records of a family of engineers-第37节

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he　SMEATON'S　boat　was　alongside。　　But　those　below　having　expressed　themselves　satisfied　with　their　situation…viz。；　William　Brown；　George　Gibb；　Alexander　Scott；　John　Dick；　Robert　Couper；　Alexander　Shephard；　James　Grieve；　David　Carey；　William　Pearson；　Stuart　Eaton；　Alexander　Lawrence；　and　John　Spink　…　were　accordingly　considered　as　having　returned　to　their　duty。　　This　disposition　to　mutiny；　which　had　so　strongly　manifested　itself；　being　now　happily　suppressed；　Captain　Pool　got　orders　to　proceed　for　Arbroath　Bay；　and　land　the　two　men　he　had　on　board；　and　to　deliver　the　following　letter　at　the　office　of　the　workyard：…


'ON　BOARD　OF　THE　TENDER　OFF　THE　BELL　ROCK；　22ND　JUNE　1810；　EIGHT　O'CLOCK　P。M。

‘DEAR　SIR；　…　A　discontented　and　mutinous　spirit　having　manifested　itself　of　late　among　the　landing…master's　crew；　they　struck　work　to…day　and　demanded　an　additional　allowance　of　beer；　and　I　have　found　it　necessary　to　dismiss　D…d　and　M…e；　who　are　now　sent　on　shore　with　the　SMEATON。　　You　will　therefore　be　so　good　as　to　pay　them　their　wages；　including　this　day　only。　　Nothing　can　be　more　unreasonable　than　the　conduct　of　the　seamen　on　this　occasion；　as　the　landing…　master's　crew　not　only　had　their　allowance　on　board　of　the　tender；　but；　in　the　course　of　this　day；　they　had　drawn　no　fewer　than　twenty…four　quart　pots　of　beer　from　the　stock　of　the　PATRIOT　while　unloading　her。　　…　I　remain；　yours　truly；　ROBERT　STEVENSON。

‘To　Mr。　LACHLAN　KENNEDY；　Bell　Rock　Office；　Arbroath。'


On　despatching　this　letter　to　Mr。　Kennedy；　the　writer　returned　to　the　beacon　about　nine　o'clock；　where　this　afternoon's　business　had　produced　many　conjectures；　especially　when　the　SMEATON　got　under　weigh；　instead　of　proceeding　to　land　her　cargo。　　The　bell　on　the　beacon　being　rung；　the　artificers　were　assembled　on　the　bridge；　when　the　affair　was　explained　to　them。　　He；　at　the　same　time；　congratulated　them　upon　the　first　appearance　of　mutiny　being　happily　set　at　rest　by　the　dismissal　of　its　two　principal　abettors。

＇Sunday；　24th　June＇

At　the　rock　the　landing　of　the　materials　and　the　building　operations　of　the　light…room　store　went　on　successfully；　and　in　a　way　similar　to　those　of　the　provision　store。　　To…day　it　blew　fresh　breezes；　but　the　seamen　nevertheless　landed　twenty…　eight　stones；　and　the　artificers　built　the　fifty…eighth　and　fifty…ninth　courses。　　The　works　were　visited　by　Mr。　Murdoch；　junior；　from　Messrs。　Boulton　and　Watt's　works　of　Soho。　　He　landed　just　as　the　bell　rung　for　prayers；　after　which　the　writer　enjoyed　much　pleasure　from　his　very　intelligent　conversation；　and；　having　been　almost　the　only　stranger　he　had　seen　for　some　weeks；　he　parted　with　him；　after　a　short　interview；　with　much　regret。

＇Thursday；　28th　June＇

Last　night　the　wind　had　shifted　to　north…east；　and；　blowing　fresh；　was　accompanied　with　a　heavy　surf　upon　the　rock。　　Towards　high…water　it　had　a　very　grand　and　wonderful　appearance。　　Waves　of　considerable　magnitude　rose　as　high　as　the　solid　or　level　of　the　entrance…door；　which；　being　open　to　the　south…west；　was　fortunately　to　the　leeward；　but　on　the　windward　side　the　sprays　flew　like　lightning　up　the　sloping　sides　of　the　building；　and　although　the　walls　were　now　elevated　sixty…four　feet　above　the　rock；　and　about　fifty…two　feet　from　high…water　mark；　yet　the　artificers　were　nevertheless　wetted；　and　occasionally　interrupted；　in　their　operations　on　the　top　of　the　walls。　　These　appearances　were；　in　a　great　measure；　new　at　the　Bell　Rock；　there　having　till　of　late　been　no　building　to　conduct　the　seas；　or　object　to　compare　with　them。　　Although；　from　the　description　of　the　Eddystone　Lighthouse；　the　mind　was　prepared　for　such　effects；　yet　they　were　not　expected　to　the　present　extent　in　the　summer　season；　the　sea　being　most　awful　to…day；　whether　observed　from　the　beacon　or　the　building。　　To　windward；　the　sprays　fell　from　the　height　above　noticed　in　the　most　wonderful　cascades；　and　streamed　down　the　walls　of　the　building　in　froth　as　white　as　snow。　　To　leeward　of　the　lighthouse　the　collision　or　meeting　of　the　waves　produced　a　pure　white　kind　of　DRIFT；　it　rose　about　thirty　feet　in　height；　like　a　fine　downy　mist；　which；　in　its　fall；　fell　upon　the　face　and　hands　more　like　a　dry　powder　than　a　liquid　substance。　　The　effect　of　these　seas；　as　they　raged　among　the　beams　and　dashed　upon　the　higher　parts　of　the　beacon；　produced　a　temporary　tremulous　motion　throughout　the　whole　fabric；　which　to　a　stranger　must　have　been　frightful。

＇Sunday；　1st　July＇

The　writer　had　now　been　at　the　Bell　Rock　since　the　latter　end　of　May；　or　about　six　weeks；　during　four　of　which　he　had　been　a　constant　inhabitant　of　the　beacon　without　having　been　once　off　the　rock。　　After　witnessing　the　laying　of　the　sixty…　seventh　or　second　course　of　the　bedroom　apartment；　he　left　the　rock　with　the　tender　and　went　ashore；　as　some　arrangements　were　to　be　made　for　the　future　conduct　of　the　works　at　Arbroath；　which　were　soon　to　be　brought　to　a　close；　the　landing…master's　crew　having；　in　the　meantime；　shifted　on　board　of　the　PATRIOT。　　In　leaving　the　rock；　the　writer　kept　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　lighthouse；　which　had　recently　got　into　the　form　of　a　house；　having　several　tiers　or　stories　of　windows。　　Nor　was　he　unmindful　of　his　habitation　in　the　beacon　…　now　far　overtopped　by　the　masonry；　…　where　he　had　spent　several　weeks　in　a　kind　of　active　retirement；　making　practical　experiment　of　the　fewness　of　the　positive　wants　of　man。　　His　cabin　measured　not　more　than　four　feet　three　inches　in　breadth　on　the　floor；　and　though；　from　the　oblique　direction　of　the　beams　of　the　beacon；　it　widened　towards　the　top；　yet　it　did　not　admit　of　the　full　extension　of　his　arms　when　he　stood　on　the　floor；　while　its　length　was　little　more　than　sufficient　for　suspending　a　cot…bed　during　the　night；　calculated　for　being　triced　up　to　the　roof　through　the　day；　which　left　free　room　for　the　admission　of　occasional　visitants。　　His　folding　table　was　attached　with　hinges；　immediately　under　the　small　window　of　the　apartment；　and　his　books；　barometer；　thermometer；　portmanteau；　and　two　or　three　camp…stools；　formed　the　bulk　of　his　movables。　　His　diet　being　plain；　the　paraphernalia　of　the　table　were　proportionally　simple；　though　everything　had　the　appearance　of　comfort；　and　even　of　neatness；　the　walls　being　covered　with　green　cloth　formed　into　panels　with　red　tape；　and　his　bed　festooned　with　curtains　of　yellow　cotton…stuff。　　If；　in　speculating　upon　the　abstract　wants　of　man　in　such　a　state　of　exclusion；　one　were　reduced　to　a　single　book；　the　Sacred　Volume　…　whether　considered　for　the　striking　diversity　of　its　story；　the　morality　of　its　doctrine；　or　the　important　truths　of　its　gospel　…　would　have　proved　by　far　the　greatest　treasure。

＇Monday；　2nd　July＇

In　walking　over　the　workyard　at　Arbroath　this　morning；　the　writer　found　that　the　stones　of　the　course　immediately　under　the　cornice　were　all　in　hand；　and　that　a　week's　work　would　now　finish　the　whole；　while　the　intermediate　courses　lay　ready　numbered　and　marked　for　shipping　to　the　rock。　　Among　other　subjects　which　had　occupied　his　attention　to…day　was　a　visit　from　some　of　the　relations　of　George　Dall；　a　young　man　who　had　been　impressed　near　Dundee　in　the　month　of　February　last；　a　dispute　had　arisen　between　the　magistrates　of　that　burgh　and　the　Regulating　Officer　as　to　his　right　of　impressing　Dall；　who　was　BONA　FIDE　one　of　the　protected　seamen　in　the　Bell　Rock　service。　　In　the　meantime；　the　poor　lad　was　detained；　and　ultimately　committed　to　the　prison　of　Dundee；　to　remain　until　the　question　should　be　tried　before　the　Court　of　Session。　　His　friends　were　naturally　very　desirous　to　have　him　relieved　upon　bail。　　But；　as　this　was　only　to　be　done　by　the　judgment　of　the　Court；　all　that　could　be　said　was　that　his　pay　and　allowances　should　be　continued　in　the　same　manner　as　if　he　had　been　upon　the　sick…list。　　The　circumstances　of　Dall's　case　were　briefly　these：…　He　had　gone　to　see　some　of　his　friends　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Dundee；　in　winter；　while　the　works　were　suspended；　having　got　leave　of　absence　from　Mr。　Taylor；　who　commanded　the　Bell　Rock　tender；　and　had　in　his　possession　one　of　the　Protection　Medals。　　Unfortunately；　however；　for　Dall；　the　Regulating　Officer　thought　proper　to　disregard　these　documents；　as；　according　to　the　strict　and　literal　interpretation　of　the　Admiralty　regulations；　a　seaman　does　not　stand　protected　unless　he　is　actually　on　board　of　his　ship；　or　in　a　boat　belonging　to　her；　or　has　the　Admiralty　protection　in　his　possession。　　This　order　of　the　Board；　however；　cannot　be　rigidly　followed　in　practice；　and　therefore；　when　the　matter　is　satisfactorily　stated　to　the　Regulating　Officer；　the　impressed　man　is　generally　liberated。　　But　in　Dall's　case　this　was　peremptorily　refused；　and　he　was　retained　at　the　instance　of　the　magistrates。　　The　writer　having　brought　the　matter　under　the　consideration　of　the　Commissioners　of　the　Northern　Lighthouses；　they　authorised　it　to　be　tried　on　the　part　of　the　Lighthouse　Board；　as　one　of　extreme　hardship。　　The　Court；　upon　the　first　hearing；　ordered　Dall　to　be　liberated　from　prison；　and　the　proceedings　never　went　further。

＇Wednesday；　4th　July＇

Being　now　within　twelve　courses　of　being　ready　for　building　the　cornice；　measures　were　taken　for　getting　the　st