records of a family of engineers-第30章

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‘SIR　JOSEPH　BANKS　TENDER。

‘SIR；　…　We　are　informed　by　our　masters　that　our　allowance　is　to　be　as　before；　and　it　is　not　sufficient　to　serve　us；　for　we　have　been　at　work　since　four　o'clock　this　morning；　and　we　have　come　on　board　to　dinner；　and　there　is　no　beer　for　us　before　tomorrow　morning；　to　which　a　sufficient　answer　is　required　before　we　go　from　the　beacon；　and　we　are；　Sir；　your　most　obedient　servants。'


On　reading　this；　the　writer　returned　a　verbal　message；　intimating　that　an　answer　would　be　sent　on　board　of　the　tender；　at　the　same　time　ordering　the　boat　instantly　to　quit　the　beacon。　　He　then　addressed　the　following　note　to　the　landing…master：…


‘BEACON…HOUSE；　22ND　JUNE　1810；　FIVE　O'CLOCK　P。M。

‘SIR；　…　I　have　just　now　received　a　letter　purporting　to　be　from　the　landing…master's　crew　and　seamen　on　board　of　the　SIR　JOSEPH　BANKS；　though　without　either　date　or　signature；　in　answer　to　which　I　enclose　a　statement　of　the　daily　allowance　of　provisions　for　the　seamen　in　this　service；　which　you　will　post　up　in　the　ship's　galley；　and　at　seven　o'clock　this　evening　I　will　come　on　board　to　inquire　into　this　unexpected　and　most　unnecessary　demand　for　an　additional　allowance　of　beer。　　In　the　enclosed　you　will　not　find　any　alteration　from　the　original　statement；　fixed　in　the　galley　at　the　beginning　of　the　season。　　I　have；　however；　judged　this　mode　of　giving　your　people　an　answer　preferable　to　that　of　conversing　with　them　on　the　beacon。　　…　I　am；　Sir；　your　most　obedient　servant；　ROBERT　STEVENSON。

‘To　CAPTAIN　WILSON。'

‘BEACON　HOUSE；　22ND　JUNE　1810。　…　Schedule　of　the　daily　allowance　of　provisions　to　be　served　out　on　board　of　the　SIR　JOSEPH　BANKS　tender：　〃1。5　lb。　beef；　1　lb。　bread；　8　oz。　oatmeal；　2　oz。　barley；　2　oz。　butter；　3　quarts　beer；　vegetables　and　salt　no　stated　allowance。　　When　the　seamen　are　employed　in　unloading　the　SMEATON　and　PATRIOT；　a　draught　of　beer　is；　as　formerly；　to　be　allowed　from　the　stock　of　these　vessels。　Further；　in　wet　and　stormy　weather；　or　when　the　work　commences　very　early　in　the　morning；　or　continues　till　a　late　hour　at　night；　a　glass　of　spirits　will　also　be　served　out　to　the　crew　as　heretofore；　on　the　requisition　of　the　landing…master。〃　ROBERT　STEVENSON。'


On　writing　this　letter　and　schedule；　a　signal　was　made　on　the　beacon　for　the　landing…master's　boat；　which　immediately　came　to　the　rock；　and　the　schedule　was　afterwards　stuck　up　in　the　tender's　galley。　　When　sufficient　time　had　been　allowed　to　the　crew　to　consider　of　their　conduct；　a　second　signal　was　made　for　a　boat；　and　at　seven　o'clock　the　writer　left　the　Bell　Rock；　after　a　residence　of　four　successive　weeks　in　the　beacon…house。　　The　first　thing　which　occupied　his　attention　on　board　of　the　tender　was　to　look　round　upon　the　lighthouse；　which　he　saw；　with　some　degree　of　emotion　and　surprise；　now　vying　in　height　with　the　beacon…house；　for　although　he　had　often　viewed　it　from　the　extremity　of　the　western　railway　on　the　rock；　yet　the　scene；　upon　the　whole；　seemed　far　more　interesting　from　the　tender's　moorings　at　the　distance　of　about　half　a　mile。

The　SMEATON　having　just　arrived　at　her　moorings　with　a　cargo；　a　signal　was　made　for　Captain　Pool　to　come　on　board　of　the　tender；　that　he　might　be　at　hand　to　remove　from　the　service　any　of　those　who　might　persist　in　their　discontented　conduct。　　One　of　the　two　principal　leaders　in　this　affair；　the　master　of　one　of　the　praam…boats；　who　had　also　steered　the　boat　which　brought　the　letter　to　the　beacon；　was　first　called　upon　deck；　and　asked　if　he　had　read　the　statement　fixed　up　in　the　galley　this　afternoon；　and　whether　he　was　satisfied　with　it。　　He　replied　that　he　had　read　the　paper；　but　was　not　satisfied；　as　it　held　out　no　alteration　in　the　allowance；　on　which　he　was　immediately　ordered　into　the　SMEATON'S　boat。　　The　next　man　called　had　but　lately　entered　the　service；　and；　being　also　interrogated　as　to　his　resolution；　he　declared　himself　to　be　of　the　same　mind　with　the　praam…master；　and　was　also　forthwith　ordered　into　the　boat。　　The　writer；　without　calling　any　more　of　the　seamen；　went　forward　to　the　gangway；　where　they　were　collected　and　listening　to　what　was　passing　upon　deck。　　He　addressed　them　at　the　hatchway；　and　stated　that　two　of　their　companions　had　just　been　dismissed　the　service　and　sent　on　board　of　the　SMEATON　to　be　conveyed　to　Arbroath。　　He　therefore　wished　each　man　to　consider　for　himself　how　far　it　would　be　proper；　by　any　unreasonableness　of　conduct；　to　place　themselves　in　a　similar　situation；　especially　as　they　were　aware　that　it　was　optional　in　him　either　to　dismiss　them　or　send　them　on　board　a　man…of…war。　　It　might　appear　that　much　inconveniency　would　be　felt　at　the　rock　by　a　change　of　hands　at　this　critical　period；　by　checking　for　a　time　the　progress　of　a　building　so　intimately　connected　with　the　best　interests　of　navigation；　yet　this　would　be　but　of　a　temporary　nature；　while　the　injury　to　themselves　might　be　irreparable。　　It　was　now　therefore；　required　of　any　man　who；　in　this　disgraceful　manner；　chose　to　leave　the　service；　that　he　should　instantly　make　his　appearance　on　deck　while　the　SMEATON'S　boat　was　alongside。　　But　those　below　having　expressed　themselves　satisfied　with　their　situation…viz。；　William　Brown；　George　Gibb；　Alexander　Scott；　John　Dick；　Robert　Couper；　Alexander　Shephard；　James　Grieve；　David　Carey；　William　Pearson；　Stuart　Eaton；　Alexander　Lawrence；　and　John　Spink　…　were　accordingly　considered　as　having　returned　to　their　duty。　　This　disposition　to　mutiny；　which　had　so　strongly　manifested　itself；　being　now　happily　suppressed；　Captain　Pool　got　orders　to　proceed　for　Arbroath　Bay；　and　land　the　two　men　he　had　on　board；　and　to　deliver　the　following　letter　at　the　office　of　the　workyard：…


'ON　BOARD　OF　THE　TENDER　OFF　THE　BELL　ROCK；　22ND　JUNE　1810；　EIGHT　O'CLOCK　P。M。

‘DEAR　SIR；　…　A　discontented　and　mutinous　spirit　having　manifested　itself　of　late　among　the　landing…master's　crew；　they　struck　work　to…day　and　demanded　an　additional　allowance　of　beer；　and　I　have　found　it　necessary　to　dismiss　D…d　and　M…e；　who　are　now　sent　on　shore　with　the　SMEATON。　　You　will　therefore　be　so　good　as　to　pay　them　their　wages；　including　this　day　only。　　Nothing　can　be　more　unreasonable　than　the　conduct　of　the　seamen　on　this　occasion；　as　the　landing…　master's　crew　not　only　had　their　allowance　on　board　of　the　tender；　but；　in　the　course　of　this　day；　they　had　drawn　no　fewer　than　twenty…four　quart　pots　of　beer　from　the　stock　of　the　PATRIOT　while　unloading　her。　　…　I　remain；　yours　truly；　ROBERT　STEVENSON。

‘To　Mr。　LACHLAN　KENNEDY；　Bell　Rock　Office；　Arbroath。'


On　despatching　this　letter　to　Mr。　Kennedy；　the　writer　returned　to　the　beacon　about　nine　o'clock；　where　this　afternoon's　business　had　produced　many　conjectures；　especially　when　the　SMEATON　got　under　weigh；　instead　of　proceeding　to　land　her　cargo。　　The　bell　on　the　beacon　being　rung；　the　artificers　were　assembled　on　the　bridge；　when　the　affair　was　explained　to　them。　　He；　at　the　same　time；　congratulated　them　upon　the　first　appearance　of　mutiny　being　happily　set　at　rest　by　the　dismissal　of　its　two　principal　abettors。

＇Sunday；　24th　June＇

At　the　rock　the　landing　of　the　materials　and　the　building　operations　of　the　light…room　store　went　on　successfully；　and　in　a　way　similar　to　those　of　the　provision　store。　　To…day　it　blew　fresh　breezes；　but　the　seamen　nevertheless　landed　twenty…　eight　stones；　and　the　artificers　built　the　fifty…eighth　and　fifty…ninth　courses。　　The　works　were　visited　by　Mr。　Murdoch；　junior；　from　Messrs。　Boulton　and　Watt's　works　of　Soho。　　He　landed　just　as　the　bell　rung　for　prayers；　after　which　the　writer　enjoyed　much　pleasure　from　his　very　intelligent　conversation；　and；　having　been　almost　the　only　stranger　he　had　seen　for　some　weeks；　he　parted　with　him；　after　a　short　interview；　with　much　regret。

＇Thursday；　28th　June＇

Last　night　the　wind　had　shifted　to　north…east；　and；　blowing　fresh；　was　accompanied　with　a　heavy　surf　upon　the　rock。　　Towards　high…water　it　had　a　very　grand　and　wonderful　appearance。　　Waves　of　considerable　magnitude　rose　as　high　as　the　solid　or　level　of　the　entrance…door；　which；　being　open　to　the　south…west；　was　fortunately　to　the　leeward；　but　on　the　windward　side　the　sprays　flew　like　lightning　up　the　sloping　sides　of　the　building；　and　although　the　walls　were　now　elevated　sixty…four　feet　above　the　rock；　and　about　fifty…two　feet　from　high…water　mark；　yet　the　artificers　were　nevertheless　wetted；　and　occasionally　interrupted；　in　their　operations　on　the　top　of　the　walls。　　These　appearances　were；　in　a　great　measure；　new　at　the　Bell　Rock；　there　having　till　of　late　been　no　building　to　conduct　the　seas；　or　object　to　compare　with　them。　　Although；　from　the　description　of　the　Eddystone　Lighthouse；　the　mind　was　prepared　for　such　effects；　yet　they　were　not　expected　to　the　present　extent　in　the　summer　season；　the　sea　being　most　awful　to…day；　whether　observed　from　the　beacon　or　the　building。　　To　windward；　the　sprays　fell　from　the　height　above　noticed　in　the　most　wonderful　cascades；　and　streamed　down　the　walls　of　the　building　in　froth　as　white　as　snow。　　To　leeward　of　the　lighthouse　the　collision　or　meeting　of　the　waves　produced　a　pure　white　kind　of　DRIFT；　it　rose　about　thirty　feet　in　height；　like　a　fine　downy　mist；　which；　in　its　fall；　fell　upon　the　face　and　hands　more　like　a　dry　powder　than　a　liquid　substance。　　The　effect　of　these　seas；　as　they　raged　among　the　beams　and　dashed　upon　the　higher　parts　of　the　beacon；　produced　a　temporary　tremulous　motion　throughout　the　whole　fabric；　which　to　a　stranger　must　have　been　frightful。

＇Sunday；　1st　July＇

The　writer　had　now　been　at　the　Bell　Rock　since　the　latter　end　of　May；　or　about　six　weeks；　during　four　of　which　he　had　been　a　constant　inhabitant　of　the　beacon　without　having　been　once　off　the　rock。　　After　witnessing　the　laying　of　the　sixty…　seventh　or　second　course　of　the　bedroom　apartment；　he　left　the　rock　with　the　tender　and　went　ashore；　as　some　arrangements　were　to　be　made　for　the　future　conduct　of　the　works　at　Arbroath；　which　were　soon　to　be　brought　to　a　close；　the　landing…master's　crew　having；　in　the　meantime；　shifted　on　board　of　the　PATRIOT。　　In　leaving　the　rock；　the　writer　kept　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　lighthouse；　which　had　recently　got　into　the　form　of　a　house；　having　several　tiers　or　stories　of　windows。　　Nor　was　he　unmindful　of　his　habitation　in　the　beacon　…　now　far　overtopped　by　the　masonry；　…　where　he　had　spent　several　weeks　in　a　kind　of　active　retirement；　making　practical　experiment　of　the　fewness　of　the　positive　wants　of　man。　　His　cabin　measured　not　more　than　four　feet　three　inches　in　breadth　on　the　floor；　and　though；　from　the　oblique　direction　of　the　beams　of　the　beacon；　it　widened　towards　the　top；　yet　it　did　not　admit　of　the　full　extension　of　his　arms　when　he　stood　on　the　floor；　while　its　length　was　little　more　than　sufficient　for　suspending　a　cot…bed　during　the　night；　calculated　for　being　triced　up　to　the　roof　through　the　day；　which　left　free　room　for　the　admission　of　occasional　visitants。　　His　folding　table　was　attached　with　hinges；　immediately　under　the　small　window　of　the　apartment；　and　his　books；　barometer；　thermometer；　portmanteau；　and　two　or　three　camp…stools；　formed　the　bulk　of　his　movables。　　His　diet　being　plain；　the　paraphernalia　of　the　table　were　proportionally　simple；　though　everythi