Saturday, 10th.
Patriot obliged to slip her moorings.
The Patriot having now undergone a complete repair, she was loaded with stones for the first time, and the writer took a passage in her to the Bell Rock, when he had the pleasure of finding that she wrought or sailed extremely well. She was made fast to her moorings at 6 A. M., but only one praam-load had been discharged from her to-day, when the wind came suddenly from the N.E., and it was found necessary to let slip her moorings at 6 P. M., when she made sail for the Firth of Forth.
10 Stones laid.
Artificers divided into squads.
Notwithstanding the boisterous state of the weather, the artificers were enabled to continue their visits to the Rock, and landed this morning at 5. At this time they counted twenty-six, and were, as formerly, divided into two squads; the mill-wrights, joiners, and smiths, ten in number, wrought at the fitting up the Railways while the Rock was accessible, and when it was covered with the tide, they were employed in fitting up the Beacon-house. The operations of the builders were as yet wholly confined to low-water work. Both squads were attended, and occasionally assisted, by the landing-master’s crew of about twelve sailors, who were always ready for every sort of work. Including the low-water periods of morning and evening tides the whole had six hours’ and a quarter’s work to-day, when ten stones were laid. But those employed at the Beacon did not leave off till half-past 9 P. M., having been sixteen hours upon the Rock, when all hands returned to the Tender; and, owing to the bad state of the weather, the boats were immediately hoisted on board.
Sunday, 11th.
No landing on the Rock to-day.
The wind was still from the N.E., accompanied with so heavy a swell of sea, that it was found impossible to land this morning. At 12 noon, all hands, forty-two in number, were assembled on deck, when prayers were read as usual. At 5 P. M., the weather being somewhat more moderate, the boats left the vessel with the artificers. But on a more narrow inspection of the state of the sea upon the Rock, it was found impracticable to effect a landing, and they returned to the Tender, after having been about an hour absent. This evening, the Light-house Yacht came to the Bell Rock from her first voyage to the Northern Light-houses for the season, but there was too much sea for making her fast to any of the moorings. Captain Calder, after ascertaining that all was well, laid the Yacht to for the night, and kept the Floating-light in view.
Monday, 12th.