Monday, 9th.
Last cargo of stone shipped at Arbroath.
At Arbroath, the Patriot had now loaded the last cargo of building materials from that port, consisting of 65 pieces of stone, 4 dove-tailed joggles, 18 casks of pozzolano, lime, sand, and cement, with three cart-loads of timber, and the necessary supplies of provisions for the Tender and Beacon-house. From the interest which the inhabitants of Arbroath took in all that concerned the Bell Rock Light-house, it soon became generally known that the last cargo from the work-yard was loading. Upon this occasion, the ships in the harbour hoisted their colours, in compliment to the approaching termination of the works; and, at 7 P. M., a great concourse of people collected on the quays, who united in giving three hearty cheers, as the Patriot sailed from the harbour. At the Bell Rock, the building-artificers were at a stand to-day for want of materials, and were employed in dressing off and polishing the interior of the building, while the landing-master’s crew were removing lumber from the Rock, which, for the present, was put on board of the Tender. The joiners and mill-wrights were occupied in framing a centre for building the dome-roof of the library.
Tuesday, 10th.
The Patriot reached her moorings this morning, but it was then blowing a fresh gale from W.S.W., and the Tender’s boat had much difficulty in getting her hawser reeved through the eye-bolt of the floating-buoy. No materials could be landed on the Rock to-day.
Wednesday, 11th.
The weather being moderate, with the wind at S.E., the landing-master’s crew proceeded this morning to discharge the Patriot at the early hour of 3 o’clock; and in the course of the day, 30 blocks and 2 dove-tailed joggles of stone, and 7 casks of pozzolano, lime, and sand, were landed, besides some timber, which occupied them till 8 o’clock P. M., with little intermission. During this time also, the artificers laid the Seventy-third course, consisting of 16 stones.
Thursday, 12th.
Library Floor laid.
The building-artificers laid the Seventy-fourth course to-day, being the floor of the library or strangers’ room, which, like the others, consisted altogether of 18 stones; but of the floor courses, as before noticed, only sixteen stones were laid in the first instance, the centre and the stone connected with the man-hole being left for the conveniency of moving the machinery as the building advanced in height. The seamen landed 25 blocks of stone, and the remaining 2 dove-tailed joggles which discharged the Patriot; and at 2 P. M. she sailed for Leith, to load a cargo of the upper courses of the Light-house, which had been worked at Edinburgh. The artificers on the Rock were now reduced to 22, there having been 6 of their number sent ashore at this time. The Smeaton having loaded 48 stones at Leith, with sundry other materials, arrived to-day at the Bell Rock; but the praams were still at their moorings, loaded with part of the former cargo, which the builders could not yet receive.