The landing-master’s crew completed the discharging from the Smeaton of the remainder of her cargo of the cast-iron rails and timber. It must not here be omitted to notice, that the Smeaton took in ballast from the Bell Rock, consisting of the shivers or chips of stone, produced by the workmen in preparing the site of the building, which were now accumulated in great quantities on the Rock. These the boats loaded, after discharging the iron. The object in carrying off these chips, besides ballasting the vessel, was to get them permanently out of the way, as they were apt to shift about from place to place, with every gale of wind; and it often required a considerable time to clear the foundation a second time of this rubbish. The circumstance of ballasting a ship at the Bell Rock afforded great entertainment, especially to the sailors; and it was perhaps with truth remarked, that the Smeaton was the first vessel that had ever taken on board ballast at the Bell Rock.
Tuesday, 31st.
The winds were variable to-day, but chiefly from the north, accompanied with fine weather. On landing at a quarter from 11 A. M., the higher parts of the site of the building were dry, and the work continued two and a quarter hours, when it was again stopped by the return of the flood-tide. The joiners and smiths, together with those who were apt to be sick on board of the Tender, remained on the Beacon throughout the day, and at a quarter past 1 P. M. the boats left the Rock with the masons.
There were eighteen seamen from the Smeaton, Sir Joseph Banks, and Floating-light, employed to-day under the direction of Mr Wilson, the landing-master, in laying the cast-iron work of the railways in a compact manner, into the various crevices and holes in the Rock, to prevent its being tossed about by the sea, until it should be wanted in the course of fixing the tracks to the Rock.
Chips of the rock in great request at Leith.
The Smeaton being finally discharged, and partly loaded with stone shivers from the Bell Rock, she sailed for Leith, in order to fetch the remainder of the cast-iron, and some additional logs of timber. Mr Pool, the commander of this vessel, afterwards acquainted the writer, that when the ballast was landed upon the quay at Leith, many persons carried away specimens of it, as part of a cargo from the Bell Rock; when he added, that such was the interest excited, from the number of specimens carried away, that some of his friends suggested, that he should have sent the whole to the Cross of Edinburgh, where each piece might have sold for a penny.
Fish caught at the Bell Rock.
In the evening the boats went to the Rock, and brought the joiners and smiths, and their sickly companions, on board of the Tender. They also brought with them two baskets full of fish, which they had caught at high water, from the Beacon, reporting, at the same time, to their comrades, that the fish were swimming in such numbers over the rock at high water, that it was completely hid from their sight, and nothing seen but the movement of thousands of fish. They were almost exclusively of the species called the Podlie, or young Coal-fish. This discovery, made for the first time to-day by the workmen, was considered fortunate, as an additional circumstance likely to produce an inclination among the artificers to take up their residence in the Beacon, when it came to be fitted up as a barrack.
1808, June.