records of a family of engineers-第16部分

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rk　on　the　rock；　which　they　figured　to　themselves　as　a　state　of　comparative　ease　and　comfort。'

I　am　now　for　many　pages　to　let　my　grandfather　speak　for　himself；　and　tell　in　his　own　words　the　story　of　his　capital　achievement。　　The　tall　quarto　of　533　pages　from　which　the　following　narrative　has　been　dug　out　is　practically　unknown　to　the　general　reader；　yet　good　judges　have　perceived　its　merit；　and　it　has　been　named　（with　flattering　wit）　‘The　Romance　of　Stone　and　Lime'　and　‘The　Robinson　Crusoe　of　Civil　Engineering。'　　The　tower　was　but　four　years　in　the　building；　it　took　Robert　Stevenson；　in　the　midst　of　his　many　avocations；　no　less　than　fourteen　to　prepare　the　ACCOUNT。　　The　title…page　is　a　solid　piece　of　literature　of　upwards　of　a　hundred　words；　the　table　of　contents　runs　to　thirteen　pages；　and　the　dedication　（to　that　revered　monarch；　George　IV）　must　have　cost　him　no　little　study　and　correspondence。　　Walter　Scott　was　called　in　council；　and　offered　one　miscorrection　which　still　blots　the　page。　　In　spite　of　all　this　pondering　and　filing；　there　remain　pages　not　easy　to　construe；　and　inconsistencies　not　easy　to　explain　away。　　I　have　sought　to　make　these　disappear；　and　to　lighten　a　little　the　baggage　with　which　my　grandfather　marches；　here　and　there　I　have　rejointed　and　rearranged　a　sentence；　always　with　his　own　words；　and　all　with　a　reverent　and　faithful　hand；　and　I　offer　here　to　the　reader　the　true　Monument　of　Robert　Stevenson　with　a　little　of　the　moss　removed　from　the　inscription；　and　the　Portrait　of　the　artist　with　some　superfluous　canvas　cut　away。


I　…　OPERATIONS　OF　1807


＇Sunday；　16th　Aug。＇

Everything　being　arranged　for　sailing　to　the　rock　on　Saturday　the　15th；　the　vessel　might　have　proceeded　on　the　Sunday；　but　understanding　that　this　would　not　be　so　agreeable　to　the　artificers　it　was　deferred　until　Monday。　　Here　we　cannot　help　observing　that　the　men　allotted　for　the　operations　at　the　rock　seemed　to　enter　upon　the　undertaking　with　a　degree　of　consideration　which　fully　marked　their　opinion　as　to　the　hazardous　nature　of　the　undertaking　on　which　they　were　about　to　enter。　　They　went　in　a　body　to　church　on　Sunday；　and　whether　it　was　in　the　ordinary　course；　or　designed　for　the　occasion；　the　writer　is　not　certain；　but　the　service　was；　in　many　respects；　suitable　to　their　circumstances。

＇Monday；　17th　Aug。＇

The　tide　happening　to　fall　late　in　the　evening　of　Monday　the　17th；　the　party；　counting　twenty…four　in　number；　embarked　on　board　of　the　SMEATON　about　ten　o'clock　p。m。；　and　sailed　from　Arbroath　with　a　gentle　breeze　at　west。　　Our　ship's　colours　having　been　flying　all　day　in　compliment　to　the　commencement　of　the　work；　the　other　vessels　in　the　harbour　also　saluted；　which　made　a　very　gay　appearance。　　A　number　of　the　friends　and　acquaintances　of　those　on　board　having　been　thus　collected；　the　piers；　though　at　a　late　hour；　were　perfectly　crowded；　and　just　as　the　SMEATON　cleared　the　harbour；　all　on　board　united　in　giving　three　hearty　cheers；　which　were　returned　by　those　on　shore　in　such　good　earnest；　that；　in　the　still　of　the　evening；　the　sound　must　have　been　heard　in　all　parts　of　the　town；　re…echoing　from　the　walls　and　lofty　turrets　of　the　venerable　Abbey　of　Aberbrothwick。　　The　writer　felt　much　satisfaction　at　the　manner　of　this　parting　scene；　though　he　must　own　that　the　present　rejoicing　was；　on　his　part；　mingled　with　occasional　reflections　upon　the　responsibility　of　his　situation；　which　extended　to　the　safety　of　all　who　should　be　engaged　in　this　perilous　work。　　With　such　sensations　he　retired　to　his　cabin；　but　as　the　artificers　were　rather　inclined　to　move　about　the　deck　than　to　remain　in　their　confined　berths　below；　his　repose　was　transient；　and　the　vessel　being　small　every　motion　was　necessarily　heard。　　Some　who　were　musically　inclined　occasionally　sung；　but　he　listened　with　peculiar　pleasure　to　the　sailor　at　the　helm；　who　hummed　over　Dibdin's　characteristic　air：…

‘They　say　there's　a　Providence　sits　up　aloft；　To　keep　watch　for　the　life　of　poor　Jack。'

＇Tuesday；　18th　Aug。＇

The　weather　had　been　very　gentle　all　night；　and；　about　four　in　the　morning　of　the　18th；　the　SMEATON　anchored。　Agreeably　to　an　arranged　plan　of　operations；　all　hands　were　called　at　five　o'clock　a。m。；　just　as　the　highest　part　of　the　Bell　Rock　began　to　show　its　sable　head　among　the　light　breakers；　which　occasionally　whitened　with　the　foaming　sea。　The　two　boats　belonging　to　the　floating　light　attended　the　SMEATON；　to　carry　the　artificers　to　the　rock；　as　her　boat　could　only　accommodate　about　six　or　eight　sitters。　　Every　one　was　more　eager　than　his　neighbour　to　leap　into　the　boats　and　it　required　a　good　deal　of　management　on　the　part　of　the　coxswains　to　get　men　unaccustomed　to　a　boat　to　take　their　places　for　rowing　and　at　the　same　time　trimming　her　properly。　The　landing…master　and　foreman　went　into　one　boat；　while　the　writer　took　charge　of　another；　and　steered　it　to　and　from　the　rock。　　This　became　the　more　necessary　in　the　early　stages　of　the　work；　as　places　could　not　be　spared　for　more　than　two；　or　at　most　three　seamen　to　each　boat；　who　were　always　stationed；　one　at　the　bow；　to　use　the　boat…hook　in　fending　or　pushing　off；　and　the　other　at　the　aftermost　oar；　to　give　the　proper　time　in　rowing；　while　the　middle　oars　were　double…banked；　and　rowed　by　the　artificers。

As　the　weather　was　extremely　fine；　with　light　airs　of　wind　from　the　east；　we　landed　without　difficulty　upon　the　central　part　of　the　rock　at　half…past　five；　but　the　water　had　not　yet　sufficiently　left　it　for　commencing　the　work。　　This　interval；　however；　did　not　pass　unoccupied。　　The　first　and　last　of　all　the　principal　operations　at　the　Bell　Rock　were　accompanied　by　three　hearty　cheers　from　all　hands；　and；　on　occasions　like　the　present；　the　steward　of　the　ship　attended；　when　each　man　was　regaled　with　a　glass　of　rum。　　As　the　water　left　the　rock　about　six；　some　began　to　bore　the　holes　for　the　great　bats　or　holdfasts；　for　fixing　the　beams　of　the　Beacon…　house；　while　the　smith　was　fully　attended　in　laying　out　the　site　of　his　forge；　upon　a　somewhat　sheltered　spot　of　the　rock；　which　also　recommended　itself　from　the　vicinity　of　a　pool　of　water　for　tempering　his　irons。　　These　preliminary　steps　occupied　about　an　hour；　and　as　nothing　further　could　be　done　during　this　tide　towards　fixing　the　forge；　the　workmen　gratified　their　curiosity　by　roaming　about　the　rock；　which　they　investigated　with　great　eagerness　till　the　tide　overflowed　it。　　Those　who　had　been　sick　picked　dulse　（FUCUS　PALMATUS）；　which　they　ate　with　much　seeming　appetite；　others　were　more　intent　upon　collecting　limpets　for　bait；　to　enjoy　the　amusement　of　fishing　when　they　returned　on　board　of　the　vessel。　　Indeed；　none　came　away　empty…handed；　as　everything　found　upon　the　Bell　Rock　was　considered　valuable；　being　connected　with　some　interesting　association。　　Several　coins；　and　numerous　bits　of　shipwrecked　iron；　were　picked　up；　of　almost　every　description；　and；　in　particular；　a　marking…iron　lettered　JAMES　…　a　circumstance　of　which　it　was　thought　proper　to　give　notice　to　the　public；　as　it　might　lead　to　the　knowledge　of　some　unfortunate　shipwreck；　perhaps　unheard　of　till　this　simple　occurrence　led　to　the　discovery。　　When　the　rock　began　to　be　overflowed；　the　landing…master　arranged　the　crews　of　the　respective　boats；　appointing　twelve　persons　to　each。　　According　to　a　rule　which　the　writer　had　laid　down　to　himself；　he　was　always　the　last　person　who　left　the　rock。

In　a　short　time　the　Bell　Rock　was　laid　completely　under　water；　and　the　weather　being　extremely　fine；　the　sea　was　so　smooth　that　its　place　could　not　be　pointed　out　from　the　appearance　of　the　surface　…　a　circumstance　which　sufficiently　demonstrates　the　dangerous　nature　of　this　rock；　even　during　the　day；　and　in　the　smoothest　and　calmest　state　of　the　sea。　During　the　interval　between　the　morning　and　the　evening　tides；　the　artificers　were　variously　employed　in　fishing　and　reading；　others　were　busy　in　drying　and　adjusting　their　wet　clothes；　and　one　or　two　amused　their　companions　with　the　violin　and　German　flute。

About　seven　in　the　evening　the　signal　bell　for　landing　on　the　rock　was　again　rung；　when　every　man　was　at　his　quarters。　In　this　service　it　was　thought　more　appropriate　to　use　the　bell　than　to　PIPE　to　quarters；　as　the　use　of　this　instrument　is　less　known　to　the　mechanic　than　the　sound　of　the　bell。　　The　landing；　as　in　the　morning；　was　at　the　eastern　harbour。　During　this　tide　the　seaweed　was　pretty　well　cleared　from　the　site　of　the　operations；　and　also　from　the　tracks　leading　to　the　different　landing…places；　for　walking　upon　the　rugged　surface　of　the　Bell　Rock；　when　covered　with　seaweed；　was　found　to　be　extremely　difficult　and　even　dangerous。　　Every　hand　that　could　possibly　be　occupied　now　employed　in　assisting　the　smith　to　fit　up　the　apparatus　for　his　forge。　　At　9　p。m。　the　boats　returned　to　the　tender；　after　other　two　hours'　work；　in　the　same　order　as　formerly　…　perhaps　as　much　gratified　with　the　success　that　attended　the　work　of　this　day　as　with　any　other　in　the　whole　course　of　the　operations。　　Although　it　could　not　he　said　that　the　fatigues　of　this　day　had　been　great；　yet　all　on　board　retired　early　to　rest。　　The　sea　being　calm；　and　no　movement　on　deck；　it　was　pretty　generally　remarked　in　the　morning　t