The masons and pickmen were employed in boring the bat-holes, and in dressing and preparing the rock between the holes, at the places on which the beams of the beacon-house were to rest. It being now the period of neap-tides, the water only partially left the rock, and some of the men, who were boring on the lower ledges of the site of the beacon, stood knee-deep in water. The situation of the smith to-day was particularly disagreeable, but his services were at all times indispensable. As the tide did not leave the site of the forge, he stood in the water, and as there was some roughness on the surface, it was with considerable difficulty that, with the assistance of the sailors, he was enabled to preserve alive his fire; and, while his feet were immersed in water, his face was not only scorched, but continually exposed to volumes of smoke, accompanied with sparks from the fire, which were occasionally set up, owing to the strength and direction of the wind.
Wednesday, 26th.
Wind-gauge, and nomenclature for the winds much wanted.
The wind had shifted this morning to N. NW. with rain, and was blowing what sailors call a fresh breeze,—for as yet a correct and efficient wind-gauge remains a desideratum with the mechanical philosopher; and we have unfortunately no proper or satisfactory nomenclature for expressing the force of the wind. To speak, perhaps, somewhat intelligibly to the general reader, the wind was such, that a fishing-boat could just carry full sail. The weather did not look very favourable in the morning; but as it was of importance, especially in the outset of the business, to keep up the spirit of enterprise for landing on all practicable occasions, the writer, after consulting with the landing-master, ordered the bell to be rung for embarking, and at half-past 11 the boats reached the rock, and left it again at a quarter past 12, without, however, being able to do much work, as the smith could not be set to work from the smallness of the ebb and the strong breach of sea, which lashed with great force among the bars of the forge.
Difficult passage from the Rock to the Floating-Light.
Just as we were about to leave the rock, the wind shifted to the SW., and, from a fresh gale, it became what seamen term a hard gale, or such as would have required the fisherman to take in two or three reefs in his sail. The boats being rather in a crowded state for this sort of weather, they were pulled with great difficulty towards the floating-light. Though the boats were handsomely built, and presented little obstruction to the wind, as those who were not pulling sat low, yet having the ebb-tide to contend with, the passage was so very tedious, that it required two hours of hard work before we reached the vessel.
It is a curious fact, before noticed, that the respective tides of ebb and flood are apparent upon the shore about an hour and a half sooner than at the distance of three or four miles in the offing. But what seems chiefly interesting here is, that the tides around this small sunken rock should follow exactly the same laws as on the extensive shores of the mainland. When the boats left the Bell Rock to-day, it was overflowed by the flood-tide, but the floating-light did not swing round to the flood-tide for more than an hour afterwards. Under this disadvantage the boats had to struggle with the ebb-tide and a hard gale of wind, so that it was with the greatest difficulty they reached the floating-light. Had this gale happened in spring-tides when the current was strong, we must have been driven to sea in a very helpless condition.
Life-buoy streamed.
The boat which the writer steered, was considerably behind the other, one of the masons having unluckily broken his oar. Our prospect of getting on board, of course, became doubtful, and our situation was rather perilous, as the boat shipped so much sea that it occupied two of the artificers to bale and clear her of water. When the oar gave way, we were about half a mile from the ship, but being fortunately to windward, we got into the wake of the floating-light, at about 250 fathoms astern, just as the Landing-master’s boat reached the vessel. He immediately streamed or floated a life-buoy astern, with a line which was always in readiness, and by means of this useful implement, the boat was towed alongside of the floating-light, where, from her rolling motion, it required no small management to get safely on board, as the men were much worn out with their exertions in pulling from the rock. On the present occasion, the crews of both boats were completely drenched with spray, and those who sat upon the bottom of the boats to bale them, were sometimes pretty deep in the water, before it could be cleared out. After getting on board, all hands were allowed an extra dram, and having shifted, and got a warm and comfortable dinner, the affair, it is believed, was little more thought of.
Tender ordered exclusively for the service of the Rock.