th a
lantern at the top. He had already raised the pillars to a considerable
height, when a heavy gale came on, and they were overthrown. Undaunted
by his failure, Captain Phillips again set to work, and engaged a Mr
Whiteside--an ingenious mechanic and a native of Liverpool. Curiously
enough, Mr Whiteside, who was about twenty-six years of age, had
hitherto employed his talents in making musical instruments, though,
having means of his own, he did not depend upon his labour for his
subsistence. He had never been to sea, and was ignorant of the power of
the ocean. Accompanied by half-a-dozen Cornish miners, he arrived in
the harbour of Solva, a small town near Saint David's Head, on the north
side of Saint Bride's Bay, about twenty-two miles from the Smalls rock.
He began the work by again using iron pillars, the task of the miners
being to bore holes in the rock in which to fix them. Before they had
been long at work a gale arose, which compelled their vessel to seek for
safety in harbour, while they were left clinging to one of the iron
pillars. During that fearful night several of them were nearly carried
away. The gale abating on the third day, they were rescued in a very
exhausted state by the crew of their vessel. Still Mr Whiteside
continued the work. After the iron pillars were fixed, and already
carried to some height, another gale so bent them as to convince him
that another material must be used. He accordingly obtained the longest
and stoutest oak trees to be procured in the kingdom. After undergoing
many hardships, dangers, and disappointments, he ultimately erected five
wooden and three iron pillars. On the summit an octagonal room was
formed, with a lamp above. Afterwards the three iron pillars were
removed, and oak placed in their stead, with another in the centre, the
whole supported by diagonal stays, the lower ends of which were fixed in
the rock.

A rope ladder leading from the rock to a trap in the floor of the room
enabled the light-keepers to ascend; and in this room was stored oil,
coal, provisions, and other necessities, with spare bunks for any
mechanics employed on the work or shipwrecked mariners who might reach
the rock. Thus but little space was left for the regular inhabitants,
two of whom, however, generally remained at a time in the lighthouse.

During a severe gale, which lasted for many weeks, one of the men died;
and the other, fearing that he might be accused of murde