llen they drift along,
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
'Oh Christ! it is the Inchcape Rock.'

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair,
He curst himself in his despair;
The waves rush in on every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

But even in his dying fear
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear,
A sound as if with the Inchcape bell,
The devil below was ringing his knell.

But whatever may be the truth of these traditions, it is certain that
for a long period, perhaps centuries, no permanent distinguishing mark
was attached to the rock until the building of the present lighthouse,
whose history we have now briefly to state.

On the appointment of a board for the erection of lighthouses in
Scotland, the public anxiously expected that some means would be taken
to guard the mariner from this fatal rock; but the difficulties of the
undertaking, the great expense, and the inadequate funds of the board,
all contributed to promote delay. In the winter of 1799 the northern
coast of Great Britain was visited with a dreadful storm, and no less
than seventy vessels were wrecked upon the coast of Scotland. This
calamity excited so strong a sensation that the attention of the board
was at once directed to this object; and in 1802 application was made
to Parliament to enable the commissioners of the northern lighthouses
to levy certain additional duties, and empower them to borrow a sum of
money for this work. The Act was not obtained until 1806; but when
obtained, this highly important work was immediately undertaken.

A variety of plans were submitted to the consideration of the
lighthouse board. The beacons of spars which had been erected on the
rock had been washed away, and many persons feared that a more solid
structure would share the same fate. Considering that the rock was
frequently under water to the depth of twelve feet, some proposed to
erect a building which should stand on pillars of cast-iron or of
stone. The commissioners, however, wisely referred the matter to Mr.
Robert Stevenson the engineer, who was to survey the rock, and report
upon the practicability of erecting a lighthouse upon it. The survey
was accordingly made; and during its progress, many instances were
discovered of the extent of loss which this reef had occasioned, and
many articles of ships' furnishings were found, as well as various
coins, a bayonet, a silver shoe-buckle, and many o