1823.

Severe storm. Carrier-pigeon sent from the Rock.

The year 1823 set in with perhaps as severe a storm as has occurred on this coast since the Light-house was erected. The Pharos, in the course of her attendance on the Rock, was driven first into the Firth of Tay, and thereafter into the Forth, where she was forced to anchor above Queensferry, about 70 miles from her station; and in the course of the winter, it was fully two months before she could effect a landing at the Light-house. The only accident, however, which happened during that period, was the breaking of the ratchet-wheel spring, which keeps the reflector-frame in motion, while the machinery is winding up. Though only of a trivial nature, and unconnected with the stormy effects of the sea, it nevertheless created considerable alarm among the families of the Light-keepers ashore, as the signal-ball was very properly kept down upon this occasion. Their anxiety, however, was relieved in the course of the day, by the arrival of a carrier-pigeon, with a billet from the principal light-keeper, intimating what had happened. A pair of these curious birds had originally been presented to the establishment by Captain Samuel Brown of the Royal Navy. They have now multiplied considerably; and two or more are generally conveyed to the Rock at every trip of the Tender, and let off occasionally for amusement. Their flight between the Light-house and the Signal-tower at Arbroath, upwards of 11 miles, has been ascertained to have been at the rate of about one mile per minute.

Expence and cubic contents of the Work.

In concluding these details, it may be proper to state, from the Abstract Accounts of the expence, quantity of materials, and description of workmanship, given in Appendix, No. [VI.], that the expence of this important national work amounted to L. 61,331:9:2; and that the cubical contents of the materials used in its erection were about 28,530 feet, and would weigh about 2078 tons.

General View of the Bell Rock Works.

Drawn by G. C. Scott from a Painting by A. Carse.

Engraved by Willm. Miller.