Sunday, 25th.
Shipping obliged to run for Arbroath.
Owing to very heavy gales of wind from a north-eastern direction, the Sir Joseph Banks Tender, the Sloop Smeaton, and Light-house Yacht, were, on the 22d, obliged to slip their moorings, and proceed with all hands for Arbroath. The Tender and the Smeaton again returned to their stations at the Bell Rock on the 25th; the former to attend the mill-wrights, joiners, and smiths, while they completed certain operations connected with the Railways, and Beacon-house, that everything might be left in as secure a state as possible for the winter months; the crew of the Smeaton being at the same time occupied in lifting the several sets of moorings, building-cranes, and other apparatus connected with the works, which she carried to Arbroath.
Appearance of things at the Rock after the late gale.
Writer sails for the Northern Light-houses.
The writer having also sailed on the 25th in the Light-house Yacht, on his annual inspection of the Northern Light-houses, wished, in passing the Bell Rock, to have landed, but this he found impossible, owing to the heavy sea which still ran upon it. The vessel, however, sailed as near the Rock as possible, that he might, in some measure, learn the state of matters after the late gales of the 22d and 23d. He could discern that the Beacon was in good order, but found that the strong Triangular-sheers of cast-iron, represented in [Plate XI.], at the Eastern wharf, were thrown down and broken to pieces; and that the North-west buoy had drifted from its moorings. The circumstance of the breaking of these sheers greatly surprised the writer, as they consisted of bars of iron, whose cross section was about 10 inches; having each four longitudinal ribs, of about an inch and a half in depth, and thus forming a common circumference of 16 inches.
1808, October.
Monday 31st.
Visits the Rock on his return.
After sailing by the Orkney Islands, and visiting all the Light-houses on the coast of Scotland, the writer landed at Greenock on the 19th of October, and soon afterwards returned to the works at Arbroath. At half-past 11 A. M. on the 31st, he landed on the Bell Rock, and remained till half-past 3 P. M., examining every thing minutely, when he had the satisfaction of finding the stones and joints of the building quite entire. The Railways and Beacon were also in good order; while the moorings, and all the moveable apparatus, had been conveyed to Arbroath.