records of a family of engineers-第26部分

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mbles　had　taken　place。　In　the　meantime　the　writer　took　the　necessary　levels；　and　having　carefully　examined　the　site　of　the　building　and　considered　all　its　parts；　it　still　appeared　to　be　necessary　to　excavate　to　the　average　depth　of　fourteen　inches　over　the　whole　area　of　the　foundation。

＇Saturday；　28th　May＇

The　wind　still　continued　from　the　eastward　with　a　heavy　swell；　and　to…day　it　was　accompanied　with　foggy　weather　and　occasional　showers　of　rain。　　Notwithstanding　this；　such　was　the　confidence　which　the　erection　of　the　beacon　had　inspired　that　the　boats　landed　the　artificers　on　the　rock　under　very　unpromising　circumstances；　at　half…past　eight；　and　they　continued　at　work　till　half…past　eleven；　being　a　period　of　three　hours；　which　was　considered　a　great　tide's　work　in　the　present　low　state　of　the　foundation。　　Three　of　the　masons　on　board　were　so　afflicted　with　sea…sickness　that　they　had　not　been　able　to　take　any　food　for　almost　three　days；　and　they　were　literally　assisted　into　the　boats　this　morning　by　their　companions。　　It　was；　however；　not　a　little　surprising　to　see　how　speedily　these　men　revived　upon　landing　on　the　rock　and　eating　a　little　dulse。　　Two　of　them　afterwards　assisted　the　sailors　in　collecting　the　chips　of　stone　and　carrying　them　out　of　the　way　of　the　pickmen；　but　the　third　complained　of　a　pain　in　his　head；　and　was　still　unable　to　do　anything。　　Instead　of　returning　to　the　tender　with　the　boats；　these　three　men　remained　on　the　beacon　all　day；　and　had　their　victuals　sent　to　them　along　with　the　smiths'。　　From　Mr。　Dove；　the　foreman　smith；　they　had　much　sympathy；　for　he　preferred　remaining　on　the　beacon　at　all　hazards；　to　be　himself　relieved　from　the　malady　of　sea…sickness。　　The　wind　continuing　high；　with　a　heavy　sea；　and　the　tide　falling　late；　it　was　not　judged　proper　to　land　the　artificers　this　evening；　but　in　the　twilight　the　boats　were　sent　to　fetch　the　people　on　board　who　had　been　left　on　the　rock。

＇Sunday；　29th　May＇

The　wind　was　from　the　S。W。　to…day；　and　the　signal…bell　rung；　as　usual；　about　an　hour　before　the　period　for　landing　on　the　rock。　　The　writer　was　rather　surprised；　however；　to　hear　the　landing…master　repeatedly　call；　‘All　hands　for　the　rock！'　and；　coming　on　deck；　he　was　disappointed　to　find　the　seamen　only　in　the　boats。　　Upon　inquiry；　it　appeared　that　some　misunderstanding　had　taken　place　about　the　wages　of　the　artificers　for　Sundays。　　They　had　preferred　wages　for　seven　days　statedly　to　the　former　mode　of　allowing　a　day　for　each　tide's　work　on　Sunday；　as　they　did　not　like　the　appearance　of　working　for　double　or　even　treble　wages　on　Sunday；　and　would　rather　have　it　understood　that　their　work　on　that　day　arose　more　from　the　urgency　of　the　case　than　with　a　view　to　emolument。　　This　having　been　judged　creditable　to　their　religious　feelings；　and　readily　adjusted　to　their　wish；　the　boats　proceeded　to　the　rock；　and　the　work　commenced　at　nine　a。m。

＇Monday；　30th　May＇

Mr。　Francis　Watt　commenced；　with　five　joiners；　to　fit　up　a　temporary　platform　upon　the　beacon；　about　twenty…five　feet　above　the　highest　part　of　the　rock。　　This　platform　was　to　be　used　as　the　site　of　the　smith's　forge；　after　the　beacon　should　be　fitted　up　as　a　barrack；　and　here　also　the　mortar　was　to　be　mixed　and　prepared　for　the　building；　and　it　was　accordingly　termed　the　Mortar　Gallery。

The　landing…master's　crew　completed　the　discharging　from　the　SMEATON　of　her　cargo　of　the　cast…iron　rails　and　timber。　It　must　not　here　be　omitted　to　notice　that　the　SMEATON　took　in　ballast　from　the　Bell　Rock；　consisting　of　the　shivers　or　chips　of　stone　produced　by　the　workmen　in　preparing　the　site　of　the　building；　which　were　now　accumulating　in　great　quantities　on　the　rock。　　These　the　boats　loaded；　after　discharging　the　iron。　The　object　in　carrying　off　these　chips；　besides　ballasting　the　vessel；　was　to　get　them　permanently　out　of　the　way；　as　they　were　apt　to　shift　about　from　place　to　place　with　every　gale　of　wind；　and　it　often　required　a　considerable　time　to　clear　the　foundation　a　second　time　of　this　rubbish。　　The　circumstance　of　ballasting　a　ship　at　the　Bell　Rock　afforded　great　entertainment；　especially　to　the　sailors；　and　it　was　perhaps　with　truth　remarked　that　the　SMEATON　was　the　first　vessel　that　had　ever　taken　on　board　ballast　at　the　Bell　Rock。　　Mr。　Pool；　the　commander　of　this　vessel；　afterwards　acquainted　the　writer　that；　when　the　ballast　was　landed　upon　the　quay　at　Leith；　many　persons　carried　away　specimens　of　it；　as　part　of　a　cargo　from　the　Bell　Rock；　when　he　added；　that　such　was　the　interest　excited；　from　the　number　of　specimens　carried　away；　that　some　of　his　friends　suggested　that　he　should　have　sent　the　whole　to　the　Cross　of　Edinburgh；　where　each　piece　might　have　sold　for　a　penny。

＇Tuesday；　31st　May＇

In　the　evening　the　boats　went　to　the　rock；　and　brought　the　joiners　and　smiths；　and　their　sickly　companions；　on　board　of　the　tender。　　These　also　brought　with　them　two　baskets　full　of　fish；　which　they　had　caught　at　high…water　from　the　beacon；　reporting；　at　the　same　time；　to　their　comrades；　that　the　fish　were　swimming　in　such　numbers　over　the　rock　at　high…water　that　it　was　completely　hid　from　their　sight；　and　nothing　seen　but　the　movement　of　thousands　of　fish。　　They　were　almost　exclusively　of　the　species　called　the　podlie；　or　young　coal…　fish。　　This　discovery；　made　for　the　first　time　to…day　by　the　workmen；　was　considered　fortunate；　as　an　additional　circumstance　likely　to　produce　an　inclination　among　the　artificers　to　take　up　their　residence　in　the　beacon；　when　it　came　to　be　fitted　up　as　a　barrack。

＇Tuesday；　7th　June＇

At　three　o'clock　in　the　morning　the　ship's　bell　was　rung　as　the　signal　for　landing　at　the　rock。　　When　the　landing　was　to　be　made　before　breakfast；　it　was　customary　to　give　each　of　the　artificers　and　seamen　a　dram　and　a　biscuit；　and　coffee　was　prepared　by　the　steward　for　the　cabins。　　Exactly　at　four　o'clock　the　whole　party　landed　from　three　boats；　including　one　of　those　belonging　to　the　floating　light；　with　a　part　of　that　ship's　crew；　which　always　attended　the　works　in　moderate　weather。　　The　landing…master's　boat；　called　the　SEAMAN；　but　more　commonly　called　the　LIFEBOAT；　took　the　lead。　　The　next　boat；　called　the　MASON；　was　generally　steered　by　the　writer；　while　the　floating　light's　boat；　PHAROS；　was　under　the　management　of　the　boatswain　of　that　ship。

Having　now　so　considerable　a　party　of　workmen　and　sailors　on　the　rock；　it　may　be　proper　here　to　notice　how　their　labours　were　directed。　　Preparations　having　been　made　last　month　for　the　erection　of　a　second　forge　upon　the　beacon；　the　smiths　commenced　their　operations　both　upon　the　lower　and　higher　platforms。　　They　were　employed　in　sharpening　the　picks　and　irons　for　the　masons；　and　in　making　bats　and　other　apparatus　of　various　descriptions　connected　with　the　fitting　of　the　railways。　　The　landing…master's　crew　were　occupied　in　assisting　the　millwrights　in　laying　the　railways　to　hand。　Sailors；　of　all　other　descriptions　of　men；　are　the　most　accommodating　in　the　use　of　their　hands。　　They　worked　freely　with　the　boring…irons；　and　assisted　in　all　the　operations　of　the　railways；　acting　by　turns　as　boatmen；　seamen；　and　artificers。　　We　had　no　such　character　on　the　Bell　Rock　as　the　common　labourer。　　All　the　operations　of　this　department　were　cheerfully　undertaken　by　the　seamen；　who；　both　on　the　rock　and　on　shipboard；　were　the　inseparable　companions　of　every　work　connected　with　the　erection　of　the　Bell　Rock　Lighthouse。　　It　will　naturally　be　supposed　that　about　twenty…five　masons；　occupied　with　their　picks　in　executing　and　preparing　the　foundation　of　the　lighthouse；　in　the　course　of　a　tide　of　about　three　hours；　would　make　a　considerable　impression　upon　an　area　even　of　forty…two　feet　in　diameter。　　But　in　proportion　as　the　foundation　was　deepened；　the　rock　was　found　to　be　much　more　hard　and　difficult　to　work；　while　the　baling　and　pumping　of　water　became　much　more　troublesome。　　A　joiner　was　kept　almost　constantly　employed　in　fitting　the　picks　to　their　handles；　which；　as　well　as　the　points　to　the　irons；　were　very　frequently　broken。

The　Bell　Rock　this　morning　presented　by　far　the　most　busy　and　active　appearance　it　had　exhibited　since　the　erection　of　the　principal　beams　of　the　beacon。　　The　surface　of　the　rock　was　crowded　with　men；　the　two　forges　flaming；　the　one　above　the　other；　upon　the　beacon；　while　the　anvils　thundered　with　the　rebounding　noise　of　their　wooden　supports；　and　formed　a　curious　contrast　with　the　occasional　clamour　of　the　surges。　The　wind　was　westerly；　and　the　weather　being　extremely　agreeable；　as　soon　after　breakfast　as　the　tide　had　sufficiently　overflowed　the　rock　to　float　the　boats　over　it；　the　smiths；　with　a　number　of　the　artificers；　returned　to　the　beacon；　carrying　their　fishing…tackle　along　with　them。　　In　the　course　of　the　forenoon；　the　beacon　exhibited　a　still　more　extraordinary　appearance　than　the　rock　had　done　in　the　morning。　　The　sea　being　smooth；　it　seemed　to　be　afloat　upon　the　water；　with　a　number　of　men　supporting　themselves　in　all　the　variety　of　attitude　and　position：　while；　from　the　upper　part　of　this　wooden　house；　the　volumes　of　smoke　which　ascended　from　the　forges　gave　the　whole　a　very　curious　and　fanciful　appearance。

In　the　course　of　this　tide　it　was　observed　that