The bell rung this morning at 5 o’clock, but the writer must acknowledge, from the circumstances of yesterday, that its sound was extremely unwelcome. This appears also to have been the feelings of the artificers, for when they came to be mustered, out of twenty-six, only eight, besides the foreman and seamen, appeared upon deck, to accompany the writer to the rock. Such are the baneful effects of any thing like misfortune or accident connected with a work of this description. The use of argument to persuade the men to embark, in cases of this kind, would have been out of place, as it is not only discomfort, or even the risk of the loss of a limb, but life itself, that becomes the question.
The boats proceed with eight.
The boats left the rock again at 10 o’clock, and the weather having cleared up as we drew near the vessel, the eighteen artificers who had remained on board were observed upon deck; but as the boats approached, they sought their way below, being quite ashamed of their conduct. This was the only instance of refusal to go to the rock which occurred during the whole progress of the work, excepting that of the four men who declined working upon Sunday, a case which the writer did not conceive to be at all analogous to the present. It may here be mentioned, much to the credit of these four men, that they stood foremost in embarking for the rock this morning. Indeed, it seemed quite evident, that the backwardness of the artificers to-day arose from certain doubting expressions about the state of the weather, made through the inadvertency of some of the nautical people on board, in allusion to the state of the weather of yesterday.
A second landing was made in the evening tide, at a quarter past 6, with twenty of the artificers, six having been left on board for want of sitting-room in the boats; but as the work was not carried on with torch-light, till after the erection of the beacon-house, the boats left the rock again at a quarter past 7, the men having been employed chiefly at the bat-holes of the beacon-house.
Friday, 4th.
All hands, twenty-six in number, landed this morning, having been assisted by the Smeaton’s boat, as she had again returned from Arbroath to her moorings at the rock. After three hours’ work, the boats returned to the Pharos at a quarter past 10, leaving eight hands on board the Smeaton, as formerly, which preserved a convenient complement of sitters in the other two boats.
Captain Pool’s account of the drifting of the Smeaton.
From the late accident of the Smeaton’s drifting, precautionary measures were taken to impress upon Captain Pool, and his mate Mr Macurich, that their ship was not once to be put in competition with the safety of the people on the rock. Orders were also more strictly enforced upon the landing-master, that on no occasion whatever should the boats attending the rock be permitted to leave it, without carrying along with them the complement of men which they respectively brought to the rock. Upon examining the master of the Smeaton as to the circumstances of his vessel breaking adrift, it appeared that the salvagee had been chaffed, and that it had given way by the excessive motion of the vessel. Being also examined as to his intentions with regard to the people left on the rock on the 2d instant, he stated, that, when tacking the ship, he had seen the Pilot-boat a considerable time before it was likely that she could be seen at the rock; and that he was just about to cut the praam adrift, when he got sight of the boat. After setting sail on the Smeaton, his intentions were to try a tack or two, to see if she gained to windward, but if, on trial, she appeared to lose way, his intentions were to lash the helm to leeward, and leaving the boy on board of the vessel, he was to man the boat and make towards our relief. Captain Pool, in concluding his account of this matter, added, that “both ship and praam should have gone to the d——l, rather than that the people upon the rock should have been left to perish.” But he stated, that he was in much confusion for a time;—indeed, until he got sight of the pilot boat, that he was almost in a state of distraction, he and his ship’s company being in a continual wrangle about what was best to be done in so critical a situation. This accident put an end to the mode of riding at the Bell Rock floating buoys by a salvagee and cross-head, the hawser being in future passed through the ring of the buoy, and the end of it taken on board of the vessel; which was found to be much more safe, though not quite so expeditious as the other.
Saturday, 5th.
The wind having shifted to N.NW., the weather had a favourable appearance this morning. But on landing at the rock at 7 A. M., there was a considerable swell from the eastward, so that the boats had some difficulty in approaching the eastern creek. The artificers, however, had a most excellent tide’s work, having continued four hours at work, or till 11 o’clock. The boring and preparations for the Beacon-house being nearly completed, only twelve of the artificers were employed at this work, while fourteen were excavating and preparing the site of the Light-house.