This morning about 8 o’clock, the writer was agreeably surprised to see the scuttle of his cabin sky-light removed, and the bright rays of the sun admitted. Although the ship continued to roll excessively, and the sea was still running very high, yet the ordinary business on board seemed to be going forward on deck. It was impossible to steady a telescope, so as to look minutely at the progress of the waves, and trace their breach upon the Bell Rock, but the height to which the cross-running waves rose in sprays, when they met each other, was truly grand, and the continued roar and noise of the sea was very perceptible to the ear. To estimate the height of the sprays at forty or fifty feet, would surely be within the mark. Those of the workmen who were not much afflicted with sea-sickness, came upon deck, and the wetness below being dried up, the cabins were again brought into a habitable state. Every one seemed to meet as if after a long absence, congratulating his neighbour upon the return of good weather. Little could be said as to the comfort of the vessel, but after riding out such a gale, no one felt the least doubt or hesitation as to the safety and good condition of her moorings. The master and mate were extremely anxious, however, to heave in the hempen cable, and see the state of the clinch or iron ring of the chain-cable. But the vessel rolled at such a rate, that the seamen could not possibly keep their feet at the windlass, nor work the hand-spokes, though it had been several times attempted since the gale took off.
Floating-Light breaks adrift.
About 12 noon, however, the vessel’s motion was observed to be considerably less, and the sailors were enabled to walk upon deck with some degree of freedom. But, to the astonishment of every one, it was soon discovered that the floating-light was adrift! The windlass was instantly manned, and the men soon gave out that there was no strain upon the cable. The mizzen sail, which was bent for the occasional purpose of making the vessel ride more easily to the tide, was immediately set, and the other sails were also hoisted in a short time, when, in no small consternation, we bore away, about one mile to the south-westward of the former station, and there let go the best bower anchor and cable in twenty fathoms water, to ride until the swell of the sea should fall, when it might be practicable to grapple for the moorings, and find a better anchorage for the ship.
Cable supposed to have been cut by a piece of wreck.
As soon as the deck could be cleared, the cable-end was hove up, which had parted at the distance of about fifty fathoms from the chain-moorings. On examining the cable, it was found to be considerably chafed, but where the separation took place, it appeared to be worn through, or cut shortly off. How to account for this would be difficult, as the ground, though rough and gravelly, did not, after much sounding, appear to contain any irregular parts. It was therefore conjectured, that the cable must have hooked some piece of wreck, as it did not appear, from the state of the wind and tide, that the vessel could have fouled her anchor, when she veered round with the wind, which had shifted, in the course of the night, from NE. to N.NW. Be this as it may, it was a circumstance quite out of the power of man to prevent, as, until the ship drifted, it was found impossible to heave up the cable. But what ought to have been the feeling of thankfulness to that Providence which regulates and appoints the lot of man, when it is considered, that if this accident had happened during the storm, or in the night after the wind had shifted, the floating-light must inevitably have gone ashore upon the Bell Rock. In short, it is hardly possible to conceive any case more awfully distressing than our situation would have been, or one more disastrous to the important undertaking in which we were engaged.
In the present untoward state of things, the writer had chiefly to regret the necessity of making a permanent change in the position of the moorings of the floating-light, after her station had been publicly advertised, and within a week of the time of exhibiting the light. It had also become more evident that this vessel could not be continued as a tender or store-ship for the work. The object of consideration, therefore, was to place her in a situation where she would be most useful to shipping. It was evident that she must now be stationed at about double her former distance from the rock, or, instead of one mile, that she must be moored upwards of two miles from it, on ground formerly ascertained to have been good, but considered too distant from the operations.
Difficulty of manning the Floating-light.
In the evening the Smeaton came off from Arbroath, with provisions and necessaries for the work. There being little wind, and a heavy swell in the sea, it was not safe that the vessels should come in contact with each other. Mr Macurich, the mate, who came within hail, in the Smeaton’s boat, informed us, that two seamen had come off to make up the complement of the crew of the floating-light, and that they would be brought on board the first opportunity. From the manner in which this address was made, and the enquiry as to how we rode out the gale, it was evident that the crew of the Smeaton were not aware that the floating-light had shifted her place; nor, indeed, was this at all obvious, unless by a particular observation made by the mariner’s compass, in reference to the position of the rock.
The peculiarity of this service rendered it difficult to procure good seamen to embark in it, and the original crew dropped off one after another as the winter season began to advance; for as yet our naval heroes had not shewn the possibility of remaining for months together, even off an enemy’s coast. It was therefore found to be an extremely difficult matter to get the crew of the floating-light recruited from time to time; and, under the perplexity of our present situation, it was some alleviation to be told that there were men voluntarily offering their services.