ow partly loaded
with old iron, consisting of broken railways and other lumber which had
been lying about the rock. After landing these at Arbroath, she took on
board James Craw, with his horse and cart, which could now be spared at
the workyard, to be employed in carting the stones from Edinburgh to
Leith. Alexander Davidson and William Kennedy, two careful masons, were
also sent to take charge of the loading of the stones at Greenside, and
stowing them on board of the vessel at Leith. The writer also went on
board, with a view to call at the Bell Rock and to take his passage up
the Firth of Forth. The wind, however, coming to blow very fresh from
the eastward, with thick and foggy weather, it became necessary to reef
the mainsail and set the second jib. When in the act of making a tack
towards the tender, the sailors who worked the head-sheets were, all of
a sudden, alarmed with the sound of the smith's hammer and anvil on the
beacon, and had just time to put the ship about to save her from running
ashore on the north-western point of the rock, marked "James Craw's
Horse." On looking towards the direction from whence the sound came, the
building and beacon-house were seen, with consternation, while the ship
was hailed by those on the rock, who were no less confounded at seeing
the near approach of the _Smeaton_; and, just as the vessel cleared the
danger, the smith and those in the mortar gallery made signs in token of
their happiness at our fortunate escape. From this occurrence the writer
had an experimental proof of the utility of the large bells which were
in preparation to be rung by the machinery of the revolving light; for,
had it not been for the sound of the smith's anvil, the _Smeaton_, in
all probability, would have been wrecked upon the rock. In case the
vessel had struck, those on board might have been safe, having now the
beacon-house as a place of refuge; but the vessel, which was going at a
great velocity, must have suffered severely, and it was more than
probable that the horse would have been drowned, there being no means of
getting him out of the vessel. Of this valuable animal and his master we
shall take an opportunity of saying more in another place.

Thursday, 5th July.

The weather cleared up in the course of the night, but the wind shifted
to the N.E. and blew very fresh. From the force of the wind, being now
the period of spring-tides, a very heavy swell was experienced at the
rock. At two