Last Stone of the Light-house laid.
At 12 noon, the bell rung for prayers, after which the artificers went to dinner, when the writer passed along the rope-ladder to the Light-house, and went through the several apartments, which were now cleared of lumber. In the afternoon, all hands were summoned to the interior of the house, when he had the satisfaction of laying the upper step of the stair, or last stone of the Building. This ceremony concluded with three cheers, the sound of which had a very loud and strange effect within the walls of the Light-house. At 6 o’clock Mr Peter Logan, and eleven of the artificers, embarked with the writer for Arbroath, leaving Mr James Glen with the special charge of the Beacon and Railways, Mr Robert Selkirk with the Building, with a few artificers to fit the temporary windows, to render the house habitable.
1810, October.
Tuesday, 4th.
Tender sails for Leith, to be sold.
At Arbroath, the building operations for the keepers’ houses were left under charge of Mr Peter Logan and Mr Lachlan Kennedy, when the writer proceeded for Greenock, to sail on his annual voyage to the Northern Light-houses. In passing the Floating-light this morning, he went on board, and examined that ship with Captain Wilson, and had the satisfaction to find every thing in the most orderly and cleanly condition. The sailors, with those feelings which usually accompany taking permanent leave of a vessel, hoisted an ensign flag on board of the Floating-light, as the Tender was now on her way to Leith to be dismantled and sold. The writer must also confess, that, on finally leaving the Sir Joseph Banks Tender, it was not without feelings of regret, as he had spent a considerable portion of the two last summers in this beautifully moulded ship.
A Praam-boat drifts from the Rock.
On the afternoon of the 5th, a signal was observed flying from the main-mast-head of the Floating-light, which created considerable alarm at Arbroath, when the Smeaton sailed to inquire into the cause. Upon hailing the Floating-light, Captain Wilson informed Mr Pool that the Hedderwick praam-boat had broke adrift from her moorings, and gave his opinion as to the course to be steered, in order to fall in with her. At 8 o’clock next morning she was observed a few leagues to the eastward, and taken in tow by the Smeaton, to be carried to Leith; but the wind being westerly, after getting above the Isle of May, she was obliged to anchor in Canty Bay, to the eastward of Tantallan Castle; and at noon on the 12th, she got safely into the harbour of Leith, after a very cross passage of six days.
Artificers for the erection of the Light-room landed.
The arrival of the Smeaton had for some days been anxiously watched, as the remaining parts of the Light-room were ready to ship for the Bell Rock. No time was therefore lost in getting her loaded; and, on Thursday the 13th, she again sailed with Mr Dove, and the artificers, who were to fit up the light-room; and on the following day the whole were landed at the Rock. The first operation was to put up a temporary rail round the balcony, with a few iron stanchions, and some ropes, for the safety of the workmen. Captain Wilson and his crew also erected a pair of sheers and a suitable tackle for lifting the cast-iron sash-frames from the balcony to the top of the parapet-wall.