rise upon
those who were at work on the lower parts of the sites of the beacon and
lighthouse. From the run of sea upon the rock, the forge fire was also
sooner extinguished this morning than usual, and the volumes of smoke
having ceased, objects in every direction became visible from all parts
of the rock. After having had about three hours' work, the men began,
pretty generally, to make towards their respective boats for their
jackets and stockings, when, to their astonishment, instead of three,
they found only two boats, the third being adrift with the _Smeaton_.
Not a word was uttered by any one, but all appeared to be silently
calculating their numbers, and looking to each other with evident marks
of perplexity depicted in their countenances. The landing-master,
conceiving that blame might be attached to him for allowing the boat to
leave the rock, still kept at a distance. At this critical moment the
author was standing upon an elevated part of Smith's Ledge, where he
endeavoured to mark the progress of the _Smeaton_, not a little
surprised that her crew did not cut the praam adrift, which greatly
retarded her way, and amazed that some effort was not making to bring at
least the boat, and attempt our relief. The workmen looked steadfastly
upon the writer, and turned occasionally towards the vessel, still far
to leeward.[14] All this passed in the most perfect silence, and the
melancholy solemnity of the group made an impression never to be effaced
from his mind.

The writer had all along been considering of various schemes--providing
the men could be kept under command--which might be put in practice for
the general safety, in hopes that the _Smeaton_ might be able to pick up
the boats to leeward, when they were obliged to leave the rock. He was,
accordingly, about to address the artificers on the perilous nature of
their circumstances, and to propose that all hands should unstrip their
upper clothing when the higher parts of the rock were laid under water;
that the seamen should remove every unnecessary weight and encumbrance
from the boats; that a specified number of men should go into each boat,
and that the remainder should hang by the gunwales, while the boats were
to be rowed gently towards the _Smeaton_, as the course to the _Pharos_,
or floating light, lay rather to windward of the rock. But when he
attempted to speak his mouth was so parched that his tongue refused
utterance, and he now learned by experi