The artificers landed this morning at a quarter from 7, and remained six hours and a quarter on the Rock, when 18 stones were laid. They landed again in the evening and remained four hours and a quarter, when 9 stones were laid, which completed the Twelfth course; the praam-boats having landed 27 stones.
Saturday, 15th.
52 Stones landed and laid.
The wind was southerly, with occasional showers of rain to-day, but the sea was smooth. The artificers landed at a quarter past 7 this morning, and as the water did not overflow the building, they continued on the Rock till midnight, being 16 hours and a half, and laid no fewer than 52 stones, which, in the early part of the day, had also been transported to the Rock by the landing-master’s crew. This was the most successful day’s work which had hitherto been made. The Twelfth course was thus completed, which brought the building to the height of 15 feet above the lower bed of the foundation-stone.
Sunday, 16th.
32 Stones laid.
Hitherto no order had been given for loading the Bell Rock vessels with stones on Sundays, but Mr Kennedy, to whose department this belonged, had, with his usual unwearied attention, commenced on Sunday night, at 12 o’clock, which enabled the Patriot to sail at 5, and reach the Rock at 10 A. M., with a cargo of stones. The artificers landed at half-past 7, and laid 21 stones in the course of seven hours and a half; and having again landed in the evening at 7, they laid 11 stones in four hours, all of which had been landed on the Rock to-day from the praams. Besides laying, boring, trenailing, wedging, and grouting these stones, several other operations were proceeded with on the Rock, at low-water, when some of the artificers were employed at the Railways, and at high-water at the Beacon-house. The seamen having prepared a quantity of tarpaulin, or cloth laid over with successive coats of hot tar, the joiners had just completed the covering of the roof with it. This sort of covering was lighter and more easily managed than sheet-lead in such a situation. As a farther defence against the weather, the whole exterior of this temporary residence was painted with three coats of white-lead paint. Between the timber-framing of the habitable part of the Beacon, the interstices were to be stuffed with moss, as a light substance that would resist dampness, and check sifting winds: the whole interior was then to be lined with green baize-cloth, so that both without and within the cabins were to have a very comfortable appearance.
Monday, 17th.
9 Stones laid.