 when a rope was passed round them and the beam1 to prevent it from slipping till it could be more permanently fixed4 ,the derrick1 or upright spar used for carrying the tackle to raise the first beam1 was placed in such a position as to become useful for supporting the upper end of it1 which now became1 in its turn1 the prop of the tackle for raising the second beam4 ,the whole difficulty of this operation was in the raising and propping of the first beam1 which became a convenient derrick for raising the second1 these again a pair of shears for lifting the third1 and the shears a triangle for raising the fourth4 ,having thus got four of the six principal beams set on end1 it required a considerable degree of trouble to get their upper ends to fit4 ,here they formed the apex of a cone1 and were all together mortised into a large piece of beechwood1 and secured1 for the present1 with ropes1 in a temporary manner4 ,during the short period of one tide all that could further be done for their security was to put a single screw-bolt through the great kneed bats or stanchions on each side of the beams1 and screw the nut home4 ,in this manner these four principal beams were erected1 and left in a pretty secure state4 ,the men had commenced while there was about two or three feet of water upon the side of the beacon1 and as the sea was smooth they continued the work equally long during flood-tide4 ,two of the boats being left at the rock to take off the joiners1 who were busily employed on the upper parts till two o'clock p4m41 this tide's work may be said to have continued for about seven hours1 which was the longest that had hitherto been got upon the rock by at least three hours4 ,when the first boats left the rock with the artificers employed on the lower part of the work during the flood-tide1 the beacon had quite a novel appearance4 ,the beams erected formed a common base of about thirty-three feet1 meeting at the top1 which was about forty-five feet above the rock1 and here half a dozen of the artificers were still at work4 ,after clearing the rock the boats made a stop1 when three hearty cheers were given1 which were returned with equal goodwill by those upon the beacon1 from the personal interest which every one felt in the prosperity of this work1 so intimately connected with his safety4 ,all hands having returned to their respective ships1 they got a shift of dry clothes and some refreshment4 ,being ,sunday1 they were afterwards convened by signal on board of the ,lighthouse yacht1 when prayers were read2 for every heart upon this occasion felt gladness1 and every mind was disposed to be thankful for the happy and successful termination of the operations of this day4 ,monday1 #bast ,sept4 ,the remaining two principal beams were erected in the course of this tide1 which1 with the assistance of those set up yesterday1 was found to be a very simple operation4 ,the six principal beams of the beacon were thus secured1 at least in a temporary manner1 in the course of two tides1 or in the short space of about eleven hours and a half4 ,such is the progress that may be made when active hands and willing minds set properly to work in operations of this kind4 ,tuesday #bbnd1 ,sept4 ,having now got the weighty part of this work over1 and being thereby relieved of the difficulty both of landing and victualling such a number of men1 the ,smeaton could now be spared1 and she was accordingly despatched to ,arbroath for a supply of water and provisions1 and carried with her six of the artificers who could best be spared4 ,wednesday1 #bcrd ,sept4 ,in going out of the eastern harbour1 the boat which the writer steered shipped a sea1 that filled her about one-third with water4 ,she had also been hid for a short time1 by the waves breaking upon the rock1 from the sight of the crew of the preceding boat1 who were much alarmed for our safety1 imagining for a time that she had gone down4 ,the ,smeaton returned from ,arbroath this afternoon1 but there was so much sea that she could not be made fast to her moorings1 and the vessel was obliged to return to ,arbroath without being able either to deliver the provisions or take the artificers on board4 ,the ,lighthouse yacht was also soon obliged to follow her example1 as the sea was breaking heavily over her bows4 ,after getting two reefs in the mainsail1 and the third or storm-jib set1 the wind being ,s4,w41 she bent to windward1 though blowing a hard gale1 and got into ,st4 ,andrews ,bay1 where we passed the night under the lee of ,fifeness4 ,thursday1 #bdth ,sept4 ,at two o'clock this morning we were in ,st4 ,andrews ,bay1 standing off and on shore1 with strong gales of wind at ,s4,w42 at seven we were off the entrance of the ,tay2 at eight stood towards the rock1 and at ten passed to leeward of it1 but could not attempt a landing4 ,the beacon1 however1 appeared to remain in good order1 and by six p4m4 the vessel had again beaten up to ,st4 ,andrews ,bay1 and got into somewhat smoother water for the night4 ,friday1 #beth ,sept4 ,at seven o'clock bore away for the ,bell ,rock1 but finding a heavy sea running on it were unable to land4 ,the writer1 however1 had the satisfaction to observe1 with his telescope1 that everything about the beacon appeared entire3 and although the sea had a most frightful appearance1 yet it was the opinion of every one that1 since the erection of the beacon1 the ,bell ,rock was divested of many of its terrors1 and had it been possible to have got the boats hoisted out and manned1 it might have even been found practicable to land4 ,at six it blew so hard that it was found necessary to strike the topmast and take in a third reef of the mainsail1 and under this low canvas we soon reached ,st4 ,andrews ,bay1 and got again under the lee of the land for the night4 ,the artificers1 being sea-hardy1 were quite reconciled to their quarters on board of the ,lighthouse yacht2 but it is believed that hardly any consideration would have induced them again to take up their abode in the floating light4 ,saturday1 #bfth ,sept4 ,at daylight the yacht steered towards the ,bell ,rock1 and at eight a4m4 made fast to her moorings2 at ten1 all hands1 to the amount of thirty1 landed1 when the writer had the happiness to find that the beacon had withstood the violence of the gale and the heavy breach of sea1 everything being found in the same state in which it had been left on the #bast4 ,the artificers were now enabled to work upon the rock throughout the whole day1 both at low and high water1 but it required the strictest attention to the state of the weather1 in case of their being overtaken with a gale1 which might prevent the possibility of getting them off the rock4 ,two somewhat memorable circumstances in the annals of the ,bell ,rock attended the operations of this day3 one was the removal of ,mr4 ,james ,dove1 the foreman smith1 with his apparatus1 from the rock to the upper part of the beacon1 where the forge was now erected on a temporary platform1 laid on the cross beams or upper framing4 ,the other was the artificers having dined for the first time upon the rock1 their dinner being cooked on board of the yacht1 and sent to them by one of the boats4 ,but what afforded the greatest happiness and relief was the removal of the large bellows1 which had all along been a source of much trouble and perplexity1 by their hampering and incommoding the boat which carried the smiths and their apparatus4 ,saturday1 #crd ,oct4 ,the wind being west to-day1 the weather was very favourable for operations at the rock1 and during the morning and evening tides1 with the aid of torchlight1 the masons had seven hours' work upon the site of the building4 ,the smiths and joiners1 who landed at half-past six a4m41 did not leave the rock till a quarter-past eleven p4m41 having been at work1 with little intermission1 for sixteen hours and three-quarters4 ,when the water left the rock1 they were employed at the lower parts of the beacon1 and as the tide rose or fell1 they shifted the place of their operations4 ,from these exertions1 the fixing and securing of the beacon made rapid advancement1 as the men were now landed in the morning and remained throughout the day4 ,but1 as a sudden change of weather might have prevented their being taken off at the proper time of tide1 a quantity of bread and water was always kept on the beacon4 ,during this period of working at the beacon all the day1 and often a great part of the night1 the writer was much on board of the tender2 but1 while the masons could work on the rock1 and frequently also while it was covered by the tide1 he remained on the beacon2 especially during the night1 as he made a point of being on the rock to the latest hour1 and was generally the last person who stepped into the boat4 ,he had laid this down as part of his plan of procedure2 and in this way had acquired1 in the course of the first season1 a pretty complete knowledge and experience of what could actually be done at the ,bell ,rock1 under all circumstances of the weather4 ,by this means also his assistants1 and the artificers and mariners1 got into a systematic habit of proceeding at the commencement of the work1 which1 it is believed1 continued throughout the whole of the operations4 ,sunday1 #dth ,oct4 ,the external part of the beacon was now finished1 with its supports and bracing-chains1 and whatever else was considered necessary for its stability in so far as the season would permit2 and although much was still wanting to complete this fabric1 yet it was in such a state that it could be left without much fear of the consequences of a storm4 ,the painting of the upper part was nearly finished this afternoon2 and the ,smeaton had brought off a quantity of brushwood and other articles1 for the purpose of heating or charring the lower part of the principal beams1 before being laid over with successive coats of boiling pitch1 to the height of from eight to twelve feet1 or as high as the rise of spring-tides4 ,a small flagstaff having also been erected to-day1 a flag was displayed for the first time from the beacon1 by which its perspective effect was greatly improved4 ,on this1 as on all like occasions at the ,bell ,rock1 three hearty cheers were given2 and the steward served out a dram of rum to all hands1 while the ,lighthouse yacht1 ,smeaton1 and floating light1 hoisted their colours in compliment to the erection4 ,monday1 #eth ,oct4 ,in the afternoon1 and just as the tide's work was over1 ,mr4 ,john ,rennie1 engineer1 accompanied by his son ,mr4 ,george1 on their way to the harbour works of ,fraserburgh1 in ,aberdeenshire1 paid a visit to the ,bell ,rock1 in a boat from ,arbroath4 ,it being then too late in the tide for landing1 they remained on board of the ,lighthouse yacht all night1 when the writer1 who had now been secluded from society for several weeks1 enjoyed much of ,mr4 ,rennie's interesting conversation1 both on general topics1 and professionally upon the progress of the ,bell ,rock works1 on which he was consulted as chief engineer4 ,tuesday1 #fth ,oct4 ,the artificers landed this morning at nine1 after which one of the boats returned to the ship for the writer and ,messrs4 ,rennie1 who1 upon landing1 were saluted with a display of the colours from the beacon and by three cheers from the workmen4 ,everything was now in a prepared state for leaving the rock1 and giving up the works afloat for this season1 excepting some small articles1 which would still occupy the smiths and joiners for a few days longer4 ,they accordingly shifted on board of the ,smeaton1 while the yacht left the rock for ,arbroath1 with ,messrs4 ,rennie1 the writer1 and the remainder of the artificers4 ,but1 before taking leave1 the steward served out a farewell glass1 when three hearty cheers were given1 and an earnest wish expressed that everything1 in the spring of #ahjh1 might be found in the same state of good order as it was now about to be left4 ,,ii--,,operations ,,of #ahjh ,monday1 #bith ,feb4 ,the writer sailed from ,arbroath at one a4m4 in the ,lighthouse yacht4 ,at seven the floating light was hailed1 and all on board found to be well4 ,the crew were observed to have a very healthy-like appearance1 and looked better than at the close of the works upon the rock4 ,they seemed only to regret one thing1 which was the secession of their cook1 ,thomas ,elliot--not on account of his professional skill1 but for his facetious and curious manner4 ,elliot had something peculiar in his history1 and was reported by his comrades to have seen better days4 ,he was1 however1 happy with his situation on board of the floating light1 and1 having a taste for music1 dancing1 and acting plays1 he contributed much to the amusement of the ship's company in their dreary abode during the winter months4 ,he had also recommended himself to their notice as a good shipkeeper1 for as it did not answer ,elliot to go often ashore1 he had always given up his turn of leave to his neighbours4 ,at his own desire he was at length paid off1 when he had a considerable balance of wages to receive1 which he said would be sufficient to carry him to the ,west ,indies1 and he accordingly took leave of the ,lighthouse service4 ,tuesday1 #ast ,march ,at daybreak the ,lighthouse yacht1 attended by a boat from the floating light1 again stood towards the ,bell ,rock4 ,the weather felt extremely cold this morning1 the thermometer being at #cd degrees1 with the wind at east1 accompanied by occasional showers of snow1 and the marine barometer indicated #bi4hj4 ,at half-past seven the sea ran with such force upon the rock that it seemed doubtful if a landing could be effected4 ,at half-past eight1 when it was fairly above water1 the writer took his place in the floating light's boat with the artificers1 while the yacht's boat followed1 according to the general rule of having two boats afloat in landing expeditions of this kind1 that1 in case of accident to one boat1 the other might assist4 ,in several unsuccessful attempts the boats were beat back by the breach of the sea upon the rock4 ,on the eastern side it separated into two distinct waves1 which came with a sweep round to the western side1 where they met2 and at the instance of their confluence the water rose in spray to a considerable height4 ,watching what the sailors term a smooth1 we caught a favourable opportunity1 and in a very dexterous manner the boats were rowed between the two seas1 and made a favourable landing at the western creek4 ,at the latter end of last season1 as was formerly noticed1 the beacon was painted white1 and from the bleaching of the weather and the sprays of the sea the upper parts were kept clean2 but within the range of the tide the principal beams were observed to be thickly coated with a green stuff1 the conferva of botanists4 ,notwithstanding the intrusion of these works1 which had formerly banished the numerous seals that played about the rock1 they were now seen in great numbers1 having been in an almost undisturbed state for six months4 ,it had now also1 for the first time1 got some inhabitants of the feathered tribe3 in particular the scarth or cormorant1 and the large herring-gull1 had made the beacon a resting-place1 from its vicinity to their fishing-grounds4 ,about a dozen of these birds had rested upon the cross-beams1 which1 in some places1 were coated with their dung2 and their flight1 as the boats approached1 was a very unlooked-for indication of life and habitation on the ,bell ,rock1 conveying the momentary idea of the conversion of this fatal rock1 from being a terror to the mariner1 into a residence of man and a safeguard to shipping4 ,upon narrowly examining the great iron stanchions with which the beams were fixed to the rock1 the writer had the satisfaction of finding that there was not the least appearance of working or shifting at any of the joints or places of connection2 and1 excepting the loosening of the bracing-chains1 everything was found in the same entire state in which it had been left in the month of ,october4 ,this1 in the estimation of the writer1 was a matter of no small importance to the future success of the work4 ,he from that moment saw the practicability and propriety of fitting up the beacon1 not only as a place of refuge in case of accident to the boats in landing1 but as a residence for the artificers during the working months4 ,while upon the top of the beacon the writer was reminded by the landing-master that the sea was running high1 and that it would be necessary to set off while the rock afforded anything like shelter to the boats1 which by this time had been made fast by a long line to the beacon1 and rode with much agitation1 each requiring two men with boat-hooks to keep them from striking each other1 or from ranging up against the beacon4 ,but even under these circumstances the greatest confidence was felt by every one1 from the security afforded by this temporary erection4 ,for1 supposing the wind had suddenly increased to a gale1 and that it had been found unadvisable to go into the boats2 or1 supposing they had drifted or sprung a leak from striking upon the rocks2 in any of these possible and not at all improbable cases1 those who might thus have been left upon the rock had now something to lay hold of1 and1 though occupying this dreary habitation of the sea-gull and the cormorant1 affording only bread and water1 yet life1 would be preserved1 and the mind would still be supported by the hope of being ultimately relieved4 ,wednesday1 #beth ,may ,on the #beth of ,may the writer embarked at ,arbroath1 on board of the ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 for the ,bell ,rock1 accompanied by ,mr4 ,logan senior1 foreman builder1 with twelve masons and two smiths1 together with thirteen seamen1 including the master1 mate1 and steward4 ,thursday1 #bfth ,may ,mr4 ,james ,wilson1 now commander of the ,pharos1 floating light1 and landing-master1 in the room of ,mr4 ,sinclair1 who had left the service1 came into the writer's cabin this morning at six o'clock1 and intimated that there was a good appearance of landing on the rock4 ,everything being arranged1 both boats proceeded in company1 and at eight a4m4 they reached the rock4 ,the lighthouse colours were immediately hoisted upon the flagstaff of the beacon1 a compliment which was duly returned by the tender and floating light1 when three hearty cheers were given1 and a glass of rum was served out to all hands to drink success to the operations of #ahjh4 ,friday1 #bgth ,may ,this morning the wind was at east1 blowing a fresh gale1 the weather being hazy1 with a considerable breach of sea setting in upon the rock4 ,the morning bell was therefore rung1 in some doubt as to the practicability of making a landing4 ,after allowing the rock to get fully up1 or to be sufficiently left by the tide1 that the boats might have some shelter from the range of the sea1 they proceeded at #h a4m41 and upon the whole made a pretty good landing2 and after two hours and three-quarters' work returned to the ship in safety4 ,in the afternoon the wind considerably increased1 and1 as a pretty heavy sea was still running1 the tender rode very hard1 when ,mr4 ,taylor1 the commander1 found it necessary to take in the bowsprit1 and strike the fore and main topmasts1 that she might ride more easily4 ,after consulting about the state of the weather1 it was resolved to leave the artificers on board this evening1 and carry only the smiths to the rock1 as the sharpening of the irons was rather behind1 from their being so much broken and blunted by the hard and tough nature of the rock1 which became much more compact and hard as the depth of excavation was increased4 ,besides avoiding the risk of encumbering the boats with a number of men who had not yet got the full command of the oar in a breach of sea1 the writer had another motive for leaving them behind4 ,he wanted to examine the site of the building without interruption1 and to take the comparative levels of the different inequalities of its area2 and as it would have been painful to have seen men standing idle upon the ,bell ,rock1 where all moved with activity1 it was judged better to leave them on board4 ,the boats landed at half-past seven p4m41 and the landing-master1 with the seamen1 was employed during this tide in cutting the seaweeds from the several paths leading to the landing-places1 to render walking more safe1 for1 from the slippery state of the surface of the rock1 many severe tumbles had taken place4 ,in the meantime the writer took the necessary levels1 and having carefully examined the site of the building and considered all its parts1 it still appeared to be necessary to excavate to the average depth of fourteen inches over the whole area of the foundation4 ,saturday1 #bhth ,may ,the wind still continued from the eastward with a heavy swell2 and to-day it was accompanied with foggy weather and occasional showers of rain4 ,notwithstanding this1 such was the confidence which the erection of the beacon had inspired that the boats landed the artificers on the rock under very unpromising circumstances1 at half-past eight1 and they continued at work till half-past eleven1 being a period of three hours1 which was considered a great tide's work in the present low state of the foundation4 ,three of the masons on board were so afflicted with sea-sickness that they had not been able to take any food for almost three days1 and they were literally assisted into the boats this morning by their companions4 ,it was1 however1 not a little surprising to see how speedily these men revived upon landing on the rock and eating a little dulse4 ,two of them afterwards assisted the sailors in collecting the chips of stone and carrying them out of the way of the pickmen2 but the third complained of a pain in his head1 and was still unable to do anything4 ,instead of returning to the tender with the boats1 these three men remained on the beacon all day1 and had their victuals sent to them along with the smiths'4 ,from ,mr4 ,dove1 the foreman smith1 they had much sympathy1 for he preferred remaining on the beacon at all hazards1 to be himself relieved from the malady of sea-sickness4 ,the wind continuing high1 with a heavy sea1 and the tide falling late1 it was not judged proper to land the artificers this evening1 but in the twilight the boats were sent to fetch the people on board who had been left on the rock4 ,sunday1 #bith ,may ,the wind was from the ,s4,w4 to-day1 and the signal-bell rung1 as usual1 about an hour before the period for landing on the rock4 ,the writer was rather surprised1 however1 to hear the landing-master repeatedly call1 #8,all hands for the rock6' and1 coming on deck1 he was disappointed to find the seamen only in the boats4 ,upon inquiry1 it appeared that some misunderstanding had taken place about the wages of the artificers for ,sundays4 ,they had preferred wages for seven days statedly to the former mode of allowing a day for each tide's work on ,sunday1 as they did not like the appearance of working for double or even treble wages on ,sunday1 and would rather have it understood that their work on that day arose more from the urgency of the case than with a view to emolument4 ,this having been judged creditable to their religious feelings1 and readily adjusted to their wish1 the boats proceeded to the rock1 and the work commenced at nine a4m4 ,monday1 #cjth ,may ,mr4 ,francis ,watt commenced1 with five joiners1 to fit up a temporary platform upon the beacon1 about twenty-five feet above the highest part of the rock4 ,this platform was to be used as the site of the smith's forge1 after the beacon should be fitted up as a barrack2 and here also the mortar was to be mixed and prepared for the building1 and it was accordingly termed the ,mortar ,gallery4 ,the landing-master's crew completed the discharging from the ,smeaton of her cargo of the cast-iron rails and timber4 ,it must not here be omitted to notice that the ,smeaton took in ballast from the ,bell ,rock1 consisting of the shivers or chips of stone produced by the workmen in preparing the site of the building1 which were now accumulating in great quantities on the rock4 ,these the boats loaded1 after discharging the iron4 ,the object in carrying off these chips1 besides ballasting the vessel1 was to get them permanently out of the way1 as they were apt to shift about from place to place with every gale of wind2 and it often required a considerable time to clear the foundation a second time of this rubbish4 ,the circumstance of ballasting a ship at the ,bell ,rock afforded great entertainment1 especially to the sailors2 and it was perhaps with truth remarked that the ,smeaton was the first vessel that had ever taken on board ballast at the ,bell ,rock4 ,mr4 ,pool1 the commander of this vessel1 afterwards acquainted the writer that1 when the ballast was landed upon the quay at ,leith1 many persons carried away specimens of it1 as part of a cargo from the ,bell ,rock2 when he added1 that such was the interest excited1 from the number of specimens carried away1 that some of his friends suggested that he should have sent the whole to the ,cross of ,edinburgh1 where each piece might have sold for a penny4 ,tuesday1 #cast ,may ,in the evening the boats went to the rock1 and brought the joiners and smiths1 and their sickly companions1 on board of the tender4 ,these also brought with them two baskets full of fish1 which they had caught at high-water from the beacon1 reporting1 at the same time1 to their comrades1 that the fish were swimming in such numbers over the rock at high-water that it was completely hid from their sight1 and nothing seen but the movement of thousands of fish4 ,they were almost exclusively of the species called the podlie1 or young coal-fish4 ,this discovery1 made for the first time to-day by the workmen1 was considered fortunate1 as an additional circumstance likely to produce an inclination among the artificers to take up their residence in the beacon1 when it came to be fitted up as a barrack4 ,tuesday1 #gth ,june ,at three o'clock in the morning the ship's bell was rung as the signal for landing at the rock4 ,when the landing was to be made before breakfast1 it was customary to give each of the artificers and seamen a dram and a biscuit1 and coffee was prepared by the steward for the cabins4 ,exactly at four o'clock the whole party landed from three boats1 including one of those belonging to the floating light1 with a part of that ship's crew1 which always attended the works in moderate weather4 ,the landing-master's boat1 called the ,seaman1 but more commonly called the ,lifeboat1 took the lead4 ,the next boat1 called the ,mason1 was generally steered by the writer2 while the floating light's boat1 ,pharos1 was under the management of the boatswain of that ship4 ,having now so considerable a party of workmen and sailors on the rock1 it may be proper here to notice how their labours were directed4 ,preparations having been made last month for the erection of a second forge upon the beacon1 the smiths commenced their operations both upon the lower and higher platforms4 ,they were employed in sharpening the picks and irons for the masons1 and in making bats and other apparatus of various descriptions connected with the fitting of the railways4 ,the landing-master's crew were occupied in assisting the millwrights in laying the railways to hand4 ,sailors1 of all other descriptions of men1 are the most accommodating in the use of their hands4 ,they worked freely with the boring-irons1 and assisted in all the operations of the railways1 acting by turns as boatmen1 seamen1 and artificers4 ,we had no such character on the ,bell ,rock as the common labourer4 ,all the operations of this department were cheerfully undertaken by the seamen1 who1 both on the rock and on shipboard1 were the inseparable companions of every work connected with the erection of the ,bell ,rock ,lighthouse4 ,it will naturally be supposed that about twenty-five masons1 occupied with their picks in executing and preparing the foundation of the lighthouse1 in the course of a tide of about three hours1 would make a considerable impression upon an area even of forty-two feet in diameter4 ,but in proportion as the foundation was deepened1 the rock was found to be much more hard and difficult to work1 while the baling and pumping of water became much more troublesome4 ,a joiner was kept almost constantly employed in fitting the picks to their handles1 which1 as well as the points to the irons1 were very frequently broken4 ,the ,bell ,rock this morning presented by far the most busy and active appearance it had exhibited since the erection of the principal beams of the beacon4 ,the surface of the rock was crowded with men1 the two forges flaming1 the one above the other1 upon the beacon1 while the anvils thundered with the rebounding noise of their wooden supports1 and formed a curious contrast with the occasional clamour of the surges4 ,the wind was westerly1 and the weather being extremely agreeable1 as soon after breakfast as the tide had sufficiently overflowed the rock to float the boats over it1 the smiths1 with a number of the artificers1 returned to the beacon1 carrying their fishing-tackle along with them4 ,in the course of the forenoon1 the beacon exhibited a still more extraordinary appearance than the rock had done in the morning4 ,the sea being smooth1 it seemed to be afloat upon the water1 with a number of men supporting themselves in all the variety of attitude and position3 while1 from the upper part of this wooden house1 the volumes of smoke which ascended from the forges gave the whole a very curious and fanciful appearance4 ,in the course of this tide it was observed that a heavy swell was setting in from the eastward1 and the appearance of the sky indicated a change of weather1 while the wind was shifting about4 ,the barometer also had fallen from #cj in4 to #bi4f4 ,it was1 therefore1 judged prudent to shift the vessel to the ,s4,w4 or more distant buoy4 ,her bowsprit was also soon afterwards taken in1 the topmasts struck1 and everything made snug1 as seamen term it1 for a gale4 ,during the course of the night the wind increased and shifted to the eastward1 when the vessel rolled very hard1 and the sea often broke over her bows with great force4 ,wednesday1 #hth ,june ,although the motion of the tender was much less than that of the floating light--at least1 in regard to the rolling motion--yet she sended1 or pitched1 much4 ,being also of a very handsome build1 and what seamen term very clean aft1 the sea often struck the counter with such force that the writer1 who possessed the aftermost cabin1 being unaccustomed to this new vessel1 could not divest himself of uneasiness2 for when her stern fell into the sea1 it struck with so much violence as to be more like the resistance of a rock than the sea4 ,the water1 at the same time1 often rushed with great force up the rudder-case1 and1 forcing up the valve of the water-closet1 the floor of his cabin was at times laid under water4 ,the gale continued to increase1 and the vessel rolled and pitched in such a manner that the hawser by which the tender was made fast to the buoy snapped1 and she went adrift4 ,in the act of swinging round to the wind she shipped a very heavy sea1 which greatly alarmed the artificers1 who imagined that we had got upon the rock2 but this1 from the direction of the wind1 was impossible4 ,the writer1 however1 sprung upon deck1 where he found the sailors busily employed in rigging out the bowsprit and in setting sail4 ,from the easterly direction of the wind1 it was considered most advisable to steer for the ,firth of ,forth1 and there wait a change of weather4 ,at two p4m4 we accordingly passed the ,isle of ,may1 at six anchored in ,leith ,roads1 and at eight the writer landed1 when he came in upon his friends1 who were not a little surprised at his unexpected appearance1 which gave an instantaneous alarm for the safety of things at the ,bell ,rock4 ,thursday1 #ith ,june ,the wind still continued to blow very hard at ,e4 by ,n41 and the ,sir ,joseph ,banks rode heavily1 and even drifted with both anchors ahead1 in ,leith ,roads4 ,the artificers did not attempt to leave the ship last night2 but there being upwards of fifty people on board1 and the decks greatly lumbered with the two large boats1 they were in a very crowded and impatient state on board4 ,but to-day they got ashore1 and amused themselves by walking about the streets of ,edinburgh1 some in very humble apparel1 from having only the worst of their jackets with them1 which1 though quite suitable for their work1 were hardly fit for public inspection1 being not only tattered1 but greatly stained with the red colour of the rock4 ,friday1 #ajth ,june ,to-day the wind was at ,s4,e41 with light breezes and foggy weather4 ,at six a4m4 the writer again embarked for the ,bell ,rock1 when the vessel immediately sailed4 ,at eleven p4m41 there being no wind1 the kedge-anchor was let go off ,anstruther1 one of the numerous towns on the coast of ,fife1 where we waited the return of the tide4 ,saturday1 #aath ,june ,at six a4m4 the ,sir ,joseph got under weigh1 and at eleven was again made fast to the southern buoy at the ,bell ,rock4 ,though it was now late in the tide1 the writer1 being anxious to ascertain the state of things after the gale1 landed with the artificers to the number of forty-four4 ,everything was found in an entire state2 but1 as the tide was nearly gone1 only half an hour's work had been got when the site of the building was overflowed4 ,in the evening the boats again landed at nine1 and after a good tide's work of three hours with torchlight1 the work was left off at midnight4 ,to the distant shipping the appearance of things under night on the ,bell ,rock1 when the work was going forward1 must have been very remarkable1 especially to those who were strangers to the operations4 ,mr4 ,john ,reid1 principal lightkeeper1 who also acted as master of the floating light during the working months at the rock1 described the appearance of numerous lights situated so low in the water1 when seen at the distance of two or three miles1 as putting him in mind of ,milton's description of the fiends in the lower regions1 adding1 #8for it seems greatly to surpass ,will-o'-the-,wisp1 or any of those earthly spectres of which we have so often heard4' ,monday1 #acth ,june ,from the difficulties attending the landing on the rock1 owing to the breach of sea which had for days past been around it1 the artificers showed some backwardness at getting into the boats this morning2 but after a little explanation this was got over4 ,it was always observable that for some time after anything like danger had occurred at the rock1 the workmen became much more cautious1 and on some occasions their timidity was rather troublesome4 ,it fortunately happened1 however1 that along with the writer's assistants and the sailors there were also some of the artificers themselves who felt no such scruples1 and in this way these difficulties were the more easily surmounted4 ,in matters where life is in danger it becomes necessary to treat even unfounded prejudices with tenderness1 as an accident1 under certain circumstances1 would not only have been particularly painful to those giving directions1 but have proved highly detrimental to the work1 especially in the early stages of its advancement4 ,at four o'clock fifty-eight persons landed2 but the tides being extremely languid1 the water only left the higher parts of the rock1 and no work could be done at the site of the building4 ,a third forge was1 however1 put in operation during a short time1 for the greater conveniency of sharpening the picks and irons1 and for purposes connected with the preparations for fixing the railways on the rock4 ,the weather towards the evening became thick and foggy1 and there was hardly a breath of wind to ruffle the surface of the water4 ,had it not1 therefore1 been for the noise from the anvils of the smiths who had been left on the beacon throughout the day1 which afforded a guide for the boats1 a landing could not have been attempted this evening1 especially with such a company of artificers4 ,this circumstance confirmed the writer's opinion with regard to the propriety of connecting large bells to be rung with machinery in the lighthouse1 to be tolled day and night during the continuance of foggy weather4 ,thursday1 #bcrd ,june ,the boats landed this evening1 when the artificers had again two hours' work4 ,the weather still continuing very thick and foggy1 more difficulty was experienced in getting on board of the vessels to-night than had occurred on any previous occasion1 owing to a light breeze of wind which carried the sound of the bell1 and the other signals made on board of the vessels1 away from the rock4 ,having fortunately made out the position of the sloop ,smeaton at the ,n4,e4 buoy--to which we were much assisted by the barking of the ship's dog1--we parted with the ,smeaton's boat1 when the boats of the tender took a fresh departure for that vessel1 which lay about half a mile to the south-westward4 ,yet such is the very deceiving state of the tides1 that1 although there was a small binnacle and compass in the landing-master's boat1 we had1 nevertheless1 passed the ,sir ,joseph a good way1 when1 fortunately1 one of the sailors catched the sound of a blowing-horn4 ,the only fire-arms on board were a pair of swivels of one-inch calibre2 but it is quite surprising how much the sound is lost in foggy weather1 as the report was heard but at a very short distance4 ,the sound from the explosion of gunpowder is so instantaneous that the effect of the small guns was not so good as either the blowing of a horn or the tolling of a bell1 which afforded a more constant and steady direction for the pilot4 ,wednesday1 #fth ,july ,landed on the rock with the three boats belonging to the tender at five p4m41 and began immediately to bale the water out of the foundation-pit with a number of buckets1 while the pumps were also kept in action with relays of artificers and seamen4 ,the work commenced upon the higher parts of the foundation as the water left them1 but it was now pretty generally reduced to a level4 ,about twenty men could be conveniently employed at each pump1 and it is quite astonishing in how short a time so great a body of water could be drawn off4 ,the water in the foundation-pit at this time measured about two feet in depth1 on an area of forty-two feet in diameter1 and yet it was drawn off in the course of about half an hour4 ,after this the artificers commenced with their picks and continued at work for two hours and a half1 some of the sailors being at the same time busily employed in clearing the foundation of chips and in conveying the irons to and from the smiths on the beacon1 where they were sharped4 ,at eight o'clock the sea broke in upon us and overflowed the foundation-pit1 when the boats returned to the tender4 ,thursday1 #gth ,july ,the landing-master's bell rung this morning about four o'clock1 and at half-past five1 the foundation being cleared1 the work commenced on the site of the building4 ,but from the moment of landing1 the squad of joiners and millwrights was at work upon the higher parts of the rock in laying the railways1 while the anvils of the smith resounded on the beacon1 and such columns of smoke ascended from the forges that they were often mistaken by strangers at a distance for a ship on fire4 ,after continuing three hours at work the foundation of the building was again overflowed1 and the boats returned to the ship at half-past eight o'clock4 the masons and pickmen had1 at this period1 a pretty long day on board of the tender1 but the smiths and joiners were kept constantly at work upon the beacon1 the stability and great conveniency of which had now been so fully shown that no doubt remained as to the propriety of fitting it up as a barrack4 ,the workmen were accordingly employed1 during the period of high-water1 in making preparations for this purpose4 ,the foundation-pit now assumed the appearance of a great platform1 and the late tides had been so favourable that it became apparent that the first course1 consisting of a few irregular and detached stones for making up certain inequalities in the interior parts of the site of the building1 might be laid in the course of the present spring-tides4 ,having been enabled to-day to get the dimensions of the foundation1 or first stone1 accurately taken1 a mould was made of its figure1 when the writer left the rock1 after the tide's work of this morning1 in a fast rowing-boat for ,arbroath2 and1 upon landing1 two men were immediately set to work upon one of the blocks from ,mylnefield quarry1 which was prepared in the course of the following day1 as the stone-cutters relieved each other1 and worked both night and day1 so that it was sent off in one of the stone-lighters without delay4 ,saturday1 #ith ,july ,the site of the foundation-stone was very difficult to work1 from its depth in the rock2 but being now nearly prepared1 it formed a very agreeable kind of pastime at high-water for all hands to land the stone itself upon the rock4 ,the landing-master's crew and artificers accordingly entered with great spirit into this operation4 ,the stone was placed upon the deck of the ,hedderwick praam-boat1 which had just been brought from ,leith1 and was decorated with colours for the occasion4 ,flags were also displayed from the shipping in the offing1 and upon the beacon4 ,here the writer took his station with the greater part of the artificers1 who supported themselves in every possible position while the boats towed the praam from her moorings and brought her immediately over the site of the building1 where her grappling anchors were let go4 ,the stone was then lifted off the deck by a tackle hooked into a ,lewis bat inserted into it1 when it was gently lowered into the water and grounded on the site of the building1 amidst the cheering acclamations of about sixty persons4 ,sunday1 #ajth ,july ,at eleven o'clock the foundation-stone was laid to hand4 ,it was of a square form1 containing about twenty cubic feet1 and had the figures1 or date1 of #ahjh simply cut upon it with a chisel4 ,a derrick1 or spar of timber1 having been erected at the edge of the hole and guyed with ropes1 the stone was then hooked to the tackle and lowered into its place1 when the writer1 attended by his assistants--,mr4 ,peter ,logan1 ,mr4 ,francis ,watt1 and ,mr4 ,james ,wilson1--applied the square1 the level1 and the mallet1 and pronounced the following benediction3 #8,may the great ,architect of the ,universe complete and bless this building1' on which three hearty cheers were given1 and success to the future operations was drunk with the greatest enthusiasm4 ,tuesday1 #bfth ,july ,the wind being at ,s4,e4 this evening1 we had a pretty heavy swell of sea upon the rock1 and some difficulty attended our getting off in safety1 as the boats got aground in the creek and were in danger of being upset4 ,upon extinguishing the torchlights1 about twelve in number1 the darkness of the night seemed quite horrible2 the water being also much charged with the phosphorescent appearance which is familiar to every one on shipboard1 the waves1 as they dashed upon the rock1 were in some degree like so much liquid flame4 ,the scene1 upon the whole1 was truly awful6 ,wednesday1 #bgth ,july ,in leaving the rock this evening everything1 after the torches were extinguished1 had the same dismal appearance as last night1 but so perfectly acquainted were the landing-master and his crew with the position of things at the rock1 that comparatively little inconveniency was experienced on these occasions when the weather was moderate2 such is the effect of habit1 even in the most unpleasant situations4 ,if1 for example1 it had been proposed to a person accustomed to a city life1 at once to take up his quarters off a sunken reef and land upon it in boats at all hours of the night1 the proposition must have appeared quite impracticable and extravagant2 but this practice coming progressively upon the artificers1 it was ultimately undertaken with the greatest alacrity4 ,notwithstanding this1 however1 it must be acknowledged that it was not till after much labour and peril1 and many an anxious hour1 that the writer is enabled to state that the site of the ,bell ,rock ,lighthouse is fully prepared for the first entire course of the building4 ,friday1 #abth ,aug4 ,the artificers landed this morning at half-past ten1 and after an hour and a half's work eight stones were laid1 which completed the first entire course of the building1 consisting of #abc blocks1 the last of which was laid with three hearty cheers4 ,saturday1 #ajth ,sept4 ,landed at nine a4m41 and by a quarter-past twelve noon twenty-three stones had been laid4 ,the works being now somewhat elevated by the lower courses1 we got quit of the very serious inconvenience of pumping water to clear the foundation-pit4 ,this gave much facility to the operations1 and was noticed with expressions of as much happiness by the artificers as the seamen had shown when relieved of the continual trouble of carrying the smith's bellows off the rock prior to the erection of the beacon4 ,wednesday1 #bast ,sept4 ,mr4 ,thomas ,macurich1 mate of the ,smeaton1 and ,james ,scott1 one of the crew1 a young man about eighteen years of age1 immediately went into their boat to make fast a hawser to the ring in the top of the floating buoy of the moorings1 and were forthwith to proceed to land their cargo1 so much wanted1 at the rock4 ,the tides at this period were very strong1 and the mooring-chain1 when sweeping the ground1 had caught hold of a rock or piece of wreck by which the chain was so shortened that when the tide flowed the buoy got almost under water1 and little more than the ring appeared at the surface4 ,when ,macurich and ,scott were in the act of making the hawser fast to the ring1 the chain got suddenly disentangled at the bottom1 and this large buoy1 measuring about seven feet in height and three feet in diameter at the middle1 tapering to both ends1 being what seamen term a ,nun-buoy1 vaulted or sprung up with such force that it upset the boat1 which instantly filled with water4 ,mr4 ,macurich1 with much exertion1 succeeded in getting hold of the boat's gunwale1 still above the surface of the water1 and by this means was saved2 but the young man ,scott was unfortunately drowned4 ,he had in all probability been struck about the head by the ring of the buoy1 for although surrounded with the oars and the thwarts of the boat which floated near him1 yet he seemed entirely to want the power of availing himself of such assistance1 and appeared to be quite insensible1 while ,pool1 the master of the ,smeaton1 called loudly to him2 and before assistance could be got from the tender1 he was carried away by the strength of the current and disappeared4 ,the young man ,scott was a great favourite in the service1 having had something uncommonly mild and complaisant in his manner2 and his loss was therefore universally regretted4 ,the circumstances of his case were also peculiarly distressing to his mother1 as her husband1 who was a seaman1 had for three years past been confined to a ,french prison1 and the deceased was the chief support of the family4 ,in order in some measure to make up the loss to the poor woman for the monthly aliment regularly allowed her by her late son1 it was suggested that a younger boy1 a brother of the deceased1 might be taken into the service4 ,this appeared to be rather a delicate proposition1 but it was left to the landing-master to arrange according to circumstances2 such was the resignation1 and at the same time the spirit1 of the poor woman1 that she readily accepted the proposal1 and in a few days the younger ,scott was actually afloat in the place of his brother4 ,on representing this distressing case to the ,board1 the ,commissioners were pleased to grant an annuity of #e to ,scott's mother4 ,the ,smeaton1 not having been made fast to the buoy1 had1 with the ebb-tide1 drifted to leeward a considerable way eastward of the rock1 and could not1 till the return of the flood-tide1 be worked up to her moorings1 so that the present tide was lost1 notwithstanding all exertions which had been made both ashore and afloat with this cargo4 ,the artificers landed at six a4m42 but1 as no materials could be got upon the rock this morning1 they were employed in boring trenail holes and in various other operations1 and after four hours' work they returned on board the tender4 ,when the ,smeaton got up to her moorings1 the landing-master's crew immediately began to unload her4 ,there being too much wind for towing the praams in the usual way1 they were warped to the rock in the most laborious manner by their windlasses1 with successive grapplings and hawsers laid out for this purpose4 ,at six p4m4 the artificers landed1 and continued at work till half-past ten1 when the remaining seventeen stones were laid which completed the third entire course1 or fourth of the lighthouse1 with which the building operations were closed for the season4 ,,iii--,,operations ,,of #ahji ,wednesday1 #bdth ,may ,the last night was the first that the writer1 had passed in his old quarters on board of the floating light for about twelve months1 when the weather was so fine and the sea so smooth that even here he felt but little or no motion1 excepting at the turn of the tide1 when the vessel gets into what the seamen term the trough of the sea4 ,at six a4m4 ,mr4 ,watt1 who conducted the operations of the railways and beacon-house1 had landed with nine artificers4 ,at half-past one p4m4 ,mr4 ,peter ,logan had also landed with fifteen masons1 and immediately proceeded to set up the crane4 ,the sheer-crane or apparatus for lifting the stones out of the praam-boats at the eastern creek had been already erected1 and the railways now formed about two-thirds of an entire circle round the building3 some progress had likewise been made with the reach towards the western landing-place4 ,the floors being laid1 the beacon now assumed the appearance of a habitation4 ,the ,smeaton was at her moorings1 with the ,fernie praam-boat astern1 for which she was laying down moorings1 and the tender being also at her station1 the ,bell ,rock had again put on its former busy aspect4 ,wednesday1 #cast ,may ,the landing-master's bell1 often no very favourite sound1 rung at six this morning2 but on this occasion1 it is believed1 it was gladly received by all on board1 as the welcome signal of the return of better weather4 ,the masons laid thirteen stones to-day1 which the seamen had landed1 together with other building materials4 ,during these twenty-four hours the wind was from the south1 blowing fresh breezes1 accompanied with showers of snow4 ,in the morning the snow showers were so thick that it was with difficulty the landing-master1 who always steered the leading boat1 could make his way to the rock through the drift4 ,but at the ,bell ,rock neither snow nor rain1 nor fog nor wind1 retarded the progress of the work1 if unaccompanied by a heavy swell or breach of the sea4 ,the weather during the months of ,april and ,may had been uncommonly boisterous1 and so cold that the thermometer seldom exceeded #dj1 while the barometer was generally about #bi4ej4 ,we had not only hail and sleet1 but the snow on the last day of ,may lay on the decks and rigging of the ship to the depth of about three inches2 and1 although now entering upon the month of ,june1 the length of the day was the chief indication of summer4 ,yet such is the effect of habit1 and such was the expertness of the landing-master's crew1 that1 even in this description of weather1 seldom a tide's work was lost4 ,such was the ardour and zeal of the heads of the several departments at the rock1 including ,mr4 ,peter ,logan1 foreman builder1 ,mr4 ,francis ,watt1 foreman millwright1 and ,captain ,wilson1 landing-master1 that it was on no occasion necessary to address them1 excepting in the way of precaution or restraint4 ,under these circumstances1 however1 the writer not unfrequently felt considerable anxiety1 of which this day's experience will afford an example4 ,thursday1 #ast ,june ,this morning1 at a quarter-past eight1 the artificers were landed as usual1 and1 after three hours and three-quarters' work1 five stones were laid1 the greater part of this tide having been taken up in completing the boring and trenailing of the stones formerly laid4 ,at noon the writer1 with the seamen and artificers1 proceeded to the tender1 leaving on the beacon the joiners1 and several of those who were troubled with sea-sickness--among whom was ,mr4 ,logan1 who remained with ,mr4 ,watt--counting altogether eleven persons4 ,during the first and middle parts of these twenty-four hours the wind was from the east1 blowing what the seamen term #8fresh breezes'2 but in the afternoon it shifted to ,e4,n4,e41 accompanied with so heavy a swell of sea that the ,smeaton and tender struck their topmasts1 launched in their bolt-sprits1 and #8made all snug' for a gale4 ,at four p4m4 the ,smeaton was obliged to slip her moorings1 and passed the tender1 drifting before the wind1 with only the foresail set4 ,in passing1 ,mr4 ,pool hailed that he must run for the ,firth of ,forth to prevent the vessel from #8riding under4' ,on board of the tender the writer's chief concern was about the eleven men left upon the beacon4 ,directions were accordingly given that everything about the vessel should be put in the best possible state1 to present as little resistance to the wind as possible1 that she might have the better chance of riding out the gale4 ,among these preparations the best bower cable was bent1 so as to have a second anchor in readiness in case the mooring-hawser should give way1 that every means might be used for keeping the vessel within sight of the prisoners on the beacon1 and thereby keep them in as good spirits as possible4 ,from the same motive the boats were kept afloat that they might be less in fear of the vessel leaving her station4 ,the landing-master had1 however1 repeatedly expressed his anxiety for the safety of the boats1 and wished much to have them hoisted on board4 ,at seven p4m4 one of the boats1 as he feared1 was unluckily filled with sea from a wave breaking into her1 and it was with great difficulty that she could be baled out and got on board1 with the loss of her oars1 rudder1 and loose thwarts4 ,such was the motion of the ship that in taking this boat on board her gunwale was stove in1 and she otherwise received considerable damage4 ,night approached1 but it was still found quite impossible to go near the rock4 ,consulting1 therefore1 the safety of the second boat1 she also was hoisted on board of the tender4 ,at this time the cabins of the beacon were only partially covered1 and had neither been provided with bedding nor a proper fireplace1 while the stock of provisions was but slender4 ,in these uncomfortable circumstances the people on the beacon were left for the night1 nor was the situation of those on board of the tender much better4 ,the rolling and pitching motion of the ship was excessive2 and1 excepting to those who had been accustomed to a residence in the floating light1 it seemed quite intolerable4 ,nothing was heard but the hissing of the winds and the creaking of the bulkheads or partitions of the ship2 the night was1 therefore1 spent in the most unpleasant reflections upon the condition of the people on the beacon1 especially in the prospect of the tender being driven from her moorings4 ,but1 even in such a case1 it afforded some consolation that the stability of the fabric was never doubted1 and that the boats of the floating light were at no great distance1 and ready to render the people on the rock the earliest assistance which the weather would permit4 ,the writer's cabin being in the sternmost part of the ship1 which had what sailors term a good entry1 or was sharp built1 the sea1 as before noticed1 struck her counter with so much violence that the water1 with a rushing noise1 continually forced its way up the rudder-case1 lifted the valve of the water-closet1 and overran the cabin floor4 ,in these circumstances daylight was eagerly looked for1 and hailed with delight1 as well by those afloat as by the artificers upon the rock4 ,friday1 #bnd ,june ,in the course of the night the writer held repeated conversations with the officer on watch1 who reported that the weather continued much in the same state1 and that the barometer still indicated #bi4bj inches4 ,at six a4m4 the landing-master considered the weather to have somewhat moderated2 and1 from certain appearances of the sky1 he was of opinion that a change for the better would soon take place4 ,he accordingly proposed to attempt a landing at low-water1 and either get the people off the rock1 or at least ascertain what state they were in4 ,at nine a4m4 he left the vessel with a boat well manned1 carrying with him a supply of cooked provisions and a tea-kettle full of mulled port wine for the people on the beacon1 who had not had any regular diet for about thirty hours1 while they were exposed during that period1 in a great measure1 both to the winds and the sprays of the sea4 ,the boat having succeeded in landing1 she returned at eleven a4m4 with the artificers1 who had got off with considerable difficulty1 and who were heartily welcomed by all on board4 ,upon inquiry it appeared that three of the stones last laid upon the building had been partially lifted from their beds by the force of the sea1 and were now held only by the trenails1 and that the cast-iron sheer-crane had again been thrown down and completely broken4 ,with regard to the beacon1 the sea at high-water had lifted part of the mortar gallery or lowest floor1 and washed away all the lime-casks and other movable articles from it2 but the principal parts of this fabric had sustained no damage4 ,on pressing ,messrs4 ,logan and ,watt on the situation of things in the course of the night1 ,mr4 ,logan emphatically said3 #8,that the beacon had an ill-faured #aga;a twist when the sea broke upon it at high-water1 but that they were not very apprehensive of danger4' ,on inquiring as to how they spent the night1 it appeared that they had made shift to keep a small fire burning1 and by means of some old sails defended themselves pretty well from the sea sprays4 ,it was particularly mentioned that by the exertions of ,james ,glen1 one of the joiners1 a number of articles were saved from being washed off the mortar gallery4 ,glen was also very useful in keeping up the spirits of the forlorn party4 ,in the early part of life he had undergone many curious adventures at sea1 which he now recounted somewhat after the manner of the tales of the ,arabian ,nights4 ,when one observed that the beacon was a most comfortless lodging1 ,glen would presently introduce some of his exploits and hardships1 in comparison with which the state of things at the beacon bore an aspect of comfort and happiness4 ,looking to their slender stock of provisions1 and their perilous and uncertain chance of speedy relief1 he would launch out into an account of one of his expeditions in the ,north ,sea1 when the vessel1 being much disabled in a storm1 was driven before the wind with the loss of almost all their provisions2 and the ship being much infested with rats1 the crew hunted these vermin with great eagerness to help their scanty allowance4 ,by such means ,glen had the address to make his companions1 in some measure1 satisfied1 or at least passive1 with regard to their miserable prospects upon this half-tide rock in the middle of the ocean4 ,this incident is noticed1 more particularly1 to show the effects of such a happy turn of mind1 even under the most distressing and ill-fated circumstances4 ,saturday1 #agth ,june ,at eight a4m4 the artificers and sailors1 forty-five in number1 landed on the rock1 and after four hours' work seven stones were laid4 ,the remainder of this tide1 from the threatening appearance of the weather1 was occupied in trenailing and making all things as secure as possible4 ,at twelve noon the rock and building were again overflowed1 when the masons and seamen went on board of the tender1 but ,mr4 ,watt1 with his squad of ten men1 remained on the beacon throughout the day4 ,as it blew fresh from the ,n4,w4 in the evening1 it was found impracticable either to land the building artificers or to take the artificers off the beacon1 and they were accordingly left there all night1 but in circumstances very different from those of the #ast of this month4 ,the house1 being now in a more complete state1 was provided with bedding1 and they spent the night pretty well1 though they complained of having been much disturbed at the time of high-water by the shaking and tremulous motion of their house and by the plashing noise of the sea upon mortar gallery4 ,here ,james ,glen's versatile powers were again at work in cheering up those who seemed to be alarmed1 and in securing everything as far as possible4 ,on this occasion he had only to recall to the recollections of some of them the former night which they had spent on the beacon1 the wind and sea being then much higher1 and their habitation in a far less comfortable state4 ,the wind still continuing to blow fresh from the ,n4,w41 at five p4m4 the writer caused a signal to be made from the tender for the ,smeaton and ,patriot to slip their moorings1 when they ran for ,lunan ,bay1 an anchorage on the east side of the ,redhead4 ,those on board of the tender spent but a very rough night1 and perhaps slept less soundly than their companions on the beacon1 especially as the wind was at ,n4,w41 which caused the vessel to ride with her stern towards the ,bell ,rock2 so that1 in the event of anything giving way1 she could hardly have escaped being stranded upon it4 ,sunday1 #ahth ,june ,the weather having moderated to-day1 the wind shifted to the westward4 ,at a quarter-past nine a4m4 the artificers landed from the tender and had the pleasure to find their friends who had been left on the rock quite hearty1 alleging that the beacon was the preferable quarters of the two4 ,saturday1 #bdth ,june ,mr4 ,peter ,logan1 the foreman builder1 and his squad1 twenty-one in number1 landed this morning at three o'clock1 and continued at work four hours and a quarter1 and after laying seventeen stones returned to the tender4 ,at six a4m4 ,mr4 ,francis ,watt and his squad of twelve men landed1 and proceeded with their respective operations at the beacon and railways1 and were left on the rock during the whole day without the necessity of having any communication with the tender1 the kitchen of the beacon-house being now fitted up4 ,it was to-day1 also1 that ,peter ,fortune--a most obliging and well-known character in the ,lighthouse service--was removed from the tender to the beacon as cook and steward1 with a stock of provisions as ample as his limited store-room would admit4 ,when as many stones were built as comprised this day's work1 the demand for mortar was proportionally increased1 and the task of the mortar-makers on these occasions was both laborious and severe4 ,this operation was chiefly performed by ,john ,watt--a strong1 active quarrier by profession1--who was a perfect character in his way1 and extremely zealous in his department4 ,while the operations of the mortar-makers continued1 the forge upon the gallery was not generally in use2 but1 as the working hours of the builders extended with the height of the building1 the forge could not be so long wanted1 and then a sad confusion often ensued upon the circumscribed floor of the mortar gallery1 as the operations of ,watt and his assistants trenched greatly upon those of the smiths4 ,under these circumstances the boundary of the smiths was much circumscribed1 and they were personally annoyed1 especially in blowy weather1 with the dust of the lime in its powdered state4 ,the mortar-makers1 on the other hand1 were often not a little distressed with the heat of the fire and the sparks elicited on the anvil1 and not unaptly complained that they were placed between the #8devil and the deep sea4' ,sunday1 #beth ,june ,the work being now about ten feet in height1 admitted of a rope-ladder being distended #agd;a between the beacon and the building4 ,by this #8,jacob's ,ladder1' as the seamen termed it1 a communication was kept up with the beacon while the rock was considerably under water4 ,one end of it being furnished with tackle-blocks1 was fixed to the beams of the beacon1 at the level of the mortar gallery1 while the further end was connected with the upper course of the building by means of two ,lewis bats which were lifted from course to course as the work advanced4 ,in the same manner a rope furnished with a travelling pulley was distended for the purpose of transporting the mortar-buckets1 and other light articles between the beacon and the building1 which also proved a great conveniency to the work4 ,at this period the rope-ladder and tackle for the mortar had a descent from the beacon to the building2 by and by they were on a level1 and towards the end of the season1 when the solid part had attained its full height1 the ascent was from the mortar gallery to the building4 ,friday1 #cjth ,june ,the artificers landed on the rock this morning at a quarter-past six1 and remained at work five hours4 ,the cooking apparatus being now in full operation1 all hands had breakfast on the beacon at the usual hour1 and remained there throughout the day4 ,the crane upon the building had to be raised to-day from the eighth to the ninth course1 an operation which now required all the strength that could be mustered for working the guy-tackles2 for as the top of the crane was at this time about thirty-five feet above the rock1 it became much more unmanageable4 ,while the beam was in the act of swinging round from one guy to another1 a great strain was suddenly brought upon the opposite tackle1 with the end of which the artificers had very improperly neglected to take a turn round some stationary object1 which would have given them the complete command of the tackle4 ,owing to this simple omission1 the crane got a preponderancy to one side1 and fell upon the building with a terrible crash4 ,the surrounding artificers immediately flew in every direction to get out of its way2 but ,michael ,wishart1 the principal builder1 having unluckily stumbled upon one of the uncut trenails1 fell upon his back4 ,his body fortunately got between the movable beam and the upright shaft of the crane1 and was thus saved2 but his feet got entangled with the wheels of the crane and were severely injured4 ,wishart1 being a robust young man1 endured his misfortune with wonderful firmness2 he was laid upon one of the narrow framed beds of the beacon and despatched in a boat to the tender1 where the writer was when this accident happened1 not a little alarmed on missing the crane from the top of the building1 and at the same time seeing a boat rowing towards the vessel with great speed4 ,when the boat came alongside with poor ,wishart1 stretched upon a bed covered with blankets1 a moment of great anxiety followed1 which was1 however1 much relieved when1 on stepping into the boat1 he was accosted by ,wishart1 though in a feeble voice1 and with an aspect pale as death from excessive bleeding4 ,directions having been immediately given to the coxswain to apply to ,mr4 ,kennedy at the workyard to procure the best surgical aid1 the boat was sent off without delay to ,arbroath4 ,the writer then landed at the rock1 when the crane was in a very short time got into its place and again put in a working state4 ,monday1 #crd ,july ,the writer having come to ,arbroath with the yacht1 had an opportunity of visiting ,michael ,wishart1 the artificer who had met with so severe an accident at the rock on the #cjth ult41 and had the pleasure to find him in a state of recovery4 ,from ,dr4 ,stevenson's account1 under whose charge he had been placed1 hopes were entertained that amputation would not be necessary1 as his patient still kept free of fever or any appearance of mortification2 and ,wishart expressed a hope that he might1 at least1 be ultimately capable of keeping the light at the ,bell ,rock1 as it was not now likely that he would assist further in building the house4 ,saturday1 #hth ,july ,it was remarked to-day1 with no small demonstration of joy1 that the tide1 being neap1 did not1 for the first time1 overflow the building at high-water4 ,flags were accordingly hoisted on the beacon-house1 and crane on the top of the building1 which were repeated from the floating light1 ,lighthouse yacht1 tender1 ,smeaton1 ,patriot1 and the two praams4 ,a salute of three guns was also fired from the yacht at high-water1 when1 all the artificers being collected on the top of the building1 three cheers were given in testimony of this important circumstance4 ,a glass of rum was then served out to all hands on the rock and on board of the respective ships4 ,sunday1 #afth ,july ,besides laying1 boring1 trenailing1 wedging1 and grouting thirty-two stones1 several other operations were proceeded with on the rock at low-water1 when some of the artificers were employed at the railways1 and at high-water at the beacon-house4 ,the seamen having prepared a quantity of tarpaulin1 or cloth laid over with successive coats of hot tar1 the joiners had just completed the covering of the roof with it4 ,this sort of covering was lighter and more easily managed than sheet-lead in such a situation4 ,as a further defence against the weather the whole exterior of this temporary residence was painted with three coats of white-lead paint4 ,between the timber framing of the habitable part of the beacon the interstices were to be stuffed with moss1 as a light substance that would resist dampness and check sifting winds2 the whole interior was then to be lined with green baize cloth1 so that both without and within the cabins were to have a very comfortable appearance4 ,although the building artificers generally remained on the rock throughout the day1 and the millwrights1 joiners1 and smiths1 while their number was considerable1 remained also during the night1 yet the tender had hitherto been considered as their night quarters4 ,but the wind having in the course of the day shifted to the ,n4,w41 and as the passage to the tender1 in the boats1 was likely to be attended with difficulty1 the whole of the artificers1 with ,mr4 ,logan1 the foreman1 preferred remaining all night on the beacon1 which had of late become the solitary abode of ,george-,forsyth1 a jobbing upholsterer1 who had been employed in lining the beacon-house with cloth and in fitting up the bedding4 ,forsyth was a tall1 thin1 and rather loose-made man1 who had an utter aversion at climbing upon the trap-ladders of the beacon1 but especially at the process of boating1 and the motion of the ship1 which he said #8was death itself4' ,he therefore pertinaciously insisted with the landing-master in being left upon the beacon1 with a small black dog as his only companion4 ,the writer1 however1 felt some delicacy in leaving a single individual upon the rock1 who must have been so very helpless in case of accident4 ,this fabric had1 from the beginning1 been rather intended by the writer to guard against accident from the loss or damage of a boat1 and as a place for making mortar1 a smith's shop1 and a store for tools during the working months1 than as permanent quarters2 nor was it at all meant to be possessed until tile joiner-work was completely finished1 and his own cabin1 and that for the foreman1 in readiness1 when it was still to be left to the choice of the artificers to occupy the tender or the beacon4 ,he1 however1 considered ,forsyth's partiality and confidence in the latter as rather a fortunate occurrence4 ,wednesday1 #aith ,july ,the whole of the artificers1 twenty-three in number1 now removed of their own accord from the tender1 to lodge in the beacon1 together with ,peter ,fortune1 a person singularly adapted for a residence of this kind1 both from the urbanity of his manners and the versatility of his talents4 ,fortune1 in his person1 was of small stature1 and rather corpulent4 ,besides being a good ,scots cook1 he had acted both as groom and house-servant2 he had been a soldier1 a sutler1 a writer's clerk1 and an apothecary1 from which he possessed the art of writing and suggesting recipes1 and had hence1 also1 perhaps1 acquired a turn for making collections in natural history4 ,but in his practice in surgery on the ,bell ,rock1 for which he received an annual fee of three guineas1 he is supposed to have been rather partial to the use of the lancet4 ,in short1 ,peter was the factotum of the beacon-house1 where he ostensibly acted in the several capacities of cook1 steward1 surgeon1 and barber1 and kept a statement of the rations or expenditure of the provisions with the strictest integrity4 ,in the present important state of the building1 when it had just attained the height of sixteen feet1 and the upper courses1 and especially the imperfect one1 were in the wash of the heaviest seas1 an express boat arrived at the rock with a letter from ,mr4 ,kennedy1 of the workyard1 stating that in consequence of the intended expedition to ,walcheren1 an embargo had been laid on shipping at all the ports of ,great ,britain3 that both the ,smeaton and ,patriot were detained at ,arbroath1 and that but for the proper view which ,mr4 ,ramsey1 the port officer1 had taken of his orders1 neither the express boat nor one which had been sent with provisions and necessaries for the floating light would have been permitted to leave the harbour4 ,the writer set off without delay for ,arbroath1 and on landing used every possible means with the official people1 but their orders were deemed so peremptory that even boats were not permitted to sail from any port upon the coast4 ,in the meantime1 the collector of the ,customs at ,montrose applied to the ,board at ,edinburgh1 but could1 of himself1 grant no relief to the ,bell ,rock shipping4 ,at this critical period ,mr4 ,adam ,duff1 then ,sheriff of ,forfarshire1 now of the county of ,edinburgh1 and ex officio one of the ,commissioners of the ,northern ,lighthouses1 happened to be at ,arbroath4 ,mr4 ,duff took an immediate interest in representing the circumstances of the case to the ,board of ,customs at ,edinburgh4 ,but such were the doubts entertained on the subject that1 on having previously received the appeal from the collector at ,montrose1 the case had been submitted to the consideration of the ,lords of the ,treasury1 whose decision was now waited for4 ,in this state of things the writer felt particularly desirous to get the thirteenth course finished1 that the building might be in a more secure state in the event of bad weather4 ,an opportunity was therefore embraced on the #beth1 in sailing with provisions for the floating light1 to carry the necessary stones to the rock for this purpose1 which were landed and built on the #bfth and #bgth4 ,but so closely was the watch kept up that a ,custom-house officer was always placed on board of the ,smeaton and ,patriot while they were afloat1 till the embargo was especially removed from the lighthouse vessels4 ,the artificers at the ,bell ,rock had been reduced to fifteen1 who were regularly supplied with provisions1 along with the crew of the floating light1 mainly through the port officer's liberal interpretation of his orders4 ,tuesday1 #ast ,aug4 ,there being a considerable swell and breach of sea upon the rock yesterday1 the stones could not be got landed till the day following1 when the wind shifted to the southward and the weather improved4 ,but to-day no less than seventy-eight blocks of stone were landed1 of which forty were built1 which completed the fourteenth and part of the fifteenth courses4 ,the number of workmen now resident in the beacon-house was augmented to twenty-four1 including the landing-master's crew from the tender and the boat's crew from the floating light1 who assisted at landing the stones4 ,those daily at work upon the rock at this period amounted to forty-six4 ,a cabin had been laid out for the writer on the beacon1 but his apartment had been the last which was finished1 and he had not yet taken possession of it2 for though he generally spent the greater part of the day1 at this time1 upon the rock1 yet he always slept on board of the tender4 ,friday1 #aath ,aug4 ,the wind was at ,s4 ,e4 on the #aath1 and there was so very heavy a swell of sea upon the rock that no boat could approach it4 ,saturday1 #abth ,aug4 ,the gale still continuing from the ,s4,e41 the sea broke with great violence both upon the building and the beacon4 ,the former being twenty-three feet in height1 the upper part of the crane erected on it having been lifted from course to course as the building advanced1 was now about thirty-six feet above the rock4 ,from observations made on the rise of the sea by this crane1 the artificers were enabled to estimate its height to be about fifty feet above the rock1 while the sprays fell with a most alarming noise upon their cabins4 ,at low-water1 in the evening1 a signal was made from the beacon1 at the earnest desire of some of the artificers1 for the boats to come to the rock2 and although this could not be effected without considerable hazard1 it was1 however1 accomplished1 when twelve of their number1 being much afraid1 applied to the foreman to be relieved1 and went on board of the tender4 ,but the remaining fourteen continued on the rock1 with ,mr4 ,peter ,logan1 the foreman builder4 ,although this rule of allowing an option to every man either to remain on the rock or return to the tender was strictly adhered to1 yet1 as it would have been extremely inconvenient to have the men parcelled out in this manner1 it became necessary to embrace the first opportunity of sending those who had left the beacon to the workyard1 with as little appearance of intention as possible1 lest it should hurt their feelings1 or prevent others from acting according to their wishes1 either in landing on the rock or remaining on the beacon4 ,tuesday1 #aeth ,aug4 ,the wind had fortunately shifted to the ,s4,w4 this morning1 and though a considerable breach was still upon the rock1 yet the landing-master's crew were enabled to get one praam-boat1 lightly loaded with five stones1 brought in safety to the western creek2 these stones were immediately laid by the artificers1 who gladly embraced the return of good weather to proceed with their operations4 ,the writer had this day taken possession of his cabin in the beacon-house4 ,it was small1 but commodious1 and was found particularly convenient in coarse and blowing weather1 instead of being obliged to make a passage to the tender in an open boat at all times1 both during the day and the night1 which was often attended with much difficulty and danger4 ,saturday1 #aith ,aug4 ,for some days past the weather had been occasionally so thick and foggy that no small difficulty was experienced in going even between the rock and the tender1 though quite at hand4 ,but the floating light's boat lost her way so far in returning on board that the first land she made1 after rowing all night1 was ,fifeness1 a distance of about fourteen miles4 ,the weather having cleared in the morning1 the crew stood off again for the floating light1 and got on board in a half-famished and much exhausted state1 having been constantly rowing for about sixteen hours4 ,sunday1 #bjth ,aug4 ,the weather being very favourable to-day1 fifty-three stones were landed1 and the builders were not a little gratified in having built the twenty-second course1 consisting of fifty-one stones1 being the first course which had been completed in one day4 ,this1 as a matter of course1 produced three hearty cheers4 ,at twelve noon prayers were read for the first time on the ,bell ,rock2 those present1 counting thirty1 were crowded into the upper apartment of the beacon1 where the writer took a central position1 while two of the artificers1 joining hands1 supported the ,bible4 ,friday1 #beth ,aug4 ,to-day the artificers laid forty-five stones1 which completed the twenty-fourth course1 reckoning above the first entire one1 and the twenty-sixth above the rock4 ,this finished the solid part of the building1 and terminated the height of the outward casing of granite1 which is thirty-one feet six inches above the rock or site of the foundation-stone1 and about seventeen feet above high-water of spring-tides4 ,being a particular crisis in the progress of the lighthouse1 the landing and laying of the last stone for the season was observed with the usual ceremonies4 ,from observations often made by the writer1 in so far as such can be ascertained1 it appears that no wave in the open seas1 in an unbroken state1 rises more than from seven to nine feet above the general surface of the ocean4 ,the ,bell ,rock ,lighthouse may therefore now be considered at from eight to ten feet above the height of the waves2 and1 although the sprays and heavy seas have often been observed1 in the present state of the building1 to rise to the height of fifty feet1 and fall with a tremendous noise on the beacon-house1 yet such seas were not likely to make any impression on a mass of solid masonry1 containing about #adjj tons1 ,wednesday1 #cjth ,aug4 ,the whole of the artificers left the rock at mid-day1 when the tender made sail for ,arbroath1 which she reached about six p4m4 ,the vessel being decorated with colours1 and having fired a salute of three guns on approaching the harbour1 the workyard artificers1 with a multitude of people1 assembled at the harbour1 when mutual cheering and congratulations took place between those afloat and those on the quays4 ,the tender had now1 with little exception1 been six months on the station at the ,bell ,rock1 and during the last four months few of the squad of builders had been ashore4 ,in particular1 ,mr4 ,peter ,logan1 the foreman1 and ,mr4 ,robert ,selkirk1 principal builder1 had never once left the rock4 ,the artificers1 having made good wages during their stay1 like seamen upon a return voyage1 were extremely happy1 and spent the evening with much innocent mirth and jollity4 ,in reflecting upon the state of the matters at the ,bell ,rock during the working months1 when the writer was much with the artificers1 nothing can equal the happy manner in which these excellent workmen spent their time4 ,they always went from ,arbroath to their arduous task cheering and they generally returned in the same hearty state4 ,while at the rock1 between the tides1 they amused themselves in reading1 fishing1 music1 playing cards1 draughts1 etc41 or in sporting with one another4 ,in the workyard at ,arbroath the young men were almost1 without exception1 employed in the evening at school1 in writing and arithmetic1 and not a few were learning architectural drawing1 for which they had every convenience and facility1 and were1 in a very obliging manner1 assisted in their studies by ,mr4 ,david ,logan1 clerk of the works4 ,it therefore affords the most pleasing reflections to look back upon the pursuits of about sixty individuals who for years conducted themselves1 on all occasions1 in a sober and rational manner4 ,,iv--,,operations ,,of #ahaj ,thursday1 #ajth ,may ,the wind had shifted to-day to ,w4,n4,w41 when the writer1 with considerable difficulty1 was enabled to land upon the rock for the first time this season1 at ten a4m4 ,upon examining the state of the building1 and apparatus in general1 he had the satisfaction to find everything in good order4 ,the mortar in all the joints was perfectly entire4 ,the building1 now thirty feet in height1 was thickly coated with fuci to the height of about fifteen feet1 calculating from the rock3 on the eastern side1 indeed1 the growth of seaweed was observable to the full height of thirty feet1 and even on the top or upper bed of the last-laid course1 especially towards the eastern side1 it had germinated1 so as to render walking upon it somewhat difficult4 ,the beacon-house was in a perfectly sound state1 and apparently just as it had been left in the month of ,november4 ,but the tides being neap1 the lower parts1 particularly where the beams rested on the rock1 could not now be seen4 ,the floor of the mortar gallery having been already laid down by ,mr4 ,watt and his men on a former visit1 was merely soaked with the sprays2 but the joisting-beams which supported it had1 in the course of the winter1 been covered with a fine downy conferva produced by the range of the sea4 ,they were also a good deal whitened with the mute of the cormorant and other sea-fowls1 which had roosted upon the beacon in winter4 ,upon ascending to the apartments1 it was found that the motion of the sea had thrown open the door of the cook-house3 this was only shut with a single latch1 that in case of shipwreck at the ,bell ,rock the mariner might find ready access to the shelter of this forlorn habitation1 where a supply of provisions was kept2 and being within two miles and a half of the floating light1 a signal could readily be observed1 when a boat might be sent to his relief as the weather permitted4 ,an arrangement for this purpose formed one of the instructions on board of the floating light1 but happily no instance occurred for putting it in practice4 ,the hearth or fireplace of the cook-house was built of brick in as secure a manner as possible1 to prevent accident from fire2 but some of the plaster-work had shaken loose1 from its damp state and the tremulous motion of the beacon in stormy weather4 ,the writer next ascended to the floor which was occupied by the cabins of himself and his assistants1 which were in tolerably good order1 having only a damp and musty smell4 ,the barrack for the artificers1 over all1 was next visited2 it had now a very dreary and deserted appearance when its former thronged state was recollected4 ,in some parts the water had come through the boarding1 and had discoloured the lining of green cloth1 but it was1 nevertheless1 in a good habitable condition4 ,while the seamen were employed in landing a stock of provisions1 a few of the artificers set to work with great eagerness to sweep and clean the several apartments4 ,the exterior of the beacon was1 in the meantime1 examined1 and found in perfect order4 ,the painting1 though it had a somewhat blanched appearance1 adhered firmly both on the sides and roof1 and only two or three panes of glass were broken in the cupola1 which had either been blown out by the force of the wind1 or perhaps broken by sea-fowl4 ,having on this occasion continued upon the building and beacon a considerable time after the tide had begun to flow1 the artificers were occupied in removing the forge from the top of the building1 to which the gangway or wooden bridge gave great facility2 and1 although it stretched or had a span of forty-two feet1 its construction was extremely simple1 while the road-way was perfectly firm and steady4 ,in returning from this visit to the rock every one was pretty well soused in spray before reaching the tender at two o'clock p4m41 where things awaited the landing party in as comfortable a way as such a situation would admit4 ,friday1 #aath ,may ,the wind was still easterly1 accompanied with rather a heavy swell of sea for the operations in hand4 ,a landing was1 however1 made this morning1 when the artificers were immediately employed in scraping the seaweed off the upper course of the building1 in order to apply the moulds of the first course of the staircase1 that the joggle-holes might be marked off in the upper course of the solid4 ,this was also necessary previously to the writer's fixing the position of the entrance door1 which was regulated chiefly by the appearance of the growth of the seaweed on the building1 indicating the direction of the heaviest seas1 on the opposite side of which the door was placed4 ,the landing-master's crew succeeded in towing into the creek on the western side of the rock the praam-boat with the balance-crane1 which had now been on board of the praam for five days4 ,the several pieces of this machine1 having been conveyed along the railways upon the waggons to a position immediately under the bridge1 were elevated to its level1 or thirty feet above the rock1 in the following manner4 ,a chain-tackle was suspended over a pulley from the cross-beam connecting the tops of the kingposts of the bridge1 which was worked by a winch-machine with wheel1 pinion1 and barrel1 round which last the chain was wound4 ,this apparatus was placed on the beacon side of the bridge1 at the distance of about twelve feet from the cross-beam and pulley in the middle of the bridge4 ,immediately under the cross-beam a hatch was formed in the roadway of the bridge1 measuring seven feet in length and five feet in breadth1 made to shut with folding boards like a double door1 through which stones and other articles were raised2 the folding doors were then let down1 and the stone or load was gently lowered upon a waggon which was wheeled on railway trucks towards the lighthouse4 ,in this manner the several castings of the balance-crane were got up to the top of the solid of the building4 ,the several apartments of the beacon-house having been cleaned out and supplied with bedding1 a sufficient stock of provisions was put into the store1 when ,peter ,fortune1 formerly noticed1 lighted his fire in the beacon for the first time this season4 ,sixteen artificers at the same time mounted to their barrack-room1 and all the foremen of the works also took possession of their cabin1 all heartily rejoiced at getting rid of the trouble of boating and the sickly motion of the tender4 ,saturday1 #abth ,may ,the wind was at ,e4,n4,e41 blowing so fresh1 and accompanied with so much sea1 that no stones could be landed to-day4 ,the people on the rock1 however1 were busily employed in screwing together the balance-crane1 cutting out the joggle-holes in the upper course1 and preparing all things for commencing the building operations4 ,sunday1 #acth ,may ,the weather still continues boisterous1 although the barometer has all the while stood at about #cj inches4 ,towards evening the wind blew so fresh at ,e4 by ,s4 that the boats both of the ,smeaton and tender were obliged to be hoisted in1 and it was feared that the ,smeaton would have to slip her moorings4 ,the people on the rock were seen busily employed1 and had the balance-crane apparently ready for use1 but no communication could be had with them to-day4 ,monday1 #adth ,may ,the wind continued to blow so fresh1 and the ,smeaton rode so heavily with her cargo1 that at noon a signal was made for her getting under weigh1 when she stood towards ,arbroath2 and on board of the tender we are still without any communication with the people on the rock1 where the sea was seen breaking over the top of the building in great sprays1 and raging with much agitation among the beams of the beacon4 ,thursday1 #agth ,may ,the wind1 in the course of the day1 had shifted from north to west2 the sea being also considerably less1 a boat landed on the rock at six p4m41 for the first time since the #aath1 with the provisions and water brought off by the ,patriot4 ,the inhabitants of the beacon were all well1 but tired above measure for want of employment1 as the balance-crane and apparatus was all in readiness4 ,under these circumstances they felt no less desirous of the return of good weather than those afloat1 who were continually tossed with the agitation of the sea4 ,the writer1 in particular1 felt himself almost as much fatigued and worn-out as he had been at any period since the commencement of the work4 ,the very backward state of the weather at so advanced a period of the season unavoidably created some alarm1 lest he should be overtaken with bad weather at a late period of the season1 with the building operations in an unfinished state4 ,these apprehensions were1 no doubt1 rather increased by the inconveniences of his situation afloat1 as the tender rolled and pitched excessively at times4 ,this being also his first off-set for the season1 every bone of his body felt sore with preserving a sitting posture while he endeavoured to pass away the time in reading2 as for writing1 it was wholly impracticable4 ,he had several times entertained thoughts of leaving the station for a few days and going into ,arbroath with the tender till the weather should improve2 but as the artificers had been landed on the rock he was averse to this at the commencement of the season1 knowing also that he would be equally uneasy in every situation till the first cargo was landed3 and he therefore resolved to continue at his post until this should be effected4 ,friday1 #ahth ,may ,the wind being now ,n4,w41 the sea was considerably run down1 and this morning at five o'clock the landing-master's crew1 thirteen in number1 left the tender2 and having now no detention with the landing of artificers1 they proceeded to unmoor the ,hedderwick praam-boat1 and towed her alongside of the ,smeaton3 and in the course of the day twenty-three blocks of stone1 three casks of pozzolano1 three of sand1 three of lime1 and one of ,roman cement1 together with three bundles of trenails and three of wedges1 were all landed on the rock and raised the top of the building by means of the tackle suspended from the cross-beam on the middle of the bridge4 ,the stones were then moved along the bridge on the waggon to the building within reach of the balance-crane1 with which they were laid in their respective places on the building4 ,the masons immediately thereafter proceeded to bore the trenail-holes into the course below1 and otherwise to complete the one in hand4 ,when the first stone was to be suspended by the balance-crane1 the bell on the beacon was rung1 and all the artificers and seamen were collected on the building4 ,three hearty cheers were given while it was lowered into its place1 and the steward served round a glass of rum1 when success was drunk to the further progress of the building4 ,sunday1 #bjth ,may ,the wind was southerly to-day1 but there was much less sea than yesterday1 and the landing-master's crew were enabled to discharge and land twenty-three pieces of stone and other articles for the work4 ,the artificers had completed the laying of the twenty-seventh or first course of the staircase this morning1 and in the evening they finished the boring1 trenailing1 wedging1 and grouting it with mortar4 ,at twelve o'clock noon the beacon-house bell was rung1 and all hands were collected on the top of the building1 where prayers were read for the first time on the lighthouse1 which forcibly struck every one1 and had1 upon the whole1 a very impressive effect4 ,from the hazardous situation of the beacon-house with regard to fire1 being composed wholly of timber1 there was no small risk from accident3 and on this account one of the most steady of the artificers was appointed to see that the fire of the cooking-house1 and the lights in general1 were carefully extinguished at stated hours4 ,monday1 #dth ,june ,this being the birthday of our much-revered ,sovereign ,king ,george ,,iii1 now in the fiftieth year of his reign1 the shipping of the ,lighthouse service were this morning decorated with colours according to the taste of their respective captains4 ,flags were also hoisted upon the beacon-house and balance-crane on the top of the building4 ,at twelve noon a salute was fired from the tender1 when the ,king's health was drunk1 with all the honours1 both on the rock and on board of the shipping4 ,tuesday1 #eth ,june ,as the lighthouse advanced in height1 the cubical contents of the stones were less1 but they had to be raised to a greater height2 and the walls1 being thinner1 were less commodious for the necessary machinery and the artificers employed1 which considerably retarded the work4 ,inconvenience was also occasionally experienced from the men dropping their coats1 hats1 mallets1 and other tools1 at high-water1 which were carried away by the tide2 and the danger to the people themselves was now greatly increased4 ,had any of them fallen from the beacon or building at high-water1 while the landing-master's crew were generally engaged with the craft at a distance1 it must have rendered the accident doubly painful to those on the rock1 who at this time had no boat1 and consequently no means of rendering immediate and prompt assistance4 ,in such cases it would have been too late to have got a boat by signal from the tender4 ,a small boat1 which could be lowered at pleasure1 was therefore suspended by a pair of davits projected from the cook-house1 the keel being about thirty feet from the rock4 ,this boat1 with its tackle was put under the charge of ,james ,glen1 of whose exertions on the beacon mention has already been made1 and who1 having in early life been a seaman1 was also very expert in the management of a boat4 ,a life-buoy was likewise suspended from the bridge1 to which a coil of line two hundred fathoms in length was attached1 which could be let out to a person falling into the water1 or to the people in the boat1 should they not be able to work her with the oars4 ,tuesday1 #gth ,june ,to-day twelve stones were landed on the rock1 being the remainder of the ,patriot's cargo2 and the artificers built the thirty-ninth course1 consisting of fourteen stones4 ,the ,bell ,rock works had now a very busy appearance1 as the lighthouse was daily getting more into form4 ,besides the artificers and their cook1 the writer and his servant were also lodged on the beacon1 counting in all twenty-nine2 and at low-water the landing-master's crew1 consisting of from twelve to fifteen seamen1 were employed in transporting the building materials1 working the landing apparatus on the rock1 and dragging the stone waggons along the railways4 ,friday1 #hth ,june ,in the course of this day the weather varied much4 ,in the morning it was calm1 in the middle part of the day there were light airs of wind from the south1 and in the evening fresh breezes from the east4 ,the barometer in the writer's cabin in the beacon-house oscillated from #cj inches to #cj4db1 and the weather was extremely pleasant4 ,this1 in any situation1 forms one of the chief comforts of life2 but1 as may easily be conceived1 it was doubly so to people stuck1 as it were1 upon a pinnacle in the middle of the ocean4 ,sunday1 #ajth ,june ,one of the praam-boats had been brought to the rock with eleven stones1 notwithstanding the perplexity which attended the getting of those formerly landed taken up to the building4 ,mr4 ,peter ,logan1 the foreman builder1 interposed1 and prevented this cargo from being delivered2 but the landing-master's crew were exceedingly averse to this arrangement1 from an idea that 8ill luck0 would in future attend the praam1 her cargo1 and those who navigated her1 from thus reversing her voyage4 ,it may be noticed that this was the first instance of a praam-boat having been sent from the ,bell ,rock with any part of her cargo on board1 and was considered so uncommon an occurrence that it became a topic of conversation among the seamen and artificers4 ,tuesday1 #abth ,june ,to-day the stones formerly sent from the rock were safely landed1 notwithstanding the augury of the seamen in consequence of their being sent away two days before4 ,thursday1 #adth ,june ,to-day twenty-seven stones and eleven joggle-pieces were landed1 part of which consisted of the forty-seventh course1 forming the storeroom floor4 ,the builders were at work this morning by four o'clock1 in the hopes of being able to accomplish the laying of the eighteen stones of this course4 ,but at eight o'clock in the evening they had still two to lay1 and as the stones of this course were very unwieldy1 being six feet in length1 they required much precaution and care both in lifting and laying them4 ,it was only on the writer's suggestion to ,mr4 ,logan that the artificers were induced to leave off1 as they had intended to complete this floor before going to bed4 ,the two remaining stones were1 however1 laid in their places without mortar when the bell on the beacon was rung1 and1 all hands being collected on the top of the building1 three hearty cheers were given on covering the first apartment4 ,the steward then served out a dram to each1 when the whole retired to their barrack much fatigued1 but with the anticipation of the most perfect repose even in the 8hurricane-house10 amidst the dashing seas on the ,bell ,rock4 ,while the workmen were at breakfast and dinner it was the writer's usual practice to spend his time on the walls of the building1 which1 notwithstanding the narrowness of the track1 nevertheless formed his principal walk when the rock was under water4 ,but this afternoon he had his writing-desk set upon the storeroom floor1 when he wrote to ,mrs4 ,stevenson--certainly the first letter dated from the ,bell ,rock ,lighthouse--giving a detail of the fortunate progress of the work with an assurance that the lighthouse would soon be completed at the rate at which it now proceeded2 and1 the ,patriot having sailed for ,arbroath in the evening1 he felt no small degree of pleasure in despatching this communication to his family4 ,the weather still continuing favourable for the operations at the rock1 the work proceeded with much energy1 through the exertions both of the seamen and artificers4 ,for the more speedy and effectual working of the several tackles in raising the materials as the building advanced in height1 and there being a great extent of railway to attend to1 which required constant repairs1 two additional millwrights were added to the complement on the rock1 which1 including the writer1 now counted thirty-one in all4 ,so crowded was the men's barrack that the beds were ranged five tier in height1 allowing only about one foot eight inches for each bed4 ,the artificers commenced this morning at five o'clock1 and1 in the course of the day1 they laid the forty-eighth and forty-ninth courses1 consisting each of sixteen blocks4 ,from the favourable state of the weather1 and the regular manner in which the work now proceeded1 the artificers had generally from four to seven extra hours' work1 which1 including their stated wages of #cs4 #d;d41 yielded them from #es4 #d;d4 to about #fs4 #aj;d4 per day besides their board2 even the postage of their letters was paid while they were at the ,bell ,rock4 ,in these advantages the foremen also shared1 having about double the pay and amount of premiums of the artificers4 ,the seamen being less out of their element in the ,bell ,rock operations than the landsmen1 their premiums consisted in a slump sum payable at the end of the season1 which extended from three to ten guineas4 ,as the laying of the floors was somewhat tedious1 the landing-master and his crew had got considerably beforehand with the building artificers in bringing materials faster to the rock than they could be built4 ,the seamen having1 therefore1 some spare time1 were occasionally employed during fine weather in dredging or grappling for the several mushroom anchors and mooring-chains which had been lost in the vicinity of the ,bell ,rock during the progress of the work by the breaking loose and drifting of the floating buoys4 ,to encourage their exertions in this search1 five guineas were offered as a premium for each set they should find2 and1 after much patient application1 they succeeded to-day in hooking one of these lost anchors with its chain4 ,it was a general remark at the ,bell ,rock1 as before noticed1 that fish were never plenty in its neighbourhood excepting in good weather4 ,indeed1 the seamen used to speculate about the state of the weather from their success in fishing4 ,when the fish disappeared at the rock1 it was considered a sure indication that a gale was not far off1 as the fish seemed to seek shelter in deeper water from the roughness of the sea during these changes in the weather4 ,at this time the rock1 at high-water1 was completely covered with podlies1 or the fry of the coal-fish1 about six or eight inches in length4 ,the artificers sometimes occupied half an hour after breakfast and dinner in catching these little fishes1 but were more frequently supplied from the boats of the tender4 ,saturday1 #afth ,june ,the landing-master having this day discharged the ,smeaton and loaded the ,hedderwick and ,dickie praam-boats with nineteen stones1 they were towed to their respective moorings1 when ,captain ,wilson1 in consequence of the heavy swell of sea1 came in his boat to the beacon-house to consult with the writer as to the propriety of venturing the loaded praam-boats with their cargoes to the rock while so much sea was running4 ,after some dubiety expressed on the subject1 in which the ardent mind of the landing-master suggested many arguments in favour of his being able to convey the praams in perfect safety1 it was acceded to4 ,in bad weather1 and especially on occasions of difficulty like the present1 ,mr4 ,wilson1 who was an extremely active seaman1 measuring about five feet three inches in height1 of a robust habit1 generally dressed himself in what he called a monkey jacket1 made of thick duffle cloth1 with a pair of ,dutchman's petticoat trousers1 reaching only to his knees1 where they were met with a pair of long water-tight boots2 with this dress1 his glazed hat1 and his small brass speaking trumpet in his hand1 he bade defiance to the weather4 ,when he made his appearance in this most suitable attire for the service his crew seemed to possess additional life1 never failing to use their utmost exertions when the captain put on his storm rigging4 ,they had this morning commenced loading the praam-boats at four o'clock1 and proceeded to tow them into the eastern landing-place1 which was accomplished with much dexterity1 though not without the risk of being thrown1 by the force of the sea1 on certain projecting ledges of the rock4 ,in such a case the loss even of a single stone would have greatly retarded the work4 ,for the greater safety in entering the creek it was necessary to put out several warps and guy-ropes to guide the boats into its narrow and intricate entrance2 and it frequently happened that the sea made a clean breach over the praams1 which not only washed their decks1 but completely drenched the crew in water4 ,sunday1 #agth ,june ,it was fortunate1 in the present state of the weather1 that the fiftieth course was in a sheltered spot1 within the reach of the tackle of the winch-machine upon the bridge2 a few stones were stowed upon the bridge itself1 and the remainder upon the building1 which kept the artificers at work4 ,the stowing of the materials upon the rock was the department of ,alexander ,brebner1 mason1 who spared no pains in attending to the safety of the stones1 and who1 in the present state of the work1 when the stones were landed faster than could be built1 generally worked till the water rose to his middle4 ,at one o'clock to-day the bell rung for prayers1 and all hands were collected into the upper barrack-room of the beacon-house1 when the usual service was performed4 ,the wind blew very hard in the course of last night from ,n4,e41 and to-day the sea ran so high that no boat could approach the rock4 ,during the dinner-hour1 when the writer was going to the top of the building as usual1 but just as he had entered the door and was about to ascend the ladder1 a great noise was heard overhead1 and in an instant he was soused in water from a sea which had most unexpectedly come over the walls1 though now about fifty-eight feet in height4 ,on making his retreat he found himself completely whitened by the lime1 which had mixed with the water while dashing down through the different floors2 and1 as nearly as he could guess1 a quantity equal to about a hogshead had come over the walls1 and now streamed out at the door4 ,after having shifted himself1 he again sat down in his cabin1 the sea continuing to run so high that the builders did not resume their operations on the walls this afternoon4 ,the incident just noticed did not create more surprise in the mind of the writer than the sublime appearance of the waves as they rolled majestically over the rock4 ,this scene he greatly enjoyed while sitting at his cabin window2 each wave approached the beacon like a vast scroll unfolding2 and in passing discharged a quantity of air1 which he not only distinctly felt1 but was even sufficient to lift the leaves of a book which lay before him4 ,these waves might be ten or twelve feet in height1 and about #bej feet in length1 their smaller end being towards the north1 where the water was deep1 and they were opened or cut through by the interposition of the building and beacon4 ,the gradual manner in which the sea1 upon these occasions1 is observed to become calm or to subside1 is a very remarkable feature of this phenomenon4 ,for example1 when a gale is succeeded by a calm1 every third or fourth wave forms one of these great seas1 which occur in spaces of from three to five minutes1 as noted by the writer's watch2 but in the course of the next tide they become less frequent1 and take off so as to occur only in ten or fifteen minutes2 and1 singular enough1 at the third tide after such gales1 the writer has remarked that only one or two of these great waves appear in the course of the whole tide4 ,tuesday1 #aith ,june ,the #aith was a very unpleasant and disagreeable day1 both for the seamen and artificers1 as it rained throughout with little intermission from four a4m4 till eleven p4m41 accompanied with thunder and lightning1 during which period the work nevertheless continued unremittingly1 and the builders laid the fifty-first and fifty-second courses4 ,this state of weather was no less severe upon the mortar-makers1 who required to temper or prepare the mortar of a thicker or thinner consistency1 in some measure1 according to the state of the weather4 ,from the elevated position of the building1 the mortar gallery on the beacon was now much lower1 and the lime-buckets were made to traverse upon a rope distended between it and the building4 ,on occasions like the present1 however1 there was often a difference of opinion between the builders and the mortar-makers4 ,john ,watt1 who had the principal charge of the mortar1 was a most active worker1 but1 being somewhat of an irascible temper1 the builders occasionally amused themselves at his expense2 for while he was eagerly at work with his large iron-shod pestle in the mortar-tub1 they often sent down contradictory orders1 some crying1 #8,make it a little stiffer1 or thicker1 ,john1' while others called out to make it #8thinner1' to which he generally returned very speedy and sharp replies1 so that these conversations at times were rather amusing4 ,during wet weather the situation of the artificers on the top of the building was extremely disagreeable2 for although their work did not require great exertion1 yet1 as each man had his particular part to perform1 either in working the crane or in laying the stones1 it required the closest application and attention1 not only on the part of ,mr4 ,peter ,logan1 the foreman1 who was constantly on the walls1 but also of the chief workmen4 ,robert ,selkirk1 the principal builder1 for example1 had every stone to lay in its place4 ,david ,cumming1 a mason1 had the charge of working the tackle of the balance-weight1 and ,james ,scott1 also a mason1 took charge of the purchase with which the stones were laid2 while the pointing the joints of the walls with cement was intrusted to ,william ,reid and ,william ,kennedy1 who stood upon a scaffold suspended over the walls in rather a frightful manner4 ,the least act of carelessness or inattention on the part of any of these men might have been fatal1 not only to themselves1 but also to the surrounding workmen1 especially if any accident had happened to the crane itself1 while the material damage or loss of a single stone would have put an entire stop to the operations until another could have been brought from ,arbroath4 ,the artificers1 having wrought seven and a half hours of extra time to-day1 had #cs4 #i;d4 of extra pay1 while the foremen had #gs4 #f;d4 over and above their stated pay and board4 ,although1 therefore1 the work was both hazardous and fatiguing1 yet1 the encouragement being considerable1 they were always very cheerful1 and perfectly reconciled to the confinement and other disadvantages of the place4 ,during fine weather1 and while the nights were short1 the duty on board of the floating light was literally nothing but a waiting on1 and therefore one of her boats1 with a crew of five men1 daily attended the rock1 but always returned to the vessel at night4 ,the carpenter1 however1 was one of those who was left on board of the ship1 as he also acted in the capacity of assistant lightkeeper1 being1 besides1 a person who was apt to feel discontent and to be averse to changing his quarters1 especially to work with the millwrights and joiners at the rock1 who often1 for hours together1 wrought knee-deep1 and not unfrequently up to the middle1 in water4 ,mr4 ,watt having about this time made a requisition for another hand1 the carpenter was ordered to attend the rock in the floating light's boat4 ,this he did with great reluctance1 and found so much fault that he soon got into discredit with his messmates4 ,on this occasion he left the ,lighthouse service1 and went as a sailor in a vessel bound for ,america--a step which1 it is believed1 he soon regretted1 as1 in the course of things1 he would1 in all probability1 have accompanied ,mr4 ,john ,reid1 the principal lightkeeper of the floating light1 to the ,bell ,rock ,lighthouse as his principal assistant4 ,the writer had a wish to be of service to this man1 as he was one of those who came off to the floating light in the month of ,september #ahjg1 while she was riding at single anchor after the severe gale of the #gth1 at a time when it was hardly possible to make up this vessel's crew2 but the crossness of his manner prevented his reaping the benefit of such intentions4 ,friday1 #bbnd ,june ,the building operations had for some time proceeded more slowly1 from the higher parts of the lighthouse requiring much longer time than an equal tonnage of the lower courses4 ,the duty of the landing-master's crew had1 upon the whole1 been easy of late2 for though the work was occasionally irregular1 yet the stones being lighter1 they were more speedily lifted from the hold of the stone vessel to the deck of the praam-boat1 and again to the waggons on the railway1 after which they came properly under the charge of the foreman builder4 ,it is1 however1 a strange1 though not an uncommon1 feature in the human character1 that1 when people have least to complain of1 they are most apt to become dissatisfied1 as was now the case with the seamen employed in the ,bell ,rock service about their rations of beer4 ,indeed1 ever since the carpenter of the floating light1 formerly noticed1 had been brought to the rock1 expressions of discontent had been manifested upon various occasions4 ,this being represented to the writer1 he sent for ,captain ,wilson1 the landing-master1 and ,mr4 ,taylor1 commander of the tender1 with whom he talked over the subject4 ,they stated that they considered the daily allowance of the seamen in every respect ample1 and that1 the work being now much lighter than formerly1 they had no just ground for complaint2 ,mr4 ,taylor adding that1 if those who now complained #8were even to be fed upon soft bread and turkeys1 they would not think themselves right4' ,at twelve noon the work of the landing-master's crew was completed for the day2 but at four o'clock1 while the rock was under water1 those on the beacon were surprised by the arrival of a boat from the tender without any signal having been made from the beacon4 ,it brought the following note to the writer from the landing-master's crew3-- #8,sir ,joseph ,banks ,tender4 #8,,sir1--,we are informed by our masters that our allowance is to be as before1 and it is not sufficient to serve us1 for we have been at work since four o'clock this morning1 and we have come on board to dinner1 and there is no beer for us before to-morrow morning1 to which a sufficient answer is required before we go from the beacon2 and we are1 ,sir1 your most obedient servants4' ,on reading this1 the writer returned a verbal message1 intimating that an answer would be sent on board of the tender1 at the same time ordering the boat instantly to quit the beacon4 ,he then addressed the following note to the landing-master3-- #8,beacon-house1 #bbnd ,june #ahaj1 ,five o'clock p4m4 #8,,sir1--,i have just now received a letter purporting to be from the landing-master's crew and seamen on board of the ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 though without either date or signature2 in answer to which ,i enclose a statement of the daily allowance of provisions for the seamen in this service1 which you will post up in the ship's galley1 and at seven o'clock this evening ,i will come on board to inquire into this unexpected and most unnecessary demand for an additional allowance of beer4 ,in the enclosed you will not find any alteration from the original statement1 fixed in the galley at the beginning of the season4 ,i have1 however1 judged this mode of giving your people an answer preferable to that of conversing with them on the beacon4 --,i am1 ,sir1 your most obedient servant1 ,,robert ,,stevenson4 #8,to ,,captain ,,wilson4' #8,beacon ,house1 #bbnd ,june #ahaj4--,schedule of the daily allowance of provisions to be served out on board of the ,sir ,joseph ,banks tender3 8#a lb4 beef2 #a lb4 bread2 #h oz4 oatmeal2 #b oz4 barley2 #b oz4 butter2 #c quarts beer2 vegetables and salt no stated allowance4 ,when the seamen are employed in unloading the ,smeaton and ,patriot1 a draught of beer is1 as formerly1 to be allowed from the stock of these vessels4 ,further1 in wet and stormy weather1 or when the work commences very early in the morning1 or continues till a late hour at night1 a glass of spirits will also be served out to the crew as heretofore1 on the requisition of the landing-master40 ,,robert ,,stevenson4' ,on writing this letter and schedule1 a signal was made on the beacon for the landing-master's boat1 which immediately came to the rock1 and the schedule was afterwards stuck up in the tender's galley4 ,when sufficient time had been allowed to the crew to consider of their conduct1 a second signal was made for a boat1 and at seven o'clock the writer left the ,bell ,rock1 after a residence of four successive weeks in the beacon-house4 ,the first thing which occupied his attention on board of the tender was to look round upon the lighthouse1 which he saw1 with some degree of emotion and surprise1 now vying in height with the beacon-house2 for although he had often viewed it from the extremity of the western railway on the rock1 yet the scene1 upon the whole1 seemed far more interesting from the tender's moorings at the distance of about half a mile4 ,the ,smeaton having just arrived at her moorings with a cargo1 a signal was made for ,captain ,pool to come on board of the tender1 that he might be at hand to remove from the service any of those who might persist in their discontented conduct4 ,one of the two principal leaders in this affair1 the master of one of the praam-boats1 who had also steered the boat which brought the letter to the beacon1 was first called upon deck1 and asked if he had read the statement fixed up in the galley this afternoon1 and whether he was satisfied with it4 ,he replied that he had read the paper1 but was not satisfied1 as it held out no alteration in the allowance1 on which he was immediately ordered into the ,smeaton's boat4 ,the next man called had but lately entered the service1 and1 being also interrogated as to his resolution1 he declared himself to be of the same mind with the praam-master1 and was also forthwith ordered into the boat4 ,the writer1 without calling any more of the seamen1 went forward to the gangway1 where they were collected and listening to what was passing upon deck4 ,he addressed them at the hatchway1 and stated that two of their companions had just been dismissed the service and sent on board of the ,smeaton to be conveyed to ,arbroath4 ,he therefore wished each man to consider for himself how far it would be proper1 by any unreasonableness of conduct1 to place themselves in a similar situation1 especially as they were aware that it was optional in him either to dismiss them or send them on board a man-of-war4 ,it might appear that much inconveniency would be felt at the rock by a change of hands at this critical period1 by checking for a time the progress of a building so intimately connected with the best interests of navigation2 yet this would be but of a temporary nature1 while the injury to themselves might be irreparable4 ,it was now therefore1 required of any man who1 in this disgraceful manner1 chose to leave the service1 that he should instantly make his appearance on deck while the ,smeaton's boat was alongside4 ,but those below having expressed themselves satisfied with their situation-viz41 ,william ,brown1 ,george ,gibb1 ,alexander ,scott1 ,john ,dick1 ,robert ,couper1 ,alexander ,shephard1 ,james ,grieve1 ,david ,carey1 ,william ,pearson1 ,stuart ,eaton1 ,alexander ,lawrence1 and ,john ,spink--were accordingly considered as having returned to their duty4 ,this disposition to mutiny1 which had so strongly manifested itself1 being now happily suppressed1 ,captain ,pool got orders to proceed for ,arbroath ,bay1 and land the two men he had on board1 and to deliver the following letter at the office of the workyard3-- #8,on board of the ,tender off the ,bell ,rock1 #bbnd ,june #ahaj1 eight o'clock p4m4 #8,,dear ,,sir1--,a discontented and mutinous spirit having manifested itself of late among the landing-master's crew1 they struck work to-day and demanded an additional allowance of beer1 and ,i have found it necessary to dismiss ,d---d and ,m---e1 who are now sent on shore with the ,smeaton4 ,you will therefore be so good as to pay them their wages1 including this day only4 ,nothing can be more unreasonable than the conduct of the seamen on this occasion1 as the landing-master's crew not only had their allowance on board of the tender1 but1 in the course of this day1 they had drawn no fewer than twenty-four quart pots of beer from the stock of the ,patriot while unloading her4 --,i remain1 yours truly1 ,,robert ,,stevenson4 #8,to ,mr4 ,,lachlan ,,kennedy1 ,bell ,rock ,office1 ,arbroath4' ,on despatching this letter to ,mr4 ,kennedy1 the writer returned to the beacon about nine o'clock1 where this afternoon's business had produced many conjectures1 especially when the ,smeaton got under weigh1 instead of proceeding to land her cargo4 ,the bell on the beacon being rung1 the artificers were assembled on the bridge1 when the affair was explained to them4 ,he1 at the same time1 congratulated them upon the first appearance of mutiny being happily set at rest by the dismissal of its two principal abettors4 ,sunday1 #bdth ,june ,at the rock the landing of the materials and the building operations of the light-room store went on successfully1 and in a way similar to those of the provision store4 ,to-day it blew fresh breezes2 but the seamen nevertheless landed twenty-eight stones1 and the artificers built the fifty-eighth and fifty-ninth courses4 ,the works were visited by ,mr4 ,murdoch1 junior1 from ,messrs4 ,boulton and ,watt's works of ,soho4 ,he landed just as the bell rung for prayers1 after which the writer enjoyed much pleasure from his very intelligent conversation2 and1 having been almost the only stranger he had seen for some weeks1 he parted with him1 after a short interview1 with much regret4 ,thursday1 #bhth ,june ,last night the wind had shifted to north-east1 and1 blowing fresh1 was accompanied with a heavy surf upon the rock4 ,towards high-water it had a very grand and wonderful appearance4 ,waves of considerable magnitude rose as high as the solid or level of the entrance-door1 which1 being open to the south-west1 was fortunately to the leeward2 but on the windward side the sprays flew like lightning up the sloping sides of the building2 and although the walls were now elevated sixty-four feet above the rock1 and about fifty-two feet from high-water mark1 yet the artificers were nevertheless wetted1 and occasionally interrupted1 in their operations on the top of the walls4 ,these appearances were1 in a great measure1 new at the ,bell ,rock1 there having till of late been no building to conduct the seas1 or object to compare with them4 ,although1 from the description of the ,eddystone ,lighthouse1 the mind was prepared for such effects1 yet they were not expected to the present extent in the summer season2 the sea being most awful to-day1 whether observed from the beacon or the building4 ,to windward1 the sprays fell from the height above noticed in the most wonderful cascades1 and streamed down the walls of the building in froth as white as snow4 ,to leeward of the lighthouse the collision or meeting of the waves produced a pure white kind of drift2 it rose about thirty feet in height1 like a fine downy mist1 which1 in its fall1 fell upon the face and hands more like a dry powder than a liquid substance4 ,the effect of these seas1 as they raged among the beams and dashed upon the higher parts of the beacon1 produced a temporary tremulous motion throughout the whole fabric1 which to a stranger must have been frightful4 ,sunday1 #ast ,july ,the writer had now been at the ,bell ,rock since the latter end of ,may1 or about six weeks1 during four of which he had been a constant inhabitant of the beacon without having been once off the rock4 ,after witnessing the laying of the sixty-seventh or second course of the bedroom apartment1 he left the rock with the tender and went ashore1 as some arrangements were to be made for the future conduct of the works at ,arbroath1 which were soon to be brought to a close2 the landing-master's crew having1 in the meantime1 shifted on board of the ,patriot4 ,in leaving the rock1 the writer kept his eyes fixed upon the lighthouse1 which had recently got into the form of a house1 having several tiers or stories of windows4 ,nor was he unmindful of his habitation in the beacon--now far overtopped by the masonry1--where he had spent several weeks in a kind of active retirement1 making practical experiment of the fewness of the positive wants of man4 ,his cabin measured not more than four feet three inches in breadth on the floor2 and though1 from the oblique direction of the beams of the beacon1 it widened towards the top1 yet it did not admit of the full extension of his arms when he stood on the floor2 while its length was little more than sufficient for suspending a cot-bed during the night1 calculated for being triced up to the roof through the day1 which left free room for the admission of occasional visitants4 ,his folding table was attached with hinges1 immediately under the small window of the apartment1 and his books1 barometer1 thermometer1 portmanteau1 and two or three camp-stools1 formed the bulk of his movables4 ,his diet being plain1 the paraphernalia of the table were proportionally simple2 though everything had the appearance of comfort1 and even of neatness1 the walls being covered with green cloth formed into panels with red tape1 and his bed festooned with curtains of yellow cotton-stuff4 ,if1 in speculating upon the abstract wants of man in such a state of exclusion1 one were reduced to a single book1 the ,sacred ,volume--whether considered for the striking diversity of its story1 the morality of its doctrine1 or the important truths of its gospel--would have proved by far the greatest treasure4 ,monday1 #bnd ,july ,in walking over the workyard at ,arbroath this morning1 the writer found that the stones of the course immediately under the cornice were all in hand1 and that a week's work would now finish the whole1 while the intermediate courses lay ready numbered and marked for shipping to the rock4 ,among other subjects which had occupied his attention to-day was a visit from some of the relations of ,george ,dall1 a young man who had been impressed near ,dundee in the month of ,february last2 a dispute had arisen between the magistrates of that burgh and the ,regulating ,officer as to his right of impressing ,dall1 who was bon fide one of the protected seamen in the ,bell ,rock service4 ,in the meantime1 the poor lad was detained1 and ultimately committed to the prison of ,dundee1 to remain until the question should be tried before the ,court of ,session4 ,his friends were naturally very desirous to have him relieved upon bail4 ,but1 as this was only to be done by the judgment of the ,court1 all that could be said was that his pay and allowances should be continued in the same manner as if he had been upon the sick-list4 ,the circumstances of ,dall's case were briefly these3--,he had gone to see some of his friends in the neighbourhood of ,dundee1 in winter1 while the works were suspended1 having got leave of absence from ,mr4 ,taylor1 who commanded the ,bell ,rock tender1 and had in his possession one of the ,protection ,medals4 ,unfortunately1 however1 for ,dall1 the ,regulating ,officer thought proper to disregard these documents1 as1 according to the strict and literal interpretation of the ,admiralty regulations1 a seaman does not stand protected unless he is actually on board of his ship1 or in a boat belonging to her1 or has the ,admiralty protection in his possession4 ,this order of the ,board1 however1 cannot be rigidly followed in practice2 and therefore1 when the matter is satisfactorily stated to the ,regulating ,officer1 the impressed man is generally liberated4 ,but in ,dall's case this was peremptorily refused1 and he was retained at the instance of the magistrates4 ,the writer having brought the matter under the consideration of the ,commissioners of the ,northern ,lighthouses1 they authorised it to be tried on the part of the ,lighthouse ,board1 as one of extreme hardship4 ,the ,court1 upon the first hearing1 ordered ,dall to be liberated from prison2 and the proceedings never went further4 ,wednesday1 #dth ,july ,being now within twelve courses of being ready for building the cornice1 measures were taken for getting the stones of it and the parapet-wall of the light-room brought from ,edinburgh1 where1 as before noticed1 they had been prepared and were in readiness for shipping4 ,the honour of conveying the upper part of the lighthouse1 and of landing the last stone of the building on the rock1 was considered to belong to ,captain ,pool of the ,smeaton1 who had been longer in the service than the master of the ,patriot4 ,the ,smeaton was1 therefore1 now partly loaded with old iron1 consisting of broken railways and other lumber which had been lying about the rock4 ,after landing these at ,arbroath1 she took on board ,james ,craw1 with his horse and cart1 which could now be spared at the workyard1 to be employed in carting the stones from ,edinburgh to ,leith4 ,alexander ,davidson and ,william ,kennedy1 two careful masons1 were also sent to take charge of the loading of the stones at ,greenside1 and stowing them on board of the vessel at ,leith4 ,the writer also went on board1 with a view to call at the ,bell ,rock and to take his passage up the ,firth of ,forth4 ,the wind1 however1 coming to blow very fresh from the eastward1 with thick and foggy weather1 it became necessary to reef the mainsail and set the second jib4 ,when in the act of making a tack towards the tender1 the sailors who worked the head-sheets were1 all of a sudden1 alarmed with the sound of the smith's hammer and anvil on the beacon1 and had just time to put the ship about to save her from running ashore on the northwestern point of the rock1 marked #8,james ,craw's ,horse4' ,on looking towards the direction from whence the sound came1 the building and beacon-house were seen1 with consternation1 while the ship was hailed by those on the rock1 who were no less confounded at seeing the near approach of the ,smeaton2 and1 just as the vessel cleared the danger1 the smith and those in the mortar gallery made signs in token of their happiness at our fortunate escape4 ,from this occurrence the writer had an experimental proof of the utility of the large bells which were in preparation to be rung by the machinery of the revolving light2 for1 had it not been the sound of the smith's anvil1 the ,smeaton1 in all probability1 would have been wrecked upon the rock4 ,in case the vessel had struck1 those on board might have been safe1 having now the beacon-house1 as a place of refuge2 but the vessel1 which was going at a great velocity1 must have suffered severely1 and it was more than probable that the horse would have been drowned1 there being no means of getting him out of the vessel4 ,of this valuable animal and his master we shall take an opportunity of saying more in another place4 ,thursday1 #eth ,july ,the weather cleared up in the course of the night1 but the wind shifted to the ,n4,e4 and blew very fresh4 ,from the force of the wind1 being now the period of spring-tides1 a very heavy swell was experienced at the rock4 ,at two o'clock on the following morning the people on the beacon were in a state of great alarm about their safety1 as the sea had broke up part of the floor of the mortar gallery61 which was thus cleared of the lime-casks and other buoyant articles2 and1 the alarm-bell being rung1 all hands were called to render what assistance was in their power for the safety of themselves and the materials4 ,at this time some would willingly have left the beacon and gone into the building3 the sea1 however1 ran so high that there was no passage along the bridge of communication1 and1 when the interior of the lighthouse came to be examined in the morning1 it appeared that great quantities of water had come over the walls--now eighty feet in height--and had run down through the several apartments and out at the entrance door4 ,the upper course of the lighthouse at the workyard of ,arbroath was completed on the #fth1 and the whole of the stones were1 therefore1 now ready for being shipped to the rock4 ,from the present state of the works it was impossible that the two squads of artificers at ,arbroath and the ,bell ,rock could meet together at this period2 and as in public works of this kind1 which had continued for a series of years1 it is not customary to allow the men to separate without what is termed a 8finishing-pint10 five guineas were for this purpose placed at the disposal of ,mr4 ,david ,logan1 clerk of works4 ,with this sum the stone-cutters at ,arbroath had a merry meeting in their barrack1 collected their sweethearts and friends1 and concluded their labours with a dance4 ,it was remarked1 however1 that their happiness on this occasion was not without alloy4 ,the consideration of parting and leaving a steady and regular employment1 to go in quest of work and mix with other society1 after having been harmoniously lodged for years together in one large 8guildhall or barrack10 was rather painful4 ,friday1 #fth ,july ,while the writer was at ,edinburgh he was fortunate enough to meet with ,mrs4 ,dickson1 only daughter of the late celebrated ,mr4 ,smeaton1 whose works at the ,eddystone ,lighthouse had been of such essential consequence to the operations at the ,bell ,rock4 ,even her own elegant accomplishments are identified with her father's work1 she having herself made the drawing of the vignette on the title-page of the ,narrative of the ,eddystone ,lighthouse4 ,every admirer of the works of that singularly eminent man must also feel an obligation to her for the very comprehensive and distinct account given of his life1 which is attached to his reports1 published1 in three volumes quarto1 by the ,society of ,civil ,engineers4 ,mrs4 ,dickson1 being at this time returning from a tour to the ,hebrides and ,western ,highlands of ,scotland1 had heard of the ,bell ,rock works1 and from their similarity to those of the ,eddystone was strongly impressed with a desire of visiting the spot4 ,but on inquiring for the writer at ,edinburgh1 and finding from him that the upper part of the lighthouse1 consisting of nine courses1 might be seen in the immediate vicinity1 and also that one of the vessels which1 in compliment to her father's memory1 had been named the ,smeaton1 might also now be seen in ,leith1 she considered herself extremely fortunate2 and having first visited the works at ,greenside1 she afterwards went to ,leith to see the ,smeaton1 then loading for the ,bell ,rock4 ,on stepping on board1 ,mrs4 ,dickson seemed to be quite overcome with so many concurrent circumstances1 tending in a peculiar manner to revive and enliven the memory of her departed father1 and1 on leaving the vessel1 she would not be restrained from presenting the crew with a piece of money4 ,the ,smeaton had been named spontaneously1 from a sense of the obligation which a public work of the description of the ,bell ,rock owed to the labours and abilities of ,mr4 ,smeaton4 ,the writer certainly never could have anticipated the satisfaction which he this day felt in witnessing the pleasure it afforded to the only representative of this great man's family4 ,friday1 #bjth ,july ,the gale from the ,n4,e4 still continued so strong1 accompanied with a heavy sea1 that the ,patriot could not approach her moorings2 and although the tender still kept her station1 no landing was made to-day at the rock4 ,at high-water it was remarked that the spray rose to the height of about sixty feet upon the building4 ,the ,smeaton now lay in ,leith loaded1 but1 the wind and weather being so unfavourable for her getting down the ,firth1 she did not sail till this afternoon4 ,it may be here proper to notice that the loading of the centre of the light-room floor1 or last principal stone of the building1 did not fail1 when put on board1 to excite an interest among those connected with the work4 ,when the stone was laid upon the cart to be conveyed to ,leith1 the seamen fixed an ensign-staff and flag into the circular hole in the centre of the stone1 and decorated their own hats1 and that of ,james ,craw1 the ,bell ,rock carter1 with ribbons2 even his faithful and trusty horse ,brassey was ornamented with bows and streamers of various colours4 ,the masons also provided themselves with new aprons1 and in this manner the cart was attended in its progress to the ship4 ,when the cart came opposite the ,trinity ,house of ,leith1 the officer of that corporation made his appearance dressed in his uniform1 with his staff of office2 and when it reached the harbour1 the shipping in the different tiers where the ,smeaton lay hoisted their colours1 manifesting by these trifling ceremonies the interest with which the progress of this work was regarded by the public1 as ultimately tending to afford safety and protection to the mariner4 ,the wind had fortunately shifted to the ,s4,w41 and about five o'clock this afternoon the ,smeaton reached the ,bell ,rock4 ,friday1 #bgth ,july ,the artificers had finished the laying of the balcony course1 excepting the centre-stone of the light-room floor1 which1 like the centres of the other floors1 could not be laid in its place till after the removal of the foot and shaft of the balance-crane4 ,during the dinner-hour1 when the men were off work the writer generally took some exercise by walking round the walls when the rock was under water2 but to-day his boundary was greatly enlarged1 for1 instead of the narrow wall as a path1 he felt no small degree of pleasure in walking round the balcony and passing out and in at the space allotted for the light-room door4 ,in the labours of this day both the artificers and seamen felt their work to be extremely easy compared with what it had been for some days past4 ,sunday1 #bith ,july ,captain ,wilson and his crew had made preparations for landing the last stone1 and1 as may well be supposed1 this was a day of great interest at the ,bell ,rock4 #8,that it might lose none of its honours1' as he expressed himself1 the ,hedderwick praam-boat1 with which the first stone of the building had been landed1 was appointed also to carry the last4 ,at seven o'clock this evening the seamen hoisted three flags upon the ,hedderwick1 when the colours of the ,dickie praam-boat1 tender1 ,smeaton1 floating light1 beacon-house1 and lighthouse were also displayed2 and1 the weather being remarkably fine1 the whole presented a very gay appearance1 and1 in connection with the associations excited1 the effect was very pleasing4 ,the praam which carried the stone was towed by the seamen in gallant style to the rock1 and1 on its arrival1 cheers were given as a finale to the landing department4 ,monday1 #cjth ,july ,the ninetieth or last course of the building having been laid to-day1 which brought the masonry to the height of one hundred and two feet six inches1 the lintel of the light-room door1 being the finishing-stone of the exterior walls1 was laid with due formality by the writer1 who1 at the same time1 pronounced the following benediction3 8,may the ,great ,architect of the ,universe1 under whose blessing this perilous work has prospered1 preserve it as a guide to the mariner40 ,friday1 #crd ,aug4 ,at three p4m41 the necessary preparations having been made1 the artificers commenced the completing of the floors of the several apartments1 and at seven o'clock the centre-stone of the light-room floor was laid1 which may be held as finishing the masonry of this important national edifice4 ,after going through the usual ceremonies observed by the brotherhood on occasions of this kind1 the writer1 addressing himself to the artificers and seamen who were present1 briefly alluded to the utility of the undertaking as a monument of the wealth of ,british commerce1 erected through the spirited measures of the ,commissioners of the ,northern ,lighthouses by means of the able assistance of those who now surrounded him4 ,he then took an opportunity of stating that toward those connected with this arduous work he would ever retain the most heartfelt regard in all their interests4 ,saturday1 #dth ,aug4 ,when the bell was rung as usual on the beacon this morning1 every one seemed as if he were at a loss what to make of himself4 ,at this period the artificers at the rock consisted of eighteen masons1 two joiners1 one millwright1 one smith1 and one mortar-maker1 besides ,messrs4 ,peter ,logan and ,francis ,watt1 foremen1 counting in all twenty-five2 and matters were arranged for proceeding to ,arbroath this afternoon with all hands4 ,the ,sir ,joseph ,banks tender had by this time been afloat1 with little intermission1 for six months1 during greater part of which the artificers had been almost constantly off at the rock1 and were now much in want of necessaries of almost every description4 ,not a few had lost different articles of clothing1 which had dropped into the sea from the beacon and building4 ,some wanted jackets2 others1 from want of hats1 wore nightcaps2 each was1 in fact1 more or less curtailed in his wardrobe1 and it must be confessed that at best the party were but in a very tattered condition4 ,this morning was occupied in removing the artificers and their bedding on board of the tender2 and although their personal luggage was easily shifted1 the boats had1 nevertheless1 many articles to remove from the beacon-house1 and were consequently employed in this service till eleven a4m4 ,all hands being collected and just ready to embark1 as the water had nearly overflowed the rock1 the writer1 in taking leave1 after alluding to the harmony which had ever marked the conduct of those employed on the ,bell ,rock1 took occasion to compliment the great zeal1 attention1 and abilities of ,mr4 ,peter ,logan and ,mr4 ,francis ,watt1 foremen2 ,captain ,james ,wilson1 landing-master2 and ,captain ,david ,taylor1 commander of the tender1 who1 in their several departments1 had so faithfully discharged the duties assigned to them1 often under circumstances the most difficult and trying4 ,the health of these gentlemen was drunk with much warmth of feeling by the artificers and seamen1 who severally expressed the satisfaction they had experienced in acting under them2 after which the whole party left the rock4 ,in sailing past the floating light mutual compliments were made by a display of flags between that vessel and the tender2 and at five p4m4 the latter vessel entered the harbour of ,arbroath1 where the party were heartily welcomed by a numerous company of spectators1 who had collected to see the artificers arrive after so long an absence from the port4 ,in the evening the writer invited the foremen and captains of the service1 together with ,mr4 ,david ,logan1 clerk of works at ,arbroath1 and ,mr4 ,lachlan ,kennedy1 engineer's clerk and book-keeper1 and some of their friends1 to the principal inn1 where the evening was spent very happily2 and after #8,his ,majesty's ,health' and #8,the ,commissioners of the ,northern ,lighthouses' had been given1 #8,stability to the ,bell ,rock ,lighthouse' was hailed as a standing toast in the ,lighthouse service4 ,sunday1 #eth ,aug4 ,the author has formerly noticed the uniformly decent and orderly deportment of the artificers who were employed at the ,bell ,rock ,lighthouse1 and to-day1 it is believed1 they very generally attended church1 no doubt with grateful hearts for the narrow escapes from personal danger which all of them had more or less experienced during their residence at the rock4 ,tuesday1 #adth ,aug4 ,the ,smeaton sailed to-day at one p4m41 having on board sixteen artificers1 with ,mr4 ,peter ,logan1 together with a supply of provisions and necessaries1 who left the harbour pleased and happy to find themselves once more afloat in the ,bell ,rock service4 ,at seven o'clock the tender was made fast to her moorings1 when the artificers landed on the rock and took possession of their old quarters in the beacon-house1 with feelings very different from those of #ahjg1 when the works commenced4 ,the barometer for some days past had been falling from #bi4ij1 and to-day it was #bi4ej1 with the wind at ,n4,e41 which1 in the course of this day1 increased to a strong gale accompanied with a sea which broke with great violence upon the rock4 ,at twelve noon the tender rode very heavily at her moorings1 when her chain broke at about ten fathoms from the ships bows4 ,the kedge-anchor was immediately let go1 to hold her till the floating buoy and broken chain should be got on board4 ,but while this was in operation the hawser of the kedge was chafed through on the rocky bottom and parted1 when the vessel was again adrift4 ,most fortunately1 however1 she cast off with her head from the rock1 and narrowly cleared it1 when she sailed up the ,firth of ,forth to wait the return of better weather4 ,the artificers were thus left upon the rock with so heavy a sea running that it was ascertained to have risen to a height of eighty feet on the building4 ,under such perilous circumstances it would be difficult to describe the feelings of those who1 at this time1 were cooped up in the beacon in so forlorn a situation1 with the sea not only raging under them1 but occasionally falling from a great height upon the roof of their temporary lodging1 without even the attending vessel in view to afford the least gleam of hope in the event of any accident4 ,it is true that they now had the masonry of the lighthouse to resort to1 which1 no doubt1 lessened the actual danger of their situation2 but the building was still without a roof1 and the deadlights1 or storm-shutters1 not being yet fitted1 the windows of the lower story were stove in and broken1 and at high-water the sea ran in considerable quantities out at the entrance door4 ,thursday1 #afth ,aug4 ,the gale continues with unabated violence to-day1 and the sprays rise to a still greater height1 having been carried over the masonry of the building1 or about ninety feet above the level of the sea4 ,at four o'clock this morning it was breaking into the cook's berth1 when he rang the alarm-bell1 and all hands turned out to attend to their personal safety4 ,the floor of the smith's1 or mortar gallery1 was now completely burst up by the force of the sea1 when the whole of the deals and the remaining articles upon the floor were swept away1 such as the cast-iron mortar-tubs1 the iron hearth of the forge1 the smith's bellows1 and even his anvil were thrown down upon the rock4 ,before the tide rose to its full height to-day some of the artificers passed along the bridge into the lighthouse1 to observe the effects of the sea upon it1 and they reported that they had felt a slight tremulous motion in the building when great seas struck it in a certain direction1 about high-water mark4 ,on this occasion the sprays were again observed to wet the balcony1 and even to come over the parapet wall into the interior of the light-room4 ,thursday1 #bcrd ,aug4 ,the wind being at ,w4,s4,w41 and the weather more moderate1 both the tender and the ,smeaton got to their moorings on the #bcrd1 when all hands were employed in transporting the sash-frames from on board of the ,smeaton to the rock4 ,in the act of setting up one of these frames upon the bridge1 it was unguardedly suffered to lose its balance1 and in saving it from damage ,captain ,wilson met with a severe bruise in the groin1 on the seat of a gun-shot wound received in the early part of his life4 ,this accident laid him aside for several days4 ,monday1 #bgth ,aug4 ,the sash-frames of the light-room1 eight in number1 and weighing each #bed pounds1 having been got safely up to the top of the building1 were ranged on the balcony in the order in which they were numbered for their places on the top of the parapet-wall2 and the balance-crane1 that useful machine having now lifted all the heavier articles1 was unscrewed and lowered1 to use the landing-master's phrase1 #8in mournful silence4' ,sunday1 #bnd ,sept4 ,the steps of the stair being landed1 and all the weightier articles of the light-room got up to the balcony1 the wooden bridge was now to be removed1 as it had a very powerful effect upon the beacon when a heavy sea struck it1 and could not possibly have withstood the storms of a winter4 ,everything having been cleared from the bridge1 and nothing left but the two principal beams with their horizontal braces1 ,james ,glen1 at high-water1 proceeded with a saw to cut through the beams at the end next the beacon1 which likewise disengaged their opposite extremity1 inserted a few inches into the building4 ,the frame was then gently lowered into the water1 and floated off to the ,smeaton to be towed to ,arbroath1 to be applied as part of the materials in the erection of the lightkeepers' houses4 ,after the removal of the bridge1 the aspect of things at the rock was much altered4 ,the beacon-house and building had both a naked look to those accustomed to their former appearance2 a curious optical deception was also remarked1 by which the lighthouse seemed to incline from the perpendicular towards the beacon4 ,the horizontal rope-ladder before noticed was again stretched to preserve the communication1 and the artificers were once more obliged to practise the awkward and straddling manner of their passage between them during #ahji4 ,at twelve noon the bell rung for prayers1 after which the artificers went to dinner1 when the writer passed along the rope-ladder to the lighthouse1 and went through the several apartments1 which were now cleared of lumber4 ,in the afternoon all hands were summoned to the interior of the house1 when he had the satisfaction of laying the upper step of the stair1 or last stone of the building4 ,this ceremony concluded with three cheers1 the sound of which had a very loud and strange effect within the walls of the lighthouse4 ,at six o'clock ,mr4 ,peter ,logan and eleven of the artificers embarked with the writer for ,arbroath1 leaving ,mr4 ,james ,glen with the special charge of the beacon and railways1 ,mr4 ,robert ,selkirk with the building1 with a few artificers to fit the temporary windows to render the house habitable4 ,sunday1 #adth ,oct4 ,on returning from his voyage to the ,northern ,lighthouses1 the writer landed at the ,bell ,rock on ,sunday1 the #adth of ,october1 and had the pleasure to find1 from the very favourable state of the weather1 that the artificers had been enabled to make great progress with the fitting-up of the light-room4 ,friday1 #aith ,oct4 ,the light-room work had proceeded1 as usual1 to-day under the direction of ,mr4 ,dove1 assisted in the plumber-work by ,mr4 ,john ,gibson1 and in the brazier-work by ,mr4 ,joseph ,fraser2 while ,mr4 ,james ,slight1 with the joiners1 were fitting up the storm-shuttters of the windows4 ,in these several departments the artificers were at work till seven o'clock p4m41 and it being then dark1 ,mr4 ,dove gave orders to drop work in the light-room2 and all hands proceeded from thence to the beacon-house1 when ,charles ,henderson1 smith1 and ,henry ,dickson1 brazier1 left the work together4 ,being both young men1 who had been for several weeks upon the rock1 they had become familiar1 and even playful1 on the most difficult parts about the beacon and building4 ,this evening they were trying to outrun each other in descending from the light-room1 when ,henderson led the way2 but they were in conversation with each other till they came to the rope-ladder distended between the entrance-door of the lighthouse and the beacon4 ,dickson1 on reaching the cook-room1 was surprised at not seeing his companion1 and inquired hastily for ,henderson4 ,upon which the cook replied1 #8,was he before you upon the rope-ladder8' ,dickson answered1 #8,yes2 and ,i thought ,i heard something fall4' ,upon this the alarm was given1 and links were immediately lighted1 with which the artificers descended on the legs of the beacon1 as near the surface of the water as possible1 it being then about full tide1 and the sea breaking to a considerable height upon the building1 with the wind at ,s4,s4,e4 ,but1 after watching till low-water1 and searching in every direction upon the rock1 it appeared that poor ,henderson must have unfortunately fallen through the rope-ladder1 and been washed into the deep water4 ,the deceased had passed along this rope-ladder many hundred times1 both by day and night1 and the operations in which he was employed being nearly finished1 he was about to leave the rock when this melancholy catastrophe took place4 ,the unfortunate loss of ,henderson cast a deep gloom upon the minds of all who were at the rock1 and it required some management on the part of those who had charge to induce the people to remain patiently at their work2 as the weather now became more boisterous1 and the nights long1 they found their habitation extremely cheerless1 while the winds were howling about their ears1 and the waves lashing with fury against the beams of their insulated habitation4 ,tuesday1 #bcrd ,oct4 ,the wind had shifted in the night to ,n4,w41 and blew a fresh gale1 while the sea broke with violence upon the rock4 ,it was found impossible to land1 but the writer1 from the boat1 hailed ,mr4 ,dove1 and directed the ball to be immediately fixed4 ,the necessary preparations were accordingly made1 while the vessel made short tacks on the southern side of the rock1 in comparatively smooth water4 ,at noon ,mr4 ,dove1 assisted by ,mr4 ,james ,slight1 ,mr4 ,robert ,selkirk1 ,mr4 ,james ,glen1 and ,mr4 ,john ,gibson1 plumber1 with considerable difficulty1 from the boisterous state of the weather1 got the gilded ball screwed on1 measuring two feet in diameter1 and forming the principal ventilator at the upper extremity of the cupola of the light-room4 ,at ,mr4 ,hamilton's desire1 a salute of seven guns was fired on this occasion1 and1 all hands being called to the quarter-deck1 #8,stability to the ,bell ,rock ,lighthouse' was not forgotten4 ,tuesday1 #cjth ,oct4 ,on reaching the rock it was found that a very heavy sea still ran upon it2 but the writer having been disappointed on two former occasions1 and1 as the erection of the house might now be considered complete1 there being nothing wanted externally1 excepting some of the storm-shutters for the defence of the windows1 he was the more anxious at this time to inspect it4 ,two well-manned boats were therefore ordered to be in attendance2 and1 after some difficulty1 the wind being at ,n4,n4,e41 they got safely into the western creek1 though not without encountering plentiful sprays4 ,it would have been impossible to have attempted a landing to-day1 under any other circumstances than with boats perfectly adapted to the purpose1 and with seamen who knew every ledge of the rock1 and even the length of the sea-weeds at each particular spot1 so as to dip their oars into the water accordingly1 and thereby prevent them from getting entangled4 ,but what was of no less consequence to the safety of the party1 ,captain ,wilson1 who always steered the boat1 had a perfect knowledge of the set of the different waves1 while the crew never shifted their eyes from observing his motions1 and the strictest silence was preserved by every individual except himself4 ,on entering the house1 the writer had the pleasure to find it in a somewhat habitable condition1 the lower apartments being closed in with temporary windows1 and fitted with proper storm-shutters4 ,the lowest apartment at the head of the staircase was occupied with water1 fuel1 and provisions1 put up in a temporary way until the house could be furnished with proper utensils4 ,the second1 or light-room store1 was at present much encumbered with various tools and apparatus for the use of the workmen4 ,the kitchen immediately over this had1 as yet1 been supplied only with a common ship's caboose and plate-iron funnel1 while the necessary cooking utensils had been taken from the beacon4 ,the bedroom was for the present used as the joiners' workshop1 and the strangers' room1 immediately under the light-room1 was occupied by the artificers1 the beds being ranged in tiers1 as was done in the barrack of the beacon4 ,the light-room1 though unprovided with its machinery1 being now covered over with the cupola1 glazed and painted1 had a very complete and cleanly appearance4 ,the balcony was only as yet fitted with a temporary rail1 consisting of a few iron stanchions1 connected with ropes2 and in this state it was necessary to leave it during the winter4 ,having gone over the whole of the low-water works on the rock1 the beacon1 and lighthouse1 and being satisfied that only the most untoward accident in the landing of the machinery could prevent the exhibition of the light in the course of the winter1 ,mr4 ,john ,reid1 formerly of the floating light1 was now put in charge of the lighthouse as principal keeper2 ,mr4 ,james ,slight had charge of the operations of the artificers1 while ,mr4 ,james ,dove and the smiths1 having finished the frame of the light-room1 left the rock for the present4 ,with these arrangements the writer bade adieu to the works for the season4 ,at eleven a4m4 the tide was far advanced2 and there being now little or no shelter for the boats at the rock1 they had to be pulled through the breach of sea1 which came on board in great quantities1 and it was with extreme difficulty that they could be kept in the proper direction of the landing-creek4 ,on this occasion he may be permitted to look back with gratitude on the many escapes made in the course of this arduous undertaking1 now brought so near to a successful conclusion4 ,monday1 #eth ,nov4 ,on ,monday1 the #eth1 the yacht again visited the rock1 when ,mr4 ,slight and the artificers returned with her to the workyard1 where a number of things were still to prepare connected with the temporary fitting up of the accommodation for the lightkeepers4 ,mr4 ,john ,reid and ,peter ,fortune were now the only inmates of the house4 ,this was the smallest number of persons hitherto left in the lighthouse4 ,as four lightkeepers were to be the complement1 it was intended that three should always be at the rock4 ,its present inmates1 however1 could hardly have been better selected for such a situation2 ,mr4 ,reid being a person possessed of the strictest notions of duty and habits of regularity from long service on board of a man-of-war1 while ,mr4 ,fortune had one of the most happy and contented dispositions imaginable4 ,tuesday1 #acth ,nov4 ,from ,saturday the #ajth till ,tuesday the #acth1 the wind had been from ,n4,e4 blowing a heavy gale2 but to-day1 the weather having greatly moderated1 ,captain ,taylor1 who now commanded the ,smeaton1 sailed at two o'clock a4m4 for the ,bell ,rock4 ,at five the floating light was hailed and found to be all well4 ,being a fine moonlight morning1 the seamen were changed from the one ship to the other4 ,at eight1 the ,smeaton being off the rock1 the boats were manned1 and taking a supply of water1 fuel1 and other necessaries1 landed at the western side1 when ,mr4 ,reid and ,mr4 ,fortune were found in good health and spirits4 ,mr4 ,reid stated that during the late gales1 particularly on ,friday1 the #cjth1 the wind veering from ,s4,e4 to ,n4,e41 both he and ,mr4 ,fortune sensibly felt the house tremble when particular seas struck1 about the time of high-water2 the former observing that it was a tremor of that sort which rather tended to convince him that everything about the building was sound1 and reminded him of the effect produced when a good log of timber is struck sharply with a mallet2 but1 with every confidence in the stability of the building1 he nevertheless confessed that1 in so forlorn a situation1 they were not insensible to those emotions which1 he emphatically observed1 #8made a man look back upon his former life4' #ahha ,friday1 #ast ,feb4 ,the day1 long wished for1 on which the mariner was to see a light exhibited on the ,bell ,rock at length arrived4 ,captain ,wilson1 as usual1 hoisted the float's lanterns to the topmast on the evening of the #ast of ,february2 but the moment that the light appeared on the rock1 the crew1 giving three cheers1 lowered them1 and finally extinguished the lights4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,printed by ,t4 and ,a4 ,,constable1 ,printers to ,his ,majesty at the ,edinburgh ,university ,press4 ,footnotes3 #b;a ,an error3 ,stevensons owned at this date the barony of ,dolphingston in ,haddingtonshire1 ,montgrennan in ,ayrshire1 and several other lesser places4 #c;a ,pitcairn's ,criminal ,trials1 at large4--,r4 ,l4 ,s4 #d;a ,fountainhall's ,decisions1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ef1 #acb1 #ahf1 #bjd1 #cfh4--,r4 ,l4 ,s4 #d;b ,ibid4 pp4 #aeh1 #bii4--,r4 ,l4 ,s4 #d;c ,working farmer3 ,fr4 laboureur4 #g;a ,this ,john ,stevenson was not the only #8witness' of the name2 other ,stevensons were actually killed during the persecutions1 in the ,glen of ,trool1 on ,pentland1 etc42 and it is very possible that the author's own ancestor was one of the mounted party embodied by ,muir of ,caldwell1 only a day too late for ,pentland4 #g;b ,wodrow ,society's ,select ,biographies1 vol4 ii4--,r4 ,l4 ,s4 #i;a ,though the districts here named are those in which the name of ,stevenson is most common1 it is in point of fact far more wide-spread than the text indicates1 and occurs from ,dumfries and ,berwickshire to ,aberdeen and ,orkney4 #ab;a ,mr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,stevenson is satisfied that these speculations as to a possible ,norse1 ,highland1 or ,french origin are vain4 ,all we know about the engineer family is that it was sprung from a stock of ,westland ,whigs settled in the latter part of the seventeenth century in the parish of ,neilston1 as mentioned at the beginning of the next chapter4 ,it may be noted that the ,ayrshire parish of ,stevenston1 the lands of which are said to have received the name in the twelfth century1 lies within thirteen miles south-west of this place4 ,the lands of ,stevenson in ,lanarkshire first mentioned in the next century1 in the ,ragman ,roll1 lie within twenty miles east4 #ed;a ,this is only a probable hypothesis2 ,i have tried to identify my father's anecdote in my grandfather's diary1 and may very well have been deceived4--,r4 ,l4 ,s4 #ia;a ,this is1 of course1 the tradition commemorated by ,southey in his ballad of #8,the ,inchcape ,bell4' ,whether true or not1 it points to the fact that from the infancy of ,scottish navigation1 the seafaring mind had been fully alive to the perils of this reef4 ,repeated attempts had been made to mark the place with beacons1 but all efforts were unavailing 7one such beacon having been carried away within eight days of its erection7 until ,robert ,stevenson conceived and carried out the idea of the stone tower4 ,but the number of vessels actually lost upon the reef was as nothing to those that were cast away in fruitless efforts to avoid it4 ,placed right in the fairway of two navigations1 and one of these the entrance to the only harbour of refuge between the ,downs and the ,moray ,firth1 it breathed abroad along the whole coast an atmosphere of terror and perplexity2 and no ship sailed that part of the ,north ,sea at night1 but what the ears of those on board would be strained to catch the roaring of the seas on the ,bell ,rock4 #ib;a ,the particular event which concentrated ,mr4 ,stevenson's attention on the problem of the ,bell ,rock was the memorable gale of ,december #agii1 when1 among many other vessels1 ,h4,m4,s4 ,york1 a seventy-four-gun ship1 went down with all hands on board4 ,shortly after this disaster ,mr4 ,stevenson made a careful survey1 and prepared his models for a stone tower1 the idea of which was at first received with pretty general scepticism1 ,smeaton's ,eddystone tower could not be cited as affording a parallel1 for there the rock is not submerged even at high-water1 while the problem of the ,bell ,rock was to build a tower of masonry on a sunken reef far distant from land1 covered at every tide to a depth of twelve feet or more1 and having thirty-two fathoms' depth of water within a mile of its eastern edge4 #id;a ,the grounds for the rejection of the ,bill by the ,house of ,lords in #ahjb-c had been that the extent of coast over which dues were proposed to be levied would be too great4 ,before going to ,parliament again1 the ,board of ,northern ,lights1 desiring to obtain support and corroboration for ,mr4 ,stevenson's views1 consulted first ,telford1 who was unable to give the matter his attention1 and then 7on ,stevenson's suggestion7 ,rennie1 who concurred in affirming the practicability of a stone tower1 and supported the ,bill when it came again before ,parliament in #ahjf4 ,rennie was afterwards appointed by the ,commissioners as advising engineer1 whom ,stevenson might consult in cases of emergency4 ,it seems certain that the title of chief engineer had in this instance no more meaning than the above4 ,rennie1 in point of fact1 proposed certain modifications in ,stevenson's plans1 which the latter did not accept2 nevertheless ,rennie continued to take a kindly interest in the work1 and the two engineers remained in friendly correspondence during its progress4 ,the official view taken by the ,board as to the quarter in which lay both the merit and the responsibility of the work may be gathered from a minute of the ,commissioners at their first meeting held after ,stevenson died2 in which they record their regret #8at the death of this zealous1 faithful1 and able officer1 to whom is due the honour of conceiving and executing the ,bell ,rock ,lighthouse4' ,the matter is briefly summed up in the ,life of ,robert ,stevenson by his son ,david ,stevenson 7,a4 ,c4 ,black1 #ahgh71 and fully discussed1 on the basis of official facts and figures1 by the same writer in a letter to the ,civil ,engineers' and ,architects' ,journal1 #ahfb4 #abb;a #8,nothing was said1 but ,i was looked out of countenance1' he says in a letter4 #aga;a ,ill-formed--ugly4--,r4 ,l4 ,s4 #agd;a ,this is an incurable illusion of my grandfather's2 he always writes #8distended' for #8extended4'--,r4 ,l4 ,s4