records of a family of engineers-第19部分

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　stanchions　of　iron。　　These　bats；　for　the　fixture　of　the　principal　and　diagonal　beams　and　bracing　chains；　required　fifty…four　holes；　each　measuring　two　inches　in　diameter　and　eighteen　inches　in　depth。　　There　had　already　been　so　considerable　a　progress　made　in　boring　and　excavating　the　holes　that　the　writer's　hopes　of　getting　the　beacon　erected　this　year　began　to　be　more　and　more　confirmed；　although　it　was　now　advancing　towards　what　was　considered　the　latter　end　of　the　proper　working　season　at　the　Bell　Rock。　　The　foreman　joiner；　Mr。　Francis　Watt；　was　accordingly　appointed　to　attend　at　the　rock　to…day；　when　the　necessary　levels　were　taken　for　the　step　or　seat　of　each　particular　beam　of　the　beacon；　that　they　might　be　cut　to　their　respective　lengths；　to　suit　the　inequalities　of　the　rock；　several　of　the　stanchions　were　also　tried　into　their　places；　and　other　necessary　observations　made；　to　prevent　mistakes　on　the　application　of　the　apparatus；　and　to　facilitate　the　operations　when　the　beams　came　to　be　set　up；　which　would　require　to　be　done　in　the　course　of　a　single　tide。

＇Tuesday；　25th　Aug。＇

We　had　now　experienced　an　almost　unvaried　tract　of　light　airs　of　easterly　wind；　with　clear　weather　in　the　fore…part　of　the　day　and　fog　in　the　evenings。　　To…day；　however；　it　sensibly　changed；　when　the　wind　came　to　the　south…west；　and　blew　a　fresh　breeze。　　At　nine　a。m。　the　bell　rung；　and　the　boats　were　hoisted　out；　and　though　the　artificers　were　now　pretty　well　accustomed　to　tripping　up　and　down　the　sides　of　the　floating　light；　yet　it　required　more　seamanship　this　morning　than　usual。　　It　therefore　afforded　some　merriment　to　those　who　had　got　fairly　seated　in　their　respective　boats　to　see　the　difficulties　which　attended　their　companions；　and　the　hesitating　manner　in　which　they　quitted　hold　of　the　man…ropes　in　leaving　the　ship。　　The　passage　to　the　rock　was　tedious；　and　the　boats　did　not　reach　it　till　half…past　ten。

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　Aug。＇

The　wind　had　shifted　this　morning　to　N。N。W。；　with　rain；　and　was　blowing　what　sailors　call　a　fresh　breeze。　　To　speak；　perhaps；　somewhat　more　intelligibly　to　the　general　reader；　the　wind　was　such　that　a　fishing…boat　could　just　carry　full　sail。　But　as　it　was　of　importance；　specially　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　eleven　the　boats　reached　the　rock；　and　left　it　again　at　a　quarter…past　twelve；　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。

Just　as　we　were　about　to　leave　the　rock　the　wind　shifted　to　the　S。W。；　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。　　It　is　a　curious　fact　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　that　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。

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。

＇Thursday；　27th　Aug。＇

The　tides　were　now　in　that　state　which　sailors　term　the　dead　of　the　neap；　and　it　was　not　expected　that　any　part　of　the　rock　would　be　seen　above　water　to…day；　at　any　rate；　it　was　obvious；　from　the　experience　of　yesterday；　that　no　work　could　be　done　upon　it；　and　therefore　the　artificers　were　not　required　to　land。　　The　wind　was　at　west；　with　light　breezes；　and　fine　clear　weather；　and　as　it　was　an　object　with　the　writer　to　know　the　actual　state　of　the　Bell　Rock　at　neap…　tides；　he　got　one　of　the　boats　manned；　and；　being　accompanied　by　the　landing…master；　went　to　it　at　a　quarter…past　twelve。　The　parts　of　the　rock　that　appeared　above　water　being　very　trifling；　were　covered　by　every　wave；　so　that　no　landing　was　made。　　Upon　trying　the　depth　of　water　with　a　boathook；　particularly　on　the　sites　of　the　lighthouse　and　beacon；　on　the　former；　at　low　water；　the　depth　was　found　to　be　three　feet；　and　on　the　central　parts　of　the　latter　it　was　ascertained　to　be　two　feet　eight　inches。　　Having　made　these　remarks；　the　boat　returned　to　the　ship　at　two　p。m。；　and　the　weather　being　good；　the　artificers　were　found　amusing　themselves　with　fishing。　The　SMEATON　came　from　Arbroath　this　afternoon；　and　made　fast　to　her　moorings；　having　brought　letters　and　newspapers；　with　parcels　of　clean　linen；　etc。；　for　the　workmen；　who　were　also　made　happy　by　the　arrival　of　three　of　their　comrades　from　the　workyard　ashore。　　From　these　men　they　not　only　received　all　the　news　of　the　workyard；　but　seemed　themselves　to　enjoy　great　pleasure　in　communicating　whatever　they　considered　to　be　interesting　with　regard　to　the　rock。　　Some　also　got　letters　from　their　friends　at　a　distance；　the　postage　of　which　for　the　men　afloat　was　always　free；　so　that　they　corresponded　the　more　readily。

The　site　of　the　building　having　already　been　carefully　traced　out　with　the　pick…axe；　the　artificers　this　day　commenced　the　excavation　of　the　rock　for　the　foundation　or　first　course　of　the　lighthouse。　　Four　men　only　were　employed　at　this　work；　while　twelve　continued　at　the　site　of　the　beacon…house；　at　which　every　possible　opportunity　was　embraced；　till　this　essential　art　of　the　operations　should　be　completed。

＇Wednesday；　2nd　Sept。＇

The　floating　light's　bell　rung　this　morning　at　half…past　four　o'clock；　as　a　signal　for　the　boats　to　be　got　ready；　and　the　landing　took　place　at　half…past　five。　　In　passing　the　SMEATON　at　her　moorings　near　the　rock；　her　boat　followed　with　eight　additional　artificers　who　had　come　from　Arbroath　with　her　at　last　trip；　but　there　being　no　room　for　them　in　the　floating　light's　boats；　they　had　continued　on　board。　　The　weather　did　not　look　very　promising　in　the　morning；　the　wind　blowing　pretty　fresh　from　W。S。W。：　and　had　it　not　been　that　the　writer　calculated　upon　having　a　vessel　so　much　at　command；　in　all　probability　he　would　not　have　ventured　to　land。　　The　SMEATON　rode　at　what　sailors　call　a　SALVAGEE；　with　a　cross…　head　made　fast　to　the　floating　buoy。　　This　kind　of　attachment　was　found　to　be　more　convenient　than　the　mode　of　passing　the　hawser　through　the　ring　of　the　buoy　when　the　vessel　was　to　be　made　fast。　　She　had　then　only　to　be　steered　very　close　to　the　buoy；　when　the　salvagee　was　laid　hold　of　with　a　boat…hook；　and　the　BITE　of　the　hawser　thrown　over　the　cross…head。　　But　the　salvagee；　by　this　method；　was　always　left　at　the　buoy；　and　was；　of　course；　more　liable　to　chafe　and　wear　th