The wind having shifted to the west, with moderate weather, the Yacht sailed from Arbroath to-day, to take charge of the Floating-light. Having accordingly received a hawser on board, she cast off the chain-cable moorings, on which a buoy was placed, it being impossible, at this time, to lift the mushroom-anchor. The wind was then at N.NE., and the crew were all extremely happy in the prospect of soon finishing their task, declaring that they had been more tired of the Floating-light during the last twelve days, than all the time they had been on board of her. At 10 P. M., the wind suddenly shifted to W.NW., and when abreast of the Island of May they wore-ship, for the Floating-light was so unmanageable that she could not be stayed or tacked in the usual manner. They then stood to the north shore, and anchored off Crail during the night, in seven fathoms water. On the 14th, the wind being still down the Firth , it occupied the whole period of the flood-tide to get about six miles to windward, and night coming on, Captains Wilson and Taylor concluded that it would be most prudent for them to put into Anstruther harbour, and there wait for a fair wind. While the Floating-light lay here, the Yacht made a trip to the Bell Rock, and relieved the Light-keepers, when all was found well.
Some of her Crew get married.
At Anstruther a great deal of interest was felt, and people even flocked from a considerable distance, to see a vessel which had been moored, for nearly four years, off the Bell Rock. The singularity and simplicity of her rigging attracted the attention particularly of nautical men, while the thick bed of sea-weed and shell-fish on her bottom, was matter of surprise to every one. The crew had also become so well acquainted in this port, and the neighbouring fishing-towns, that some of them had got married, and if the vessel had remained another week or two in port, the probability is that she would not have had an unmarried man on board.
State of the Floating-light’s bottom.
1811, March.
The Floating-light at length arrived at Leith, on the 8th of March, after a passage of no less than three weeks from her station. The account given of the marine productions on the ship’s bottom, had excited the curiosity of several of the writer’s friends; and, on her arrival, he was accompanied by the Reverend Dr Fleming of Flisk, Dr Leach of the British Museum, and Mr Patrick Neill, Secretary to the Wernerian Society, who examined, with great attention, the numerous crustaceous, testaceous and molluscous animals, and zoophytes, which still adhered in great numbers to her bottom. Mussels of the species called Mytilus pellucidus, were abundant: they were of a large size, the striæ on the shells measuring 3½ inches in length, by 1¼ inch in breadth. Some of the common acorn-shell, Balanus communis, were so large as 1½ inch in diameter. The sea-weeds were chiefly Fucus digitatus and esculentus, and were in general 4 or 5 feet in length. During the time the Floating-light had rode off the Bell Rock, the crew had made a regular practice of picking off considerable quantities of the mussels for fishing-bait for the several vessels in the Light-house service, and also for the artificers at the Rock. It was therefore chiefly in the runs and lower parts of the bottom, where they had never been disturbed, that the animals were in the greatest numbers; and here also the fuci were longest. Next to the keel, the writer measured a compact bed of these mussels and vermes, of the depth of from six to eight inches; and Captain Wilson, upon first seeing her bottom at Anstruther, described it in his letter to be a “complete mussel-scalp.” The timber of the ship, however, was quite sound.
Sunday, 24th.
The Light-keepers get their turns of liberty ashore.
The Light-house Yacht had no sooner got her troublesome charge safely into port, to be dismantled and sold, than she returned to the Rock, to supply the Light-house and shift the keepers; but such was the boisterous state of the weather, that no landing could be made till the 22d, when Mr John Reid relieved Mr John Bonyman, who went ashore in his turn. The Yacht then steered for Leith, when the command of that vessel was given to Captain Wilson, while Captain Taylor took charge of the Bell Rock Tender,—situations for which their services had respectively qualified them.
Letter from the Superintendant Light-keeper.