t
letters from their friends at a distance, the postage of which for the
men afloat was always free, so that they corresponded the more readily.

The site of the building having already been carefully traced out with
the pick-axe, the artificers this day commenced the excavation of the
rock for the foundation or first course of the lighthouse. Four men only
were employed at this work, while twelve continued at the site of the
beacon-house, at which every possible opportunity was embraced, till
this essential part of the operations should be completed.

Wednesday 2nd Sept.

The floating light's bell rung this morning at half-past four o'clock,
as a signal for the boats to be got ready, and the landing took place at
half-past five. In passing the _Smeaton_ at her moorings near the rock,
her boat followed with eight additional artificers who had come from
Arbroath with her at last trip, but there being no room for them in the
floating light's boats, they had continued on board. The weather did not
look very promising in the morning, the wind blowing pretty fresh from
W.S.W.: and had it not been that the writer calculated upon having a
vessel so much at command, in all probability he would not have ventured
to land. The _Smeaton_ rode at what sailors call a _salvagee_, with a
cross-head made fast to the floating buoy. This kind of attachment was
found to be more convenient than the mode of passing the hawser through
the ring of the buoy when the vessel was to be made fast. She had then
only to be steered very close to the buoy, when the salvagee was laid
hold of with a boat-hook, and the _bite_ of the hawser thrown over the
cross-head. But the salvagee, by this method, was always left at the
buoy, and was, of course, more liable to chafe and wear than a hawser
passed through the ring, which could be wattled with canvas, and shifted
at pleasure. The salvagee and cross method is, however, much practised;
but the experience of this morning showed it to be very unsuitable for
vessels riding in an exposed situation for any length of time.

Soon after the artificers landed they commenced work; but the Wind
coming to blow hard, the _Smeaton's_ boat and crew, who had brought
their complement of eight men to the rock, went off to examine her
riding ropes, and see that they were in proper order. The boat had no
sooner reached the vessel than she went adrift, carrying the boat along
with her. By the time that she was got round to