The Yacht, when last at the Rock, brought a letter from Mr Forrest, in answer to a number of queries, on points to which his attention had been directed, during his residence in the Light-house. He replied with so much intelligence and correctness of observation, that it may be proper here to give his letter verbatim.
Bell Rock Light-house, 14th March 1811.
“SIR,
“I received your letter of the 7th of January, desiring me to give you an account of every particular occurrence at the Bell Rock during the winter, including the effects of the sea on the building, the comfortableness of the Light-house as a dwelling, and the ability of the light-keepers for their duty. In answer, I will now endeavour to give you the information wanted, which I shall do in the order of the particulars which you sent me, having, in consequence of your instructions, noticed every thing about the place.
Effects of the sea on the building.
“Nothing extraordinary happened from the time I came here, on the 15th day of December, till the 1st day of February, when the house was lighted to the public. On that night, it appeared as if nature, on the first lighting of the house, were making trial of the sufficiency of the building. During all that night and the following day, there was nothing to be seen but the sea covered with foam as far as the eye could reach. The only damage we sustained, was the loosening of a number of the panes of glass, which I noticed to you in a former letter. During the gale, the sprays did not rise higher than the bed-room windows, or about 70 feet above the level of the sea. I paid particular attention to your directions, as to whether I could feel the house shake; but I was not then very sensible of this effect, the tides being neap, though, at the time of high-water, there was a kind of vibration felt when the sea did not break till it reached the building. The most sensible feeling, however, of this kind which we have, is when there is a very heavy ground-swell after a gale at N.E. On these occasions, the sea rises at intervals on the building, till the sprays are stopped in their course upwards by the cornice; but this only happens when the heavy swell occurs with spring-tides. On the 15th of February, we felt the vibration very sensibly, which had not so much the effect of shaking, as that of the tremor produced by the striking of the alarm bells, on the balcony of the Light-house, in foggy weather, when the storm-shutters, windows, and hatches are shut. During some gales from the S.E., especially when the wind continues two or three days from that quarter, the seas rise to a great height. At high-water, on these occasions, I have observed the Beacon-house, for perhaps a second or two, completely covered with waves and sprays. But every thing about that fabric remains quite entire, without the least damage that I can discover.
State of the Wagon-ways.
“I have done all in my power, with the assistance of the light-keepers, to preserve the waggon-ways, and we have frequently forgot ourselves in working at them, till the tide was too far advanced; and, in stormy weather, have been obliged to make a precipitate retreat up the rope-ladder, after a complete wetting. Some of the reaches are notwithstanding much broken up, and it will be a great pity if the remainder do not stand till the summer months, when they can be properly secured; for, at times, in the course of this winter, the Tender’s boat has brought us supplies, when, but for the waggon-ways, it would have been just the same as going to destruction, to have attempted a landing.
Remarkable effects of the sea in lifting a piece of lead.
“I often take pleasure in looking at the seas breaking upon the Light-house, and it is awfully grand, at the time of high-water, to observe the sprays rising to such a height on the building, and even to be on the Rock at low-water, when the waves are about to break. Being in a manner only a few yards distant, they approach as if they were about to overwhelm us altogether. But now that we are accustomed to such scenes, we think little of it. You will perhaps form a better idea of the force of the sea, during these gales, when I relate to you, that, on the 15th of February, the large piece of lead that was used as the back weight of the balance-crane, weighing 4 cwt. 3 qrs. 17 lb., or nearly a quarter of a ton, was fairly lifted by the sea, and carried to the distance of six feet from the hole, in which it had lain since the month of August. It was now found turned with the ring-bolt downwards, and it was with great difficulty that four of us could muster strength enough to return it to its former shelf in the Rock.