“May the sons and daughters of affliction be enabled to profit by the bitter lesson with which thou hast seen it meet to visit them. Restore the sick to usefulness, or prepare the dying for judgment and eternity. May the living lay it to heart that they must die, and act as it becometh those who know not how soon they shall be called hence.
“Our friends and families, from whom we are separated for a time, we commit to thy protection, O God of love! Unspeakably precious is the thought, that thou carest for them,—that thine eye is upon them continually,—and thine everlasting arms around them. Grant that, in thy good time, we may meet them in peace;—Grant that we may be united hereafter in that land where separation and pain are unknown for ever.
“Our enemies we beseech thee to forgive and bless. Bless us, even us also, O our Father! Give us thy grace in every season of trial;—give us thy protection in every hour of danger. Prepare us for the dispensations of thy Providence;—prepare us for the discharge of duty;—prepare us for the inheritance of the just.
“And may grace, and mercy, and peace, from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be with us for ever.”
Some of the artificers decline working on Sunday.
Upon concluding this service, which was attended with becoming reverence and attention, all on board retired to their respective births to breakfast, and, at half-past 9, the bell again rung for the artificers to take their stations in their respective boats. Some demur having been evinced on board, about the propriety of working on Sunday, which had hitherto been touched upon as delicately as possible, all hands being called aft, the writer, from the quarter deck, stated generally the nature of the service, expressing his hopes that every man would feel himself called upon to consider the erection of a light-house on the Bell Rock, in every point of view, as a work of necessity and mercy. He knew that scruples had existed with some, and these had, indeed, been fairly and candidly urged before leaving the shore; but it was expected, that, after having seen the critical nature of the rock, and the necessity of the measure, every man would now be satisfied of the propriety of embracing all opportunities of landing on the rock, when the state of the weather would permit; and, in short, of exerting every effort in this as a common cause, at least until the Beacon should be erected, being an undertaking, on which the lives and safety of all connected with these works had a constant dependence. The writer, farther, took them to witness, that it did not proceed from want of respect for the appointments and established forms of religion that he had himself adopted the resolution of attending the Bell Rock works on the Sunday; but, as he hoped, from a conviction that it was his bounden duty, on the strictest principles of morality. At the same time it was intimated, that if any were of a different opinion, they should be perfectly at liberty to hold their sentiments, without the imputation of contumacy or disobedience; the only difference would be in regard to the pay.
Upon stating this much, he stepped into his boat, requesting all who were so disposed to follow him. The sailors, from their habits, found no scruple on this subject, and all of the artificers, though a little tardy, also embarked, excepting four of the masons, who, from the beginning, mentioned that they would decline working on Sundays. The boats reached the rock at a quarter past 10 o’clock A. M., and after a very active tide’s work of two hours and a half, the water again overflowed the rock. It may here be noticed, that throughout the whole of the operations, it was observable that the men wrought, if possible, with more keenness upon the Sundays than at other times, from an impression that they were engaged in a work of imperious necessity, which required every possible exertion. On returning to the floating-light, after finishing the tide’s work, the boats were received by the part of the ship’s crew left on board, with the usual attention of handing ropes to the boats, and helping the artificers on board; but the four masons who had absented themselves from the work did not appear upon deck.
Additional pay on Sunday.
As the season advanced, the period of low water occurred later, and the writer did not consider it advisable, in the present state of the works, to land on the rock under night, there being nothing to mark its place prior to the erection of the Beacon. Under more favourable circumstances, he would willingly have landed this evening, to entitle the artificers who accompanied him in the morning, to additional wages, as every tide’s work on Sunday counted a day, according to the rate of pay and premiums which he had laid down.
Monday, 24th.