records of a family of engineers-第17章

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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　experience　that　the　saliva　is　as　necessary　as　the　tongue　itself　for　speech。　　He　turned　to　one　of　the　pools　on　the　rock　and　lapped　a　little　water；　which　produced　immediate　relief。　But　what　was　his　happiness；　when　on　rising　from　this　unpleasant　beverage；　some　one　called　out；　‘A　boat！　a　boat！'　and；　on　looking　around；　at　no　great　distance；　a　large　boat　was　seen　through　the　haze　making　towards　the　rock。　　This　at　once　enlivened　and　rejoiced　every　heart。　　The　timeous　visitor　proved　to　be　James　Spink；　the　Bell　Rock　pilot；　who　had　come　express　from　Arbroath　with　letters。　　Spink　had　for　some　time　seen　the　SMEATON；　and　had　even　supposed；　from　the　state　of　the　weather；　that　all　hands　were　on　board　of　her　till　he　approached　more　nearly　and　observed　people　upon　the　rock；　but　not　supposing　that　the　assistance　of　his　boat　was　necessary　to　carry　the　artificers　off　the　rock；　he　anchored　on　the　lee…side　and　began　to　fish；　waiting；　as　usual；　till　the　letters　were　sent　for；　as　the　pilot…boat　was　too　large　and　unwieldy　for　approaching　the　rock　when　there　was　any　roughness　or　run　of　the　sea　at　the　entrance　of　the　landing　creeks。

Upon　this　fortunate　change　of　circumstances；　sixteen　of　the　artificers　were　sent；　at　two　trips；　in　one　of　the　boats；　with　instructions　for　Spink　to　proceed　with　them　to　the　floating　light。　　This　being　accomplished；　the　remaining　sixteen　followed　in　the　two　boats　belonging　to　the　service　of　the　rock。　　Every　one　felt　the　most　perfect　happiness　at　leaving　the　Bell　Rock　this　morning；　though　a　very　hard　and　even　dangerous　passage　to　the　floating　light　still　awaited　us；　as　the　wind　by　this　time　had　increased　to　a　pretty　hard　gale；　accompanied　with　a　considerable　swell　of　sea。　　Every　one　was　as　completely　drenched　in　water　as　if　he　had　been　dragged　astern　of　the　boats。　　The　writer；　in　particular；　being　at　the　helm；　found；　on　getting　on　board；　that　his　face　and　ears　were　completely　coated　with　a　thin　film　of　salt　from　the　sea　spray；　which　broke　constantly　over　the　bows　of　the　boat。　　After　much　baling　of　water　and　severe　work　at　the　oars；　the　three　boats　reached　the　floating　light；　where　some　new　difficulties　occurred　in　getting　on　board　in　safety；　owing　partly　to　the　exhausted　state　of　the　men；　and　partly　to　the　violent　rolling　of　the　vessel。

As　the　tide　flowed；　it　was　expected　that　the　SMEATON　would　have　got　to　windward；　but；　seeing　that　all　was　safe；　after　tacking　for　several　hours　and　making　little　progress；　she　bore　away　for　Arbroath；　with　the　praam…boat。　　As　there　was　now　too　much　wind　for　the　pilot…boat　to　return　to　Arbroath；　she　was　made　fast　astern　of　the　floating　light；　and　the　crew　remained　on　board　till　next　day；　when　the　weather　moderated。　There　can　be　very　little　doubt　that　the　appearance　of　James　Spink　with　his　boat　on　this　critical　occasion　was　the　means　of　preventing　the　loss　of　lives　at　the　rock　this　morning。　　When　these　circumstances；　some　years　afterwards；　came　to　the　knowledge　of　the　Board；　a　small　pension　was　ordered　to　our　faithful　pilot；　then　in　his　seventieth　year；　and　he　still　continues　to　wear　the　uniform　clothes　and　badge　of　the　Lighthouse　service。　　Spink　is　a　remarkably　strong　man；　whose　TOUT　ENSEMBLE　is　highly　characteristic　of　a　North…country　fisherman。　　He　usually　dresses　in　a　PE…JACKET；　cut　after　a　particular　fashion；　and　wears　a　large；　flat；　blue　bonnet。　　A　striking　likeness　of　Spink　in　his　pilot…dress；　with　the　badge　or　insignia　on　his　left　arm　which　is　characteristic　of　the　boatmen　in　the　service　of　the　Northern　Lights；　has　been　taken　by　Howe；　and　is　in　the　writer's　possession。

＇Thursday；　3rd　Sept。＇

The　bell　rung　this　morning　at　five　o'clock；　but　the　writer　must　acknowledge；　from　the　circumstances　of　yesterday；　that　its　sound　was　extremely　unwelcome。　　This　appears　also　to　have　been　the　feelings　of　the　artificers；　for　when　they　came　to　be　mustered；　out　of　twenty…six；　only　eight；　besides　the　foreman　and　seamen；　appeared　upon　deck　to　accompany　the　writer　to　the　rock。　　Such　are　the　baneful　effects　of　anything　like　misfortune　or　accident　connected　with　a　work　of　this　description。　　The　use　of　argument　to　persuade　the　men　to　embark　in　cases　of　this　kind　would　have　been　out　of　place；　as　it　is　not　only　discomfort；　or　even　the　risk　of　the　loss　of　a　limb；　but　life　itself　that　becomes　the　question。　　The　boats；　notwithstanding　the　thinness　of　our　ranks；　left　the　vessel　at　half…past　five。　　The　rough　weather　of　yesterday　having　proved　but　a　summer's　gale；　the　wind　came　to…day　in　gentle　breezes；　yet；　the　atmosphere　being　cloudy；　it　a　not　a　very　favourable　appearance。　　The　boats　reached　the　rock　at　six　a。m。；　and　the　eight　artificers　who　landed　were　employed　in　clearing　out　the　bat…holes　for　the　beacon…house；　and　had　a　very　prosperous　tide　of　four　hours'　work；　being　the　longest　yet　experienced　by　half　an　hour。

The　boats　left　the　rock　again　at　ten　o'clock；　and　the　weather　having　cleared　up　as　we　drew　near　the　vessel；　the　eighteen　artificers　who　had　remained　on　board　were　observed　upon　deck；　but　as　the　boats　approached　they　sought　their　way　below；　being　quite　ashamed　of　their　conduct。　　This　was　the　only　instance　of　refusal　to　go　to　the　rock　which　occurred　during　the　whole　progress　of　the　work；　excepting　that　of　the　four　men　who　declined　working　upon　Sunday；　a　case　which　the　writer　did　not　conceive　to　be　at　all　analogous　to　the　present。　It　may　here　be　mentioned；　much　to　the　credit　of　these　four　men；　that　they　stood　foremost　in　embarking　for　the　rock　this　morning。

＇Saturday；　5th　Sept。＇

It　was　fortunate　that　a　landing　was　not　attempted　this　evening；　for　at　eight　o'clock　the　wind　shifted　to　E。S。E。；　and　at　ten　it　had　become　a　hard　gale；　when　fifty　fathoms　of　the　floating　light's　hempen　cable　were　veered　out。　　The　gale　still　increasing；　the　ship　rolled　and　laboured　excessively；　and　at　midnight　eighty　fathoms　of　cable　were　veered　out；　while　the　sea　continued　to　strike　the　vessel　with　a　degree　of　force　which　had　not　before　been　experienced。

＇Sunday；　6th　Sept。＇

During　the　last　night　there　was　little　rest　on　board　of　the　PHAROS；　and　daylight；　though　anxiously　wished　for；　brought　no　relief；　as　the　gale　continued　with　unabated　violence。　　The　sea　struck　so　hard　upon　the　vessel's　bows　that　it　rose　in　great　quantities；　or　in　‘green　seas；'　as　the　sailors　termed　it；　which　were　carried　by　the　wind　as　far　aft　as　the　quarter…　deck；　and　not　infrequently　over　the　stern　of　the　ship　altogether。　　It　fell　occasionally　so　heavily　on　the　skylight　of　the　writer's　cabin；　though　so　far　aft　as　to　be　within　five　feet　of　the　helm；　that　the　glass　was　broken　to　pieces　before　the　dead…light　could　be　got　into　its　place；　so　that　the　water　poured　down　in　great　quantities。　　In　shutting　out　the　water；　the　admission　of　light　was　prevented；　and　in　the　morning　all　continued　in　the　most　comfortless　state　of　darkness。　　About　ten　o'clock　a。m。　the　wind　shifted　to　N。E。；　and　blew；　if　possible；　harder　than　before；　and　it　was　accompanied　by　a　much　heavier　swell　of　sea。　　In　the　course　of　the　gale；　the　part　of　the　cable　in　the　hause…hole　had　been　so　often　shifted　that　nearly　the　whole　length　of　one　of　her　hempen　cables；　of　120　fathoms；　had　been　veered　out；　besides　the　chain…moorings。　　The　cable；　for　its　preservation；　was　also　carefully　served　or　wattled　with　pieces　of　canvas　round　the　windlass；　and　with　leather　well　greased　in　the　hause…hole。　　In　this　state　things　remained　during　the　whole　day；　every　sea　which　struck　the　vessel　…　and　the　seas　followed　each　other　in　close　succession　…　causing　her　to　shake；　and　all　on　board　occasionally　to　tremble。　　At　each　of　these　strokes　of　the　sea　the　rolling　and　pitching　of　the　vessel　ceased　for　a　time；　and　her　motion　was　felt　as　if　she　had　either　broke　adrift　before　the　wind　or　were　in　the　act　of　sinking；　but；　when　another　sea　came；　she　ranged　up　against　it　with　great　force；　and　this　became　the　regular　intimation　of　our　being　still　riding　at　anchor。

About　eleven　o'clock；　the　writer　with　some　difficulty　got　out　of　bed；　but；　in　attempting　to　dress；　he　was　thrown　twice　upon　the　floor　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　cabin。　　In　an　undressed　state　he　made　shift　to　get　about　half…way　up　the　companion…stairs；　with　an　intention　to　observe　the　state　of　the　sea　and　of　the　ship　upon　deck；　but　he　no　sooner　looked　over　the　companion　than　a　heavy　sea　struck　the　vessel；　which　fell　on　the　quarter…deck；　and　rushed　downstairs　in　the　officers'　cabin　in　so　considerable　a　quantity　that　it　was　found　necessary　to　lift　one　of　the　scuttles　in　the　floor；　to　let　the　water　into　the　limbers　of　the　ship；　as　it　dashed　from　side　to　side　in　such　a　manner　as　to　run　into　the　lower　tier　of　beds。　　Having　been　foiled　in　this　attempt；　and　being　completely　wetted；　he　again　got　below　and　went　to　bed。　　In　this　state　of　the　weather　the　seamen　had　to　move　about　the　necessary　or　indispensable　duties　of　the　ship　with　the　most　cautious　use　both　of　hands　and　feet；　while　it　required　all　the　art　of　the　landsman　to　keep　within　the　precincts　of　his　bed。　The　writer　even　found　himself　so　much　tossed　about　that　it　became　necessary；　in　some　measure；　to　shut　himself　in　bed；　in　order　to　avoid　being　thrown　upon　the　floor。　　Indeed；　such　was　the　motion　of　the　ship　that　it　seemed　wholly　impracticable　to　remain　in　any　other　than　a　lying　posture。　　On　deck　the　most　stormy　aspect　presented　itself；　while　below　all　was　wet　and　comfortless。

　About　two　o'clock　p。m。　a　great　alarm　was　given　throughout　the　ship　from　the　effects　of　a　very　heavy　sea　which　struck　her；　and　almost　filled　the　waist；　pouring　down　into　the　berths　below；　through　every　chink　and　crevice　of　the　hatches　and　skylights。　　From　the　motion　of　the　vessel　being　thus　suddenly　deadened　or　checked；　and　from　the　flowing　in　of　the　water　above；　it　is　believed　there　was　not　an　individual　on　board　who　did　not　think；　at　the　moment；　that　the　vessel　had　foundered；　and　was　in　the　act　of　sinking。　　The　writer　could　withstand　this　no　longer；　and　as　soon　as　she　again　began　to　range　to　the　sea　he　determined　to　make　another　effort　to　get　upon　deck。　　In　the　first　instance；　however；　he　groped　his　way　in　darkness　from　his　own　cabin　through　the　berths　of　the　officers；　where　all　was　quietness。　　He　next　entered　the　galley　and　other　compartments　occupied　by　the　artificers。　　Here　also　all　was　shut　up　in　darkness；　the　fire　having　been　drowned　out　in　the　early　part　of　the　gale。　　Several　of　the　artificers　were　employed　in　prayer；　repeating　psalms　and　other　devotional　exercises　in　a　full　tone　of　voice；　others　protesting　that；　if　they　should　fortunately　get　once　more　on　shore；　no　one　should　ever　see　them　afloat　again。　　With　the　assistance　of　the　landing…master；　the　writer　made　his　way；　holding　on　ste