Throughout these twenty-four hours, the winds were variable and the weather was hazy. At 6 A. M. the Sir Joseph got under weigh, and at 11 was again made fast to the southern buoy at the Bell Rock. Though it was now late in the tide, the writer being anxious to ascertain the state of things after the gale, landed with the artificers, to the number of forty-four. Every thing was found in an entire state; but, as the tide was nearly gone, only half an hour’s work had been got when the site of the building was overflowed. During the period of high-water, the boats were employed in bringing stores and provisions from on board the Smeaton, which had also returned from Arbroath, whither she had run for shelter. In the evening the boats again landed at 9, and, after a good tide’s-work of three hours, with torch-light, the work was left off at midnight.
Appearance of the Rock at night.
To the distant shipping, the appearance of things under night on the Bell Rock, when the work was going forward, must have been very remarkable, especially to those who were strangers to the operations. Mr John Reid, principal light-keeper, who also acted as master of the Floating-light during the working months at the rock, described the appearance of the numerous lights situate so low in the water, when seen at the distance of two or three miles, as putting him in mind of Milton’s description of the fiends in the lower regions; adding, “for it seems greatly to surpass Will-o’-the-Wisp, or any of those earthly spectres of which we have so often heard.”
Sunday, 12th.
The weather was somewhat blowy to-day, and the wind veered from E. to S.W. The boats landed at a quarter past 9 this morning, but not without considerable difficulty, owing to a heavy swell of sea which accompanied the change of wind. After continuing at work for three hours and a half at the site of the building, and the fixtures for the railways, the water came in upon the artificers, and the boats left the rock with all hands, after having experienced some difficulty at the entrance of the eastern landing creek, by the breach of the sea. In this respect, the larger boats of the new Tender were not found to be so well adapted for pulling through a swell of sea in these narrow creeks, as the smaller boats of the Floating-light. The breadth of the former being greater, the oars were more apt to get entangled with the sea-weed and jutting points of the rock, so that it was with difficulty they could be equally pulled on each side; and if they did not exactly stem the sea, but got a preponderance to one side, the waves were apt to throw them upon the shelving rocks. Smaller boats, under these particular circumstances, would have been more handy, but of two evils we are often left to choose the least, and the larger boats were found to be more generally useful. For the conveniency of accommodating a greater number of artificers, it was necessary to have the boats of as large dimensions as the Tender could stow; it being hardly possible in this service to have more than two upon deck, and one over the stern.
Sixty persons on the quarter-deck at prayers to-day.
About 1 P.M. the boats returned to the Tender in safety; and prayers were soon afterwards read upon deck, when all hands, including the boats crews from the Floating-light and Smeaton, being present, they counted sixty individuals. Owing to the difficulty experienced in getting clear of the rock this morning, and the swell of the sea still continuing, a landing was not attempted in the evening.
Monday, 13th.
The wind blew fresh from the S.W. this morning, and the tides were again getting into the state of neap; yet the ebb was very considerable yesterday, and some parts of the rock were even dry about half an hour before the calculated time. The boats landed to-day at 11, and left the Rock again at half-past 2 o’clock P. M. The artificers were again landed in the evening, but the tide did not leave the foundation-pit. All hands, however, were employed on the higher parts of the rock, in the tracks of the railways, where bat-holes were to bore and seats for the cast-iron props or supports of the railways to level. After being employed in this manner for an hour and a half, the boats returned to the Tender.
Artificers appear backward in landing on the Rock to-day.