the writer's cabin this morning at six o'clock, and intimated
that there was a good appearance of landing on the rock. Everything
being arranged, both boats proceeded in company, and at eight a.m. they
reached the rock. The lighthouse colours were immediately hoisted upon
the flag-staff of the beacon, a compliment which was duly returned by
the tender and floating light, when three hearty cheers were given, and
a glass of rum was served out to all hands to drink success to the
operations of 1808.

Friday, 27th May.

This morning the wind was at east, blowing a fresh gale, the weather
being hazy, with a considerable breach of sea setting in upon the rock.
The morning bell was therefore rung, in some doubt as to the
practicability of making a landing. After allowing the rock to get fully
up, or to be sufficiently left by the tide, that the boats might have
some shelter from the range of the sea, they proceeded at eight a.m.,
and upon the whole made a pretty good landing; and after two hours and
three-quarters' work returned to the ship in safety.

In the afternoon the wind considerably increased, and, as a pretty heavy
sea was still running, the tender rode very hard, when Mr. Taylor, the
commander, found it necessary to take in the bowsprit, and strike the
fore and main topmasts, that she might ride more easily. After
consulting about the state of the weather, it was resolved to leave the
artificers on board this evening, and carry only the smiths to the rock,
as the sharpening of the irons was rather behind, from their being so
much broken and blunted by the hard and tough nature of the rock, which
became much more compact and hard as the depth of excavation was
increased. Besides avoiding the risk of encumbering the boats with a
number of men who had not yet got the full command of the oar in a
breach of sea, the writer had another motive for leaving them behind. He
wanted to examine the site of the building without interruption, and to
take the comparative levels of the different inequalities of its area;
and as it would have been painful to have seen men standing idle upon
the Bell Rock, where all moved with activity, it was judged better to
leave them on board. The boats landed at half-past seven p.m., and the
landing-master, with the seamen, was employed during this tide in
cutting the seaweeds from the several paths leading to the
landing-places, to render walking more safe, for, from the slippery
state of th