Wednesday, 21st.
Still prevented from landing.
The Tender sailed this morning at 5 o’clock, with a fine breeze at west, having on board the usual complement of artificers, a change of crew, and a supply of provisions for the Floating-light. At 9 she got off to the Rock, but the wind, by this time, blew so fresh, that it was found impracticable to land; every thing, however, about the Building and Beacon appeared to be in good order. At 11, the Tender stood towards the Floating-light, and, after considerable difficulty, the provisions were got on board, and a transfer made of the crews; when the Tender sailed for Arbroath, and got into the harbour at 4 P. M., having been only about eleven hours in making this trip.
1810, March.
Sunday, 11th.
A landing is effected. Large stones drifted upon the Rock.
At 4 o’clock this morning, the Tender sailed for the Rock with the wind at N. by E., when the artificers made a landing at half-past 10, and remained till 1 A. M., having found every thing in good order, excepting some parts of the Railways, which had received damage from the movement of a large drift-stone or traveller, estimated to contain upwards of one ton of rock, which was broken and removed, to prevent its doing more damage. The building, as high as the daily rise of the tide, was now covered with a strong growth of sea-weed. On the course, however, immediately above the Rock, the fuci had been prevented from taking root from the chips of stone which continually washed about the building. Some holes in the Rock, near the Beacon, which, in the year 1807, had been filled with ruble-building, a species of work rather unexpectedly found to withstand the force of the sea, had in the late gales been shaken loose, and laid open.—In the course of the gales of the 25th, 26th, and 27th of March, as is supposed, two large drift-stones or travellers had done considerable injury to the Railways. It also appeared, from certain marks upon the beams of the Beacon, at the height of about five feet above the Rock, that these stones, containing from seven to ten cubic feet each, or upwards of half a ton, had actually been lifted by the sea and driven with force against the Beacon. In the course of these gales, also, the large cask-buoy, used as the moorings of the Tender, had broken adrift. During these gales, the Floating-light rolled very heavily, and had shipped several great seas, but nothing of any consequence happened in the way of damage to the vessel or her appurtenances.
Beacon now rendered very secure.
As the finishing of the Light-house, in the course of next season, depended wholly upon the stability of the Beacon, every possible attention was paid to its safety; and it was most satisfactory to learn, by Mr Watt’s report, that every thing about it continued in good order. On almost every visit during the two former winters, some of the bracing-chains were found in a broken state; but since the months of September and October last, when they were removed, and replaced with thirty-six great bars of iron bolted to the principal beams, as shown in [Plate VIII.], every thing had remained in a state of connected firmness.
Progress of the works at Arbroath.