“Saturday night at Sea.”
This being the first Saturday that the artificers were afloat, all hands were served with a glass of rum and water at night, to drink the sailors favourite toast of “Wives and Sweethearts.” It was customary, upon these occasions, for the seamen and artificers to collect in the galley, when the musical instruments were put in requisition; for, according to invariable practice, every man must play a tune, sing a song, or tell a story. In this manner Saturday night, in particular, passed away in a very happy manner, when much boisterous mirth and loud peals of laughter occasionally broke forth. It is true, that this could not proceed from a single glass, but every man sat down with a determination to be pleased. They had, besides, a pretty liberal allowance of good small beer, which the rations of the sick increased; and they contrived to make the glass go round, and seemed to feel no want whatever, while the ship kept from her excessive rolling motion.
Sunday, 23d.
The operations at the Bell Rock were still fortunate with regard to the weather. The morning of Sunday set in with light airs from the south-west, which, towards mid-day, came to what sailors term fresh breezes, but towards evening it fell calm, and the weather became foggy.
Reasons for continuing the work on Sunday.
To some, it may require an apology, or, at least, call for an explanation, why the writer took upon himself to step aside from the established rules of society, by carrying on the works of this undertaking during Sundays. Such practices are not uncommon in the dock-yards and arsenals, when it is conceived that the public service requires extraordinary exertions. Surely, if, under any circumstances, it is allowable to go about the ordinary labours of mankind on Sundays, that of the erection of a light-house upon the Bell Rock, seems to be one of the most pressing calls which could in any case occur, and carries along with it the imperious language of necessity. When we take into consideration, that, in its effects, this work was to operate in a direct manner for the safety of many valuable lives and much property, the beautiful and simple parables of the Holy Scriptures, inculcating works of necessity and mercy, must present themselves to every mind unbiassed by the trammels of form or the influence of a distorted imagination. In this perilous work, to give up every seventh day, would just have been to protract the time a seventh part. Now, as it was generally supposed, after taking all advantages into view, that the work would probably require seven years for its execution, such an arrangement must have extended the operation to at least eight years, and have exposed it to additional risk and danger, in all its stages. The writer, therefore, felt little scruple in continuing the Bell Rock works in all favourable states of the weather.
Preparations for reading prayers on deck.
Having, on the previous evening, arranged matters with the landing-master as to the business of the day, the signal was rung for all hands at half past 7 this morning. In the early state of the spring-tides, the artificers went to the rock before breakfast, but as the tides fell later in the day, it became necessary to take this meal before leaving the ship. At 8 o’clock all hands were assembled on the quarter-deck for prayers, a solemnity which was gone through in as orderly a manner as circumstances would admit. Round the quarter-deck, when the weather permitted, the flags of the ship were hung up as an awning or screen, forming the quarter-deck into a distinct compartment with colours; the pendant was also hoisted at the main-mast, and a large ensign flag was displayed over the stern; and, lastly, the ship’s companion, or top of the staircase, was covered with the flag proper of the Light-house Service, on which the Bible was laid. A particular toll of the bell called all hands to the quarter-deck, when the writer read a chapter of the Bible, and, the whole ship’s company being uncovered, he also read the following impressive prayer, composed by the Reverend Dr Brunton, one of the ministers of Edinburgh.