Tender obliged to leave her station.
The wind was at N.W. to-day, so that the vessel rode with her stern towards the Rock; and as it came to blow excessively hard, there was some danger, in the event of any thing giving way, that she might drift upon the Rock. Accordingly, Mr Taylor, who commanded the Tender, came into the writer’s cabin between 1 and 2 o’clock this morning, and, after some consultation, it was thought advisable to slip the hawser, and to stand with the ship towards the land. It then blew so fresh, that though the sails were double reefed when the vessel got under way, it was still found necessary to take in a third reef in the mainsail, and at 6 A. M. she got into the harbour of Arbroath.
Sunday, 4th.
At this time the sea was in such a state of agitation with the shifting and violence of the winds, that apprehensions were entertained about the safety of the sloop Smeaton, as she was deeply laden when she left her moorings, especially as her cargo was quite invaluable to the progress of the works of this season. At 5 o’clock this morning, however, Mr Pool made his appearance with the vessel, and got safely into the harbour of Arbroath.
Thursday 8th.
Progress of the works at Arbroath.
In the work-yard, the hewing or cutting of the several courses went on with great alacrity: the freestone masons were now at work as high as the Twentieth and Twenty-first courses, and the granite masons had completed the Sixteenth course, which was now lying on the platform, marked and ready for shipment. A great stock of lime, in a pounded state, had been prepared, and a quantity of clean sharp sand collected, which were put up in separate casks. A large supply of oaken trenails and wedges was also made up in bundles, each containing twenty-four trenails, and a like number of pairs of wedges. The hewing of the stones, and the preparation of the building materials, were placed under the charge of Mr David Logan, as clerk of works; and the writing of the books, disbursement of cash, and the dispatch of the vessels with the materials, provisions and necessaries for the Rock, formed the department of Mr Lachlan Kennedy, engineer’s clerk.
Friday 9th.
4 Stones are laid.
The Tender and Smeaton having remained in port till last evening, both vessels sailed for the Rock, and reached their moorings at 5 o’clock A. M. The boats were immediately hoisted out, when the mill-wrights, joiners and smiths, ten in number, landed on the Beacon, with their foreman, and proceeded to the fitting up of the cabins. Notwithstanding the hazardous situation upon the Beacon in which these artificers had lately been placed, Mr Watt, with his principal assistant James Glen, were not to be moved with trifles, and the work, as formerly, was continued by the joiners’ squad of artificers during the whole day, trusting to the eventual prospect of their being taken off by the boats at night. At low-water, or about 3 P. M., Mr Peter Logan landed, with the sixteen artificers who composed the builders’ squad, and the whole left it again at 8 P. M. The three stones which had been re-laid on the 2d of this month, having had the pozzolano mortar washed out by the heavy sea, before it had time to fix, it was found necessary to lift again, and lay them a third time. In the late gales, the casks of lime and cement left on the Beacon having been washed off by the sea, an entirely new stock was required. The praams were accordingly employed in delivering the Smeaton and landing a supply of these articles, together with four blocks of stone. The operations of the building-artificers continued only three hours to-day, and no more than four additional stones were laid.