acon was the preferable quarters of
the two.

Saturday, 24th June.

Mr. Peter Logan, the foreman builder, and his squad, twenty-one in
number, landed this morning at three o'clock, and continued at work four
hours and a quarter, and after laying seventeen stones returned to the
tender. At six a.m. Mr. Francis Watt and his squad of twelve men landed,
and proceeded with their respective operations at the beacon and
railways, and were left on the rock during the whole day without the
necessity of having any communication with the tender, the kitchen of
the beacon-house being now fitted up. It was to-day, also, that Peter
Fortune--a most obliging and well-known character in the Lighthouse
service--was removed from the tender to the beacon as cook and steward,
with a stock of provisions as ample as his limited storeroom would
admit.

When as many stones were built as comprised this day's work, the demand
for mortar was proportionally increased, and the task of the
mortar-makers on these occasions was both laborious and severe. This
operation was chiefly performed by John Watt--a strong, active quarrier
by profession,--who was a perfect character in his way, and extremely
zealous in his department. While the operations of the mortar-makers
continued, the forge upon their gallery was not generally in use; but,
as the working hours of the builders extended with the height of the
building, the forge could not be so long wanted, and then a sad
confusion often ensued upon the circumscribed floor of the mortar
gallery, as the operations of Watt and his assistants trenched greatly
upon those of the smiths. Under these circumstances the boundary of the
smiths was much circumscribed, and they were personally annoyed,
especially in blowy weather, with the dust of the lime in its powdered
state. The mortar-makers, on the other hand, were often not a little
distressed with the heat of the fire and the sparks elicited on the
anvil, and not unaptly complained that they were placed between "the
devil and the deep sea."

Sunday, 25th June.

The work being now about ten feet in height, admitted of a rope-ladder
being distended[16] between the beacon and the building. By this
"Jacob's Ladder," as the seamen termed it, a communication was kept up
with the beacon while the rock was considerably under water. One end of
it being furnished with tackle-blocks, was fixed to the beams of the
beacon, at the level of the mortar gallery, while