Chapter VI (2)

The door-lintel being of large dimensions, equal to about a ton and a half in weight, and considerably heavier than any of the other stones of this course, in raising it with the balance-crane, sufficient attention had not been paid to increase the balance-weight proportionally, and an unequal strain being then brought upon the opposite arms of the crane, the upright shaft yielded, and broke at one of the joints; fortunately no person was hurt, though a stop was put to the work for the present. This unlucky accident happened about 4 in the afternoon, when the Patriot, then at her moorings, discharging a cargo of stones, was immediately dispatched to Arbroath with the broken shaft, where she arrived about 2 o’clock on Sunday morning. The writer was at this early hour rather alarmed, by Captain Macdonald knocking at his bed-room door, and calling out in a hollow tone, “that the Balance-crane had given way.” An express was immediately sent for Mr James Dove, who, only two days prior to the accident, had left the Bell Rock, and was in the neighbourhood of Arbroath, and when the messenger reached him, he was preparing to go with his friends to the church of his native parish.

[Sidenote: The Writer is welcomed in at the door of the Light-house.]

The shaft of this crane consisted of four hollow pipes of cast iron, in lengths, the lower one of 8 feet, and the three upper ones of 6 feet, fitted to each other with a flush or square joint, so that the body of the crane might traverse upon them without interruption, as will be understood by examining Plate XVII. There was, unavoidably, a degree of weakness at these joints, which required considerable precaution in shifting or adjusting the balance-weight, according to the strain occasioned by a heavy stone. This accident, though speedily repaired, produced a delay of no less than three days to the building operations, which, together with the time occupied in making provision for a new method of inserting the door-hinges into the building, made this part of the masonry, upon the whole, appear extremely tedious. Having got the door-lintel laid, the writer was not a little gratified on being welcomed, with acclamation, in at the Door of the Bell Rock Light-house. Limited as the height of the building still was, the formation of the door stamped a new character upon it, and the lintel gave it an additional appearance of strength.

[Sidenote: Fixtures of the hinges of the door and window-shutters.]

The fixtures of the hinges of the door and shutters of the windows are of a peculiar construction, as will be seen in the different diagrams of Plate XIX. They consisted of boxes or cases made of brass, of a dovetailed form, measuring 16 inches in length, and 1 inch in depth in the void; one of these cases was inserted into a cavity cut in the upper bed of one of the rybat-stones on each side of the door or window, and run up with melted lead. Into this case the dovetail-end of the hinge was afterwards introduced, and fixed in its place by driving a middle-piece, after the manner of a Lewis-bat. The advantage of this method is, that, in the event of its being found necessary, at any future period, to renew or repair a hinge, all that becomes necessary is to draw the middle-piece and extract the Lewis from the box, without requiring to cut or mangle the building, as would be found necessary by the usual method of inserting hinges into walls. The hinges and cases were made of fine brass; those for the door weighing 50 lb., and those for the window-shutters being smaller, weighed about half as much.

[Sidenote: 1810, June.]

[Sidenote: Friday, 1st.]

The weather, during the last week of the month of May, was very favourable for the operations; and the barometer stood to-day at no less than 30 inches and 42 hundred parts. The wind was S.E., and the atmosphere somewhat foggy, but not such as to prevent the landing operations from going forward. The Patriot was now at her moorings discharging; and the landing-master’s crew transported one of the praam-boats to the Rock with 14 stones, which enabled the builders to complete the Thirty-third course, being the one immediately above the door-lintel, consisting of 32 stones.

[Sidenote: Saturday, 2d.]

[Sidenote: Shipping makes great dispatch.]

The weather still continuing to be extremely fine, the landing-master and his crew left the Tender at 4 A. M., and proceeded to deliver the remainder of the Patriot’s cargo, consisting of 14 stones, with a proportion of pozzolano, lime, sand, and Roman cement, together with six bundles of trenails and wedges. She then made sail for Arbroath, and the Smeaton at the same time arrived with the Thirty-fourth course, consisting also of 32 stones. She had previously put a new cable on board of the Floating-light, this being the period at which her winter-tackle was annually shifted. The Smeaton got to her moorings at 11 A. M., when Captain Wilson and his crew immediately proceeded to deliver her, and by 4 in the afternoon she was cleared, and had sailed again for Arbroath to load, having thus been discharged in five hours, being the shortest period in which any cargo had hitherto been delivered at the Bell Rock. This formed a striking contrast with the delivery of the first cargo of the season, which had been on board from the 18th till the 29th of May, or eleven days, in the course of which the Smeaton was put thrice into Arbroath, and once up to Leith Roads, shewing how very dependent these works are upon the state of the weather. To-day there were no fewer than 56 pieces of stones transported to the Rock, being the greatest number hitherto landed in one day.

[Sidenote: Sunday, 3d.]

[Sidenote: Patriot makes a trip in 33 hours.]

The dispatch given in the loading department at Arbroath was nothing short of that of the landing at the Rock. The Patriot only got to the Light-house loading-birth last night at 11 P. M., when Mr Kennedy commenced loading her at midnight, with 34 pieces of stone, 9 stone joggles, two casks of pozzolano, two casks of lime, two casks of sand, and three bundles of trenails and wedges: she sailed again at 4 A. M., and got fast to her moorings at 5 in the afternoon, having been absent from the Rock only 33 hours. The landing-master’s crew towed the Hedderwick praam-boat alongside, and loaded her with 18 pieces of stone, which were safely landed on the Rock. At 11 P. M. the boats returned to the Tender, having been at work since 4 o’clock this morning. The weather was so inviting at this time, that, contrary to usual practice, a quantity of the stones was laid upon the Rock round the western side of the building, which were afterwards raised by the purchase-tackle on the bridge: the building was thus continued for a longer period than the tide permitted the landing-master’s crew to proceed with their operations. Some risk, however, attended this arrangement, as part of the stones were necessarily left on the Rock, exposed to the wash of the sea, from one tide to another. But the workmen being now permanently on the Rock, this could scarcely happen to a great extent, as the sea generally takes a tide or two to get into so rough a state as to be dangerous in cases of this kind. The Thirty-fifth course was laid to-day, consisting of 32 pieces of stone; but it required the work to be continued from 5 in the morning till 8 in the evening, before the trenailing, wedging, and grouting with mortar, were completed; the artificers having of course pay for their extra hours.

[Sidenote: Monday, 4th.]

[Sidenote: Thirty-sixth course laid.]

To-day there was a strong breeze of wind from the east, with hazy weather, but, as the mercury still maintained the high state of 30.32, every confidence was felt in the landing operations. The Patriot was accordingly discharged of the remainder of her cargo, and 16 stones, with other building materials, were landed on the Rock, though not without considerable difficulty, from the heavy swell of sea which was running upon it. The artificers also succeeded in building all the stones which were on the Rock, and finished the Thirty-sixth course, consisting of 24 blocks.

[Sidenote: The King’s birth-day observed.]

This being the Birth-day of our much revered Sovereign King GEORGE III., now in the Fiftieth year of his reign, the shipping of the Light-house service were this morning decorated with colours according to the taste of their respective captains. Flags were also hoisted upon the Beacon-house and Balance-crane on the top of the Building. At 12 noon, a salute was fired from the Tender, when the King’s health was drunk, with all the honours, both on the Rock, and on board of the shipping.

[Sidenote: Tuesday, 5th.]

[Sidenote: Stair-case completed.]

[Sidenote: Rate of Wages.]

The weather still continuing very favourable for the operations, the work proceeded with much regularity and dispatch. Twenty stones were landed to-day from the Smeaton, and the artificers completed the Thirty-eighth or finishing course of the staircase, which brought the building to the height of 45 feet. As the walls were here reduced from 5 feet 9 inches to 3 feet 2 inches in thickness, the scarsement at the level of this course formed a kind of floor or bench 2 feet 7 inches in breadth, at the top of the staircase, intended for keeping the water-cisterns, fuel, and provisions. The laying of this course being attended with a good deal of additional trouble, the artificers were occupied with it from 5 o’clock in the morning till 8 in the evening, when all hands being collected on the building, three hearty cheers were given, and a dram served out, at the completion of the first floor. During this season, nine hours were counted a day’s work at the Bell Rock, instead of three hours of tide-work, as in the early stages of the business. The artificers having, therefore, had six extra hours to-day, at the rate of 6d. per hour, each had 3s. per day to receive, in addition to his stated wages of 3s. 4d.; and, as the work was continued on Sundays, they were now making upwards of two guineas per week, free of incumbrance, while the foremen were in the receipt of about double that sum. The inhabitants of the Beacon were consequently in great spirits, both at the satisfactory progress of the work, and at the amount of their extra wages.

[Sidenote: Progress of the Works at Edinburgh.]

While the work thus proceeded at the Bell Rock, it was making also good progress at Arbroath, as the whole of the courses, excepting three, were now ready for shipping to the Rock. Advice was also received from Edinburgh, that the Light-room Reflecting-apparatus and Revolving-machinery were getting regularly forward, so that every prospect was afforded of the work being brought to a conclusion in the course of the season.

[Sidenote: Artificers liable to accident. Small Boat and Life-buoy provided.]

As the Light-house advanced in height, the cubical contents of the stones were less, but they had to be raised to a greater height; and the walls being thinner were less commodious for the necessary machinery, and the artificers employed, which considerably retarded the work. Inconvenience was also occasionally experienced from the men dropping their coats, hats, mallets, and other tools, at high-water, which were carried away by the tide; and the danger to the people themselves was now greatly increased. Had any of them fallen from the Beacon or Building at high-water, while the landing-master’s crew were generally engaged with the craft at a distance, it must have rendered the accident doubly painful to those on the Rock, who at this time had no boat, and consequently no means of rendering immediate and prompt assistance. In such cases, it would have been too late to have got a boat by signal from the Tender. A small boat, which could be lowered at pleasure, was therefore suspended by a pair of davits projected from the cook-house, the keel being about 30 feet from the Rock, as will be seen from Plate VIII. This boat, with its tackle, was put under the charge of James Glen, of whose exertions on the Beacon mention has already been made, and who having in early life been a seaman, was also very expert in the management of a boat. A life-buoy was likewise suspended from the bridge, to which a coil of line 200 fathoms in length was attached, which could be let out to a person falling into the water, or to the people in the boat, should they not be able to work her with the oars.

[Sidenote: Wednesday, 6th.]

[Sidenote: Trenailing the Stones discontinued.]

The landing-master succeeded to-day in transporting 44 stones to the Rock, and the artificers laid the Thirty-eighth course, which consisted of 16 blocks. The trenailing and wedging of the stones being now discontinued, as the building was above the ordinary range of the sea, a great relief was instantly felt, as will be understood from examining the several courses in Plate XIII.; and as the work was thereby much simplified, it was now expected that two courses might be laid _per_ day.

[Sidenote: Thursday, 7th.]

[Sidenote: Number of people on the Beacon. Fitting of window-hinges troublesome.]

To-day 12 stones were landed on the Rock, being the remainder of the Patriot’s cargo; and the artificers built the Thirty-ninth course, consisting of 14 stones. The Bell Rock works had now a very busy appearance, as the Light-house was daily getting more into form. Besides the artificers and their cook, the writer and his servant were also lodged on the Beacon, counting in all twenty-nine; and at low-water the landing-master’s crew, consisting of from twelve to fifteen seamen, were employed in transporting the building materials, working the landing apparatus on the Rock, and dragging the stone-waggons along the railways, of which an idea will be formed by examining Plate XVIII. There were 27 stones discharged to-day from the Smeaton; and the artificers laid the Fortieth course of the building, in which the windows of the water, fuel, and provision store-room occur. The fitting of the hinge-boxes for the window storm-shutters, occupied a considerable portion of time, as has already been described in allusion to the entrance-door.

[Sidenote: Friday, 8th.]

[Sidenote: The comfort of good weather on the Rock.]

In the course of this day the weather varied much. In the morning it was calm; in the middle part of the day there were light airs of wind from the south, and in the evening fresh breezes from the east. The barometer in the writer’s cabin in the Beacon-house oscillated from 30 inches to 30.42, and the weather was extremely pleasant. This, in any situation, forms one of the chief comforts of life, but, as may easily be conceived, it was doubly so to people stuck as it were upon a pinnacle in the middle of the ocean.

[Sidenote: Saturday, 9th.]

[Sidenote: Balance-crane shifted to-day.]

The weather continued to be very agreeable, and ships every where seen upon the sea. At the Bell Rock we had only the Tender and the Floating-light, the Smeaton and Patriot being at Arbroath. The Dickie praam-boat was brought from her moorings this morning, when 9 stones were landed. The artificers were chiefly occupied to-day, in shifting the balance-crane from the top of the solid, to the top of the staircase, across which it was supported on strong beams, while struts were projected under the body of the crane, and butting against the interior of the walls of the building, as will be understood by examining the third year’s work of Plate IX. The balance-crane was, however, so constructed, that its foot might have been allowed to rest upon the solid of the building throughout the whole operation, and the shaft lengthened as the building rose, by adding additional pieces, till the whole of the masonry was completed, which would have formed a length of shaft extending to 50 feet. It was, however, found, upon the whole, to be more convenient and economical to lift the crane from floor to floor as the work advanced.

[Sidenote: Sunday, 10th.]

[Sidenote: Crane erected at western Wharf.]

Although stones had hitherto been occasionally landed on the western, as well as the eastern side of the Bell Rock, according to the state of the weather; yet, as the railways and apparatus of the eastern creek were much sooner in a working condition than those of the other, and being only 90 feet from the Light-house, while the western Railway extended to 290 feet in length, as will be seen from Plates VI. and XVIII., the eastern creek was generally used in all directions of the wind, when the weather was moderate. To-day, however, the wharf at the western creek had been completed to its full extent, and one of the moveable-beam cranes was erected at it, upon a piece of frame-work constructed of Norway logs, forming also a platform employed in landing the stones.

[Sidenote: Two stones upset by the Sea.]

In the course of last night, the wind had blown pretty strongly from the S.E., and towards morning it shifted to the S.W., which created a considerable swell of sea. Owing to the time unavoidably occupied in the shifting the balance-crane, and fitting the brass cases for the Lewis-bat hinges of the window-shutters of the provision-store, together with the eagerness, and even impatience of Captain Wilson, the landing-master, on all occasions, to get his part of the business accomplished by the speedy delivery of the stone-vessels, he had landed both the Thirty-first and Thirty-second courses, which were thus piled in rather too great a number at the western side of the building. During the night, though the range of the sea was considered trifling, yet it had upset two of the stones, which, when the tide left the Rock, were found lying at some distance with the Lewis-bats turned downwards. These two courses, being too much at the mercy of the waves, were raised to their places on the building, and, though not laid with mortar for the present, were, nevertheless, out of the reach of heavy seas, and more at the command of the artificers.

[Sidenote: A Praam boat is sent from the Rock with her cargo.]

Although the praam-boats, from their built, and the construction of their moorings, rode easily with a cargo on deck, as formerly noticed, yet a certain risk also attended this state of things, and the writer rather wished the Smeaton and Patriot to remain at their station, with the stones on board, until an opportunity was afforded of landing and getting them at once laid in their places upon the building. One of the praam-boats had, however, been brought to the Rock with 11 stones, notwithstanding the perplexity which attended the getting of those formerly landed taken up to the building. Mr Peter Logan, the foreman builder, interposed, and prevented this cargo from being delivered, but the landing-master’s crew were exceedingly averse to this arrangement, from an idea that “ill luck” would in future attend the Praam, her cargo, and those who navigated her, from thus reversing her voyage. 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 board, and was considered so uncommon an occurrence, that it became a topic of conversation among the seamen and artificers.

At 1 P. M. the bell rung for prayers, which were read by the writer in the Beacon; after which the artificers went to dinner, and the work again commenced and was continued till 9.

[Sidenote: Monday, 11th.]

The first operation of the building-artificers this morning, was to lift the two courses laid on the top of the walls last night, and build them with mortar; some of the stones of the upper course, in the mean time, being stowed round the foot of the balance-crane. These two courses consisted each of 16 stones, besides the dove-tail joggles for connecting the perpendicular joints, as shewn in diagrams of Plate XIII. The landing-master’s crew proceeded this morning to discharge the Patriot, and having loaded the Hedderwick Praam-boat, she was towed to her moorings to remain until the stones could be received at the Rock. In the afternoon the Patriot sailed; and in the evening the Smeaton arrived from Arbroath with another cargo, bringing also letters, papers, provisions, water, and fuel for the Beacon.

[Sidenote: Tuesday, 12th.]

[Sidenote: Stones sent from the Rock are safely landed.]

To-day the stones formerly sent from the Rock were safely landed, notwithstanding the augury of the seamen, in consequence of their being sent away two days before. These, together with 14 dove-tail joggles, were immediately taken up to the top of the building, and laid, for the present, without mortar, on the top of the Thirty-fourth course.

[Sidenote: Wednesday, 13th.]

[Sidenote: Floor of the Light-room flat laid.]

The artificers were employed with the Forty-sixth course to-day, and in making preparations for laying the Forty-seventh, being the floor for the Light-room stores. In the afternoon and evening, the joiners were employed in fitting up a piece of frame-work, as a centre for supporting the interior ends of the stones composing the Floor course, which projected from the outward face of the building towards the centre of the apartment, as will be understood from Plates XIII. and XVI.

[Sidenote: Mr John Reid has got leave ashore, after being three months afloat.]

The Floating-light having got her winter cable on board, and being otherwise in good order, Mr John Reid, principal Light-keeper, and acting master, while Captain Wilson was employed at the Bell Rock, having been upwards of three months afloat, it was thought proper that he should now have liberty for a time on shore, that, in his turn, he might relieve Mr Wilson. Mr Taylor, commander of the Tender, accordingly went on board of the Floating-light, leaving the landing-master in charge of the Tender, along with his other duties at the Rock.

[Sidenote: Thursday, 14th.]

To-day 27 stones and 11 joggle-pieces were landed, part of which consisted of the Forty-seventh course, forming the store-room floor. The builders were at work this morning by 4 o’clock, in the hopes of being able to accomplish the laying of the 18 stones of this course. But at 8 o’clock in the evening they had still two to lay, and as the stones of this course were very unwieldy, being 6 feet in length, they required much precaution and care both in lifting and laying them. It was, however, only on the writer’s suggestion to Mr Logan, that the artificers were induced to leave off, as they had intended to complete this floor before going to bed. The two remaining stones were, however, laid in their places without mortar, when the bell on the Beacon was rung, and all hands being collected on the top of the building, three hearty cheers were given on covering the first apartment. The steward then served out a dram to each, when the whole retired to their barrack much fatigued, but with the anticipation of the most perfect repose even in the “hurricane-house,” amidst the dashing seas on the Bell Rock.

[Sidenote: First letter written from the Light-house.]

While the workmen were at breakfast and dinner, it was the writer’s usual practice to spend his time on the walls of the building, which, notwithstanding the narrowness of the track, nevertheless formed his principal walk, when the Rock was under water. But this afternoon he had his writing-desk set upon the store-room floor, when he wrote to Mrs Stevenson, certainly the first letter dated from the Bell Rock _Light-house_, giving a detail of the fortunate progress of the work, with an assurance that the Light-house would soon be completed at the rate at which it now proceeded; and the Patriot having sailed for Arbroath in the evening, he felt no small degree of pleasure in dispatching this communication to his family.

[Sidenote: Friday, 15th.]

[Sidenote: Floors of the Bell Rock and Edystone Light-houses.]

The floor-courses of the Bell Rock Light-house lay horizontally upon the walls, as will be seen from the sections in Plates VII. and XVI. They consisted in all of 18 blocks, but only 16 were laid in the first instance, as the centre-stone were necessarily left out, to allow the shaft of the balance-crane to pass through the several apartments of the building. In the same manner also, the stone which formed the interior side of the man-hole, was not laid till after the centre stone was in its place, and the masonry of the walls completed. The number of stones above alluded to are independently of the sixteen joggle pieces with which the principal blocks of the floors were connected, as shewn in the diagrams of Plates VII. and XIII. The floors of the Edystone Light-house, on the contrary, were constructed of an arch-form, and the haunches of the arches bound with chains, to prevent their pressing outward, to the injury of the walls. In this, Mr Smeaton followed the construction of the Dome of St Paul’s; and this mode might also be found necessary at the Edystone, from the want of stones in one length, to form the outward wall and floor, in the then state of the granite quarries of Cornwall. At Mylnefield Quarry, however, there was no difficulty in procuring stones of the requisite dimensions; and the writer foresaw many advantages that would arise, from having the stones of the floors to form part of the outward walls without introducing the system of arching: in particular, the pressure of the floors upon the walls would thus be perpendicular; for, as the stones were prepared in the sides, with _groove-and-feather_, after the manner of the common house-floor, they would, by this means, form so many girths, binding the exterior walls together, as will be understood by examining the diagrams and section of Plate VII., with its letter-press description; agreeably to which he had modelled the floors in his original designs for the Bell Rock, which were laid before the Light-house Board in the year 1800.

[Sidenote: 31 Persons lodged in the Beacon-house.]

[Sidenote: Pay and Premiums at the Rock.]

The weather still continuing favourable for the operations at the Rock, the work proceeded with much energy, through the exertions both of the seamen and artificers. For the more speedy and effectual working of the several tackles, in raising the materials as the building advanced in height, and there being a great extent of Railway to attend to, which, required constant repairs, two additional mill-wrights were added to the complement on the Rock, which, including the writer, now counted thirty-one in all. So crowded was the men’s barrack, that the beds were ranged five tier in height, allowing only about 1 foot 8 inches for each bed, while the greatest extent of floor-room measured only about 8 feet 6 inches across, between the beds on opposite sides, as will be seen in the sections and diagrams of Plate VIII. The artificers commenced this morning at 5 o’clock, and, in the course of the day, they laid the Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth courses, consisting each of 16 blocks. From the favourable state of the weather, and the regular manner in which the work now proceeded, the artificers had generally from four to seven extra hours’ work, which, including their stated wages of 3s. 4d., yielded them from 5s. 4d. to about 6s. 10d. per day, besides their board; even the postage of their letters was paid while they were at the Bell Rock. In these advantages, the foremen also shared, having about double the pay and amount of premiums of the artificers. The seamen being less out of their element in the Bell Rock operations than the landsmen, their premiums consisted in a slump sum, payable at the end of the season, which extended from three to ten guineas.

[Sidenote: Seamen find one of the lost sets of moorings.]

As the laying of the floors was somewhat tedious, 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 built. The seamen having, therefore, some spare time, 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-buoys. To encourage their exertions in this search, Five Guineas were offered as a premium for each set they should find; and after much patient application, they succeeded to-day in hooking one of these lost anchors with its chain.

[Sidenote: Experiment of collecting Gas from Fishes.]

It was a general remark at the Bell Rock, as before noticed, that fish were never plenty in its neighbourhood, excepting in good weather. Indeed, the seamen used to speculate about the state of the weather from their success in fishing. When the fish disappeared at the Rock, it was considered a sure indication that a gale was not far off, as the fish seemed to seek shelter in deeper water, from the roughness of the sea, during these changes of the weather. At this time, the Rock, at high-water, was completely covered with podlies, or the fry of the coalfish, about six or eight inches in length. The artificers sometimes occupied half an hour after breakfast and dinner in catching these little fishes, but were more frequently supplied from the boats of the Tender. This evening the landing-master’s crew brought to the Rock a quantity of newly caught codfish, measuring from 15 to 24 inches in length. The membrane called the _sound_, which is attached to the back-bone of fishes, being understood to contain, at different times, greater portions of azote and of oxygen than common air, the present favourable opportunity was embraced for collecting a quantity of this gas in a drinking-glass, inverted into a pail of salt-water. The fish being held under this glass as a receiver, their bladders were punctured, and a considerable quantity of gas was thus collected. A lighted match was afterwards carefully introduced into the glass, when the gas exhibited in a considerable degree the bright and luminous flame which an excess of oxygen is known to produce.

[Sidenote: Saturday, 16th.]

[Sidenote: Cause of ground swells.]

The weather was hazy, and the wind had shifted to-day from west to east, accompanied with a heavy ground-swell in the sea. At the Bell Rock, this was sometimes observed to be the precursor of a gale, while, on other occasions, the swell did not make its appearance till the force of the wind had ceased. Many speculations have been made by naturalists upon the probable cause of ground-swells, so often observed by seamen, and which sometimes appear even without the accompaniment of wind, either before or after. To account for this, it may be noticed, that the waters of the German Ocean or North Sea, from their connection with the Atlantic Ocean, are often affected by gales of westerly winds, which never reach our shores, though they have the effect of forcing an undue portion of the waters of the Atlantic into the British seas, which tend to overfill all the friths and bays, producing the phenomenon of a ground-swell;--a condition of things which may also be supposed to follow from the account given of the gale experienced by the writer off Flamborough-head, on the 19th September 1809, described at page 320.; which might as readily have been checked in its progress, by the contrary wind, before it reached the northern shores, as off the coast of England. This subject is further illustrated by the writer in a paper read before the Wernerian Society, on the bed of the German Ocean, and given in the Appendix, No. V.

[Sidenote: Landing-master’s dress, and activity of his crew.]

The landing-master having this day discharged the Smeaton, and loaded the Hedderwick and Dickie praam-boats with 19 stones, they were towed to their respective moorings; when Captain Wilson, in consequence of the heavy swell of sea, 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 running. After some dubiety expressed on the subject, in which the ardent mind of the landing-master suggested many arguments in favour of his being able to convey the praams in perfect safety, it was acceded to. In bad weather, and especially on occasions of difficulty like the present, Mr Wilson, who was an extremely active seaman, measuring about 5 feet 3 inches in height, of a robust habit, generally dressed himself in what he called a _Monkey Jacket_, made of thick duffle-cloth, with a pair of Dutchman’s petticoat-trowsers, reaching only to his knees, where they were met with a pair of long water-tight boots; with this dress, his glazed hat, and his small brass speaking-trumpet in his hand, he bade defiance to the weather. When he made his appearance in this most suitable attire for the service, his crew seemed to possess additional life, never failing to use their utmost exertions when the captain put on his “_storm-rigging_.” They had this morning commenced loading the praam-boats at 4 o’clock, and proceeded to tow them into the eastern landing-place, which was accomplished with much dexterity, though not without the risk of being thrown, by the force of the sea, on certain projecting ledges of the rock. In such a case, the loss even of a single stone would have greatly retarded the work. For the greater safety in entering this creek, it was necessary to put out several warps and guy-ropes, to guide the boats into its narrow and intricate entrance; and it frequently happened that the sea made a clean breach over the praams, which not only washed their decks, but completely drenched the crew in water.

[Sidenote: Want of the western wharf.]

On this, as on many other occasions, the want of the western wharf was particularly felt; for, although it had long been used with great advantage in the ordinary traffic of the Rock, and was now carried to its full extent, it was still not fit for all the purposes of landing weighty materials, otherwise the landing operations would have been accomplished with much more ease and facility to-day. So much, however, had been to do in boring the rock, inserting iron-bats and other operations, accessible only at the lowest tides, that, although Mr Watt and his squad of artificers had embraced every opportunity, by day and night,--for this work to the last was carried on by torch light,--yet the wharf of the western railway was not entirely completed.

[Sidenote: Operation of shifting the Balance-crane. Its properties.]

The building-artificers were employed to-day in raising the Balance-crane to the light-room-store, where it was supported upon two beams of oaken timber, which were made to rest upon the outward extremity of the floor, or close to the wall of the house. The removal of the crane from one storey to another was attended with considerable trouble. The body of the crane, as will be understood by examining Plates IX. and XVII., was raised upon the shaft at every two or three courses which were added to the height of the building. This mode might have been continued throughout, without once raising the foot of the crane, by simply adding to the length of the shaft. But, all things taken into view, it was considered preferable to lift the whole machine from floor to floor. This was accomplished in the following manner: Two beams of fir-timber were laid across the walls of the house, on which the body of the crane was rested. This new position did not prevent the purchase-tackle of the crane from being worked, and it was therefore applied to lift the foot and the four lengths of the shaft, which were laid aside till successively wanted in the course of building. The foot, with two lengths of the shaft, being placed upon the oaken beams above alluded to; a cutter or spear-bolt was passed through one of the numerous holes in the shaft; when the beams on which the body of the crane rested on the walls being removed, the crane was again in a complete working condition. The Balance-crane had therefore the property of being applicable to raising itself, from stage to stage, as well as of laying the stones, and preserving its equilibrium when loaded. In case, through inattention or accident, an undue proportion of weight had been brought upon one end of the beam of the crane, as was the case when the door-lintel was laid, four spurs or diagonal supports of oak, were attached to the shaft, the lower ends of which rested upon the floor and butted against the wall, while the upper ends fitted into a collar or circular piece of cast-iron, which embraced the shaft immediately under the body of the crane. These preparatory operations occupied a great part of this day, after which there was no further delay occasioned by the Balance-crane, till it was again to be raised to the next floor, except the occasional lifting of the body, and applying additional lengths to the shaft, as the building rose, things which were accomplished without retarding the work.

[Sidenote: Sunday, 17th.]

[Sidenote: Western wharf finished to-day.]

It was fortunate, in the present state of the weather, that the Fiftieth course was in a sheltered spot, within the reach of the tackle of the winch-machine upon the bridge; a few stones were stowed upon the bridge itself, and the remainder upon the building, which kept the artificers at work. The stowing of the materials upon the Rock, was the department of Alexander Brebner, mason, who spared no pains in attending to the safety of the stones, and who, in the present state of the work, when the stones were landed faster than could be built, generally worked till the water rose to his middle. At 1 o’clock to-day the bell rung for prayers, and all hands were collected into the upper barrack-room of the Beacon-house, when the usual service was performed.

At low-water this afternoon all hands were employed in completing the western wharf,--a work which had now been in progress for a twelvemonth. One of the moveable-beam cranes was elevated on it, under a salute of three hearty cheers. This wharf was formed of timber, consisting of successive layers of Norway logs, like the Eastern Wharf, as represented in Plate XI., which were raised to the level of the Railways, or about 6 feet in height, and fixed down with bat-bars of iron, measuring 7 feet in length, having been sunk about 12 inches into the Rock.

[Sidenote: Remarkable state of the sea at the Bell Rock to-day.]

The wind blew very hard in the course of last night from N.E., and to-day the sea ran so high that no boat could approach the Rock. During the dinner-hour, when the writer was going to the top of the building as usual, but just as he had entered the door, and was about to ascend the ladder, a great noise was heard over-head, and in an instant he was soused in water, from a sea which had most unexpectedly come over the walls, though now about 58 feet in height. On making his retreat, he found himself completely whitened by the lime which had mixed with the water, while dashing down through the different floors; and, as nearly as he could guess, a quantity equal to about a hogshead had come over the walls, and now streamed out at the door. After having shifted himself, he again sat down in his cabin, the sea continuing to run so high that the builders did not resume their operations on the walls this afternoon. 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 Rock. This scene he greatly enjoyed while sitting at his cabin window: each wave approached the Beacon like a vast scroll unfolding; and, in passing, discharged a quantity of air, which he not only distinctly felt, but was even sufficient to lift the leaves of a book which lay before him. These waves might be 10 or 12 feet in height, and about 250 feet in length. Their smaller end being towards the north, where the water was deep, and they were opened or cut through by the interposition of the Building and Beacon. The gradual manner in which the sea, upon these occasions, is observed to become calm or to subside, is a very remarkable feature of this phenomenon. For example, when a gale is succeeded by a calm, every third or fourth wave forms one of these great seas, which occur in spaces, of from 3 to 5 minutes, as noted by the writer’s watch; but, in the course of the next tide, they become less frequent, and take off, so as to occur only in 10 or 15 minutes; and, singular enough, at the third tide after such gales, the writer has remarked, that only one or two of these great waves appear in the course of the whole tide.

[Sidenote: Thursday, 21st.]

[Sidenote: Landing-master’s crew have now more leisure.]

From Monday 18th till this date, the work went forward in the usual routine, and the building was now in readiness for the floor of the kitchen or third apartment. In the present state of things, the two stone-vessels Smeaton and Patriot, could not be fully employed, as, owing to the greater height of the building, every operation required much more time, in proportion to the tonnage which the vessels brought off to the Rock. Indeed, the original intention of providing two vessels for this department was chiefly to guard against accident, as, in this service, they were much exposed to danger, in the event of which, without a second vessel, the work must have been arrested in its progress. Having now also the full use of the western creek, the process of landing was seldom delayed, excepting from want of demand on the part of the builders; it was still, nevertheless, necessary to keep up the establishment of shipping, for the reason above stated.

[Sidenote: Disagreeable state of the weather.]

The 19th was a very unpleasant and disagreeable day, both for the seamen and artificers, as it rained throughout with little intermission from 4 A. M. till 11 P. M., accompanied with thunder and lightning, during which period the work nevertheless continued unremittingly; and the builders laid the Fifty-first and Fifty-second courses. This state of weather was no less severe upon the mortar-makers, who required to temper or prepare the mortar of a thicker or thinner consistency, in some measure, according to the state of the weather. From the elevated position of the building, the mortar-gallery on the Beacon was now much lower, and the lime buckets were made to traverse upon a rope distended between it and the building, as will be seen from Plate IX. On occasions like the present, however, there was often a difference of opinion between the builders and the mortar-makers. John Watt, who had the principal charge of the mortar, was a most active worker, but being somewhat of an irascible temper, the builders occasionally amused themselves at his expence. For, while he was eagerly at work with his large iron-shod pestle in the mortar-tub, they often sent down contradictory orders, some crying, “Make it a little stiffer, or thicker, John,” while others called out to make it “thinner;” to which he generally returned very speedy and sharp replies; so that these conversations at times were rather amusing. The brass cases of the upper-hinges of the window of this apartment, occurring in the Fifty-second course, occasioned a good deal of detention, on the 20th, in laying it, when the artificers were employed from 4 in the morning till 9 in the evening.

[Sidenote: Extra pay.]

[Sidenote: Responsible situation of the principal workmen.]

During wet weather, the situation of the artificers on the top of the building was extremely disagreeable; for, although their work did not require great exertion, yet, as each man had his particular part to perform, either in working the crane, or in laying the stones, it required the closest application and attention, not only on the part of Mr Peter Logan, the foreman, who was constantly on the walls, but also of the chief workmen. Robert Selkirk, the principal builder, for example, had every stone to lay in its place. David Cumming, a mason, had the charge of working the tackle of the balance-weight, and James Scott, also a mason, took charge of the purchase with which the stones were laid; while the pointing the joints of the walls with cement, was entrusted to William Reid and William Kennedy, who stood upon a scaffold suspended over the walls in rather a frightful manner. The least act of carelessness or inattention on the part of any of these men might have been fatal, not only to themselves, but also to the surrounding workmen, especially if any accident had happened to the crane itself, 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 Arbroath. The artificers having wrought seven and a half hours of extra time to-day, had 3s. 9d. of extra pay, while the foremen had 7s. 6d. over and above their stated pay and board. Although, therefore, the work was both hazardous and fatiguing, yet the encouragement being considerable, they were alwise very cheerful, and perfectly reconciled to the confinement, and other disadvantages of the place.

[Sidenote: Carpenter of the Floating-light leaves the service.]

During fine weather, and while the nights were short, the duty on board of the Floating-light was literally nothing but a waiting on, and therefore one of her boats, with a crew of five men, daily attended the Rock, but always returned to the vessel at night. The carpenter, however, was one of those who was left on board of the ship, as he also acted in the capacity of assistant light-keeper; being, besides, a person who was apt to feel discontent, and to be averse to changing his quarters, especially to work with the mill-wrights and joiners at the Rock, who often, for hours together, wrought knee-deep, and not unfrequently up to the middle in water. Mr Watt having, about this time, made a requisition for another hand, the carpenter was ordered to attend the Rock in the Floating-light’s boat. This he did with great reluctance, and found so much fault, that he soon got into discredit with his messmates. On this occasion, he left the Light-house service, and went as a sailor in a vessel bound for America,--a step which, it is believed, he soon regretted, as, in the course of things, he would, in all probability, have accompanied Mr John Reid, the principal Light-keeper of the Floating-light, to the Bell Rock Light-house, as his principal Assistant. The writer had a wish to be of service to this man, as he was one of those who came off to the Floating-light in the month of September 1807, while she was riding at single anchor, after the severe gale of the 7th, at a time when it was hardly possible to make up this vessel’s crew; but the crossness of his manner prevented his reaping the benefit of such intentions.

[Sidenote: Patriot makes a trip to Arbroath and back to the Rock, in 24 hours.]

The trips of the stone-vessels became more and more remarkable for dispatch. The Patriot having only sailed for Arbroath yesterday morning at 8 o’clock, returned this evening at the same hour with a cargo; when the landing-master immediately got his praam-boats alongside, and came to the Rock with 16 stones, 8 joggles, 8 casks of pozzolano, and the same quantity of lime and sand, with seven logs of timber for the Railways, which were immediately taken up to the Beacon, till they were wanted on the Rock. Such, therefore, was the dispatch given to the loading of the materials at Arbroath, together with the persevering activity of Mr Spink,--who had succeeded Mr Macdonald in the command of the Patriot,--and his mate Mr Peter Soutar, that, although she did not reach Arbroath till the morning of the 21st, at 1 o’clock, yet being instantly loaded, she was made fast to her moorings again at the Rock, after an absence of only 24 hours.

[Sidenote: An attempt made to land stones at high-water, with the bridge-apparatus.]

The weather was extremely fine to-day, and the artificers laid the Fifty-sixth course, or kitchen-floor, forming, like the other floors of the building, a part also of the outward wall. For supporting the inward extremity of these long stones, until a sufficient weight was built upon the exterior wall, the joiners had erected a piece of frame-work on the floor below on which they rested. This morning at 4 o’clock, the landing-master’s crew had commenced their operations, and by 12 noon 34 stones were landed, together with the several articles mentioned above, which discharged the Patriot, and she again sailed for Arbroath. An attempt was made to-day to land materials at high-water with the bridge-apparatus; but, although the water was smooth, yet there was a certain _lift in the sea_, which occasionally brought a sudden strain on the frame of the bridge, and made the whole shake and jerk in such a manner as to communicate a considerable degree of tremor to the whole fabric of the Beacon-house, shewing that this mode of landing weighty stones could hardly be ventured upon, even in the very finest weather.

[Sidenote: Progress of landing the stones. The Seamen become discontented.]

The building operations had for some time proceeded more slowly, from the higher parts of the Light-house requiring much longer time than an equal tonnage of the lower courses. The duty of the landing-master’s crew had, upon the whole, been easy of late; for, though the work was occasionally irregular, yet the stones being lighter, they were more speedily lifted from the hold of the stone-vessel to the deck of the praam-boat, and again to the waggons on the railway, after which they came properly under the charge of the foreman-builder; the artificers working the several purchase-tackles in raising the stones through the successive stages, from the railways to the bridge, and from thence to the top of the building, as represented in Plates IX. and XVIII. It is, however, a strange, though not an uncommon feature in the human character, that when people have least to complain of, they are most apt to become dissatisfied, as was now the case with the seamen employed in the Bell Rock service, about their rations of beer. Indeed, ever since the carpenter of the Floating-light, formerly noticed, had been brought to the Rock, expressions of discontent had been manifested upon various occasions. This being represented to the writer, he sent for Captain Wilson, the landing-master, and Mr Taylor, commander of the Tender, with whom he talked over the subject. They stated, that they considered the daily allowance of the seamen in every respect ample, and that the work being now much lighter than formerly, they had no just ground for complaint; Mr Taylor adding, that if those who now complained “were even to be fed upon soft bread and turkeys, they would not think themselves right.” At 12 noon, as before noticed, the work of the landing-master’s crew was completed for the day. But at 4 o’clock, while the Rock was under water, those on the Beacon were surprised by the arrival of a boat from the Tender, without any signal having been made from the Beacon. It, however, brought the following note to the writer from the landing-master’s crew.

_Sir Joseph Banks, Tender._

“SIR,

“We are informed by our masters, that our allowance is to be as
before, and it is not sufficient to serve us, for we have been at
work since 4 o’clock this morning, and we have come on board to
dinner, and there is no beer for us before to-morrow morning, to
which a sufficient answer is required before we go from the Beacon;
and we are, Sir, your most obedient servants.”

On reading this, the writer returned a verbal message, intimating, that an answer would be sent on board of the Tender, at the same time ordering the boat instantly to quit the Beacon. He then addressed the following note to the landing-master.

[Sidenote: Correspondence with the Landing-master.]

“_Beacon-house, 22d June 1810, 5 o’clock, P. M._

“SIR,