the opinion, supported by that of the best judges, that the
safety and continuance of Rudyerd's lighthouse during so many years,
had in a great measure depended on the elasticity of the materials of
which it was composed, which enabled it to give way to the shocks of
the sea. Indeed it was affirmed, that in violent storms the motion of
that wooden edifice was so great that trenchers and other articles
were thrown from the shelves in the upper rooms. Smeaton answered to
this, that the great agitation of the late building arose from its
want of _weight_, as well as want of strength; that the edifice he had
in view would be much _heavier_ and much stronger, so that the
building would not give way to the sea, but the sea would give way to
the building.

In the spring of 1756 Smeaton first visited and examined the Eddystone
rock, proving, as his predecessors had done, the extreme difficulty of
gaining a landing, or of remaining long enough on the rock to carry on
his observations. These difficulties suggested to him the important
and valuable expedient of keeping a vessel fixed within a quarter of a
mile of the rock, which should be capable of lodging the workmen and
their tools, and thus enable them to take immediate advantage of any
favourable opportunity of putting out their boat and conveying
materials at once to the Eddystone, instead of having to take the
voyage from Plymouth on each occasion.

The first actual work done on the rock was in August, 1756. Two
companies of workmen were employed, each remaining at the work a week,
that every opportunity might be made the most of, and the men relieved
by visits to the shore. A sloop, a large yawl with sails and oars, and
a boat, were employed to expedite the work. The sloop formed the
lodging for the company working at the rock, and was anchored at a
short distance from it. The sloop was afterwards replaced by a larger
store vessel, called the Neptune Buss. The weather from the 27th of
August to the 14th of September happened to be favourable to the work,
so that the companies were employed on it at every tide. After this,
unsettled weather began to prevail, so that Smeaton was obliged to be
satisfied with the progress already made, which consisted in the mere
preparation of the House-rock for the intended edifice, by cutting two
new steps in the lowest part of the sloping side of the rock, and
forming anew the five steps which remained of the efforts of Rudyerd.
Dove-tai