ay as well state a few
facts connected with the foundation and superstructure, which cannot
fail to interest all who take pleasure in contemplating man's efforts to
overcome almost insuperable difficulties.

As we have said, the sloping foundation of the building was cut into a
series of terraces or steps. There were seven of these. The first
operation was the cutting of thirty-six holes in the solid rock, into
which iron hold-fasts were securely fixed. The cutting of these holes
or sockets was ingeniously managed. First, three small holes were
drilled into the rock; and then these were broken into one large hole,
which was afterwards smoothed, enlarged, and _undercut_, so as to be of
dovetail form; the size of each being 7 and a half inches broad and 2
and a half inches wide at the top, and an inch broader at the bottom.
They were about sixteen inches deep. Thirty-six massive malleable iron
hold-fasts were then inserted, and wedged into the places thus prepared
for them, besides being filled up with lead, so that no force of any
kind could draw them out. The next proceeding was to place beams of
solid oak timber, lengthwise, on the first _step_, thus bringing it
level with the second step. Timbers of the same kind were then placed
above and across these, bringing the level up to the third step. The
next "course" of timbers was again laid, lengthwise, bringing the level
to the fourth step, and so on to the seventh, above which two completely
circular timber courses were laid, thus making a perfectly flat and
solid foundation on which the remainder of the column might rest. The
building, therefore, had no tendency to slide, even although it had not
been held in its place by the thirty-six hold-fasts before mentioned.
In addition to this, the various courses of timber were fastened to the
rock and to each other by means of numerous iron cramps and bolts, and
wooden trenails.

It was well known to Mr Rudyerd, however, that it was not possible to
fit his timbers so perfectly to the rock and to each other as to exclude
water altogether; and that if the water should manage to find entrance,
it would exert a tremendous lifting power, which, coupled with the
weight of the falling billows, would be apt to sweep his foundation
away. He resolved, therefore, to counteract this by means of _weight_;
and, in order to do this, he next piled five courses of Cornish
moor-stone above the timber courses. The stones were huge b