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Records of a Family of Engineers-Part27_ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON(1850-1894)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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master's crew were exceedinglyaverse to this arrangement,

from an idea that "ill luck" would in future attend the praam,



her cargo, and those who navigated her, from thus reversing

her voyage. It may be noticed that this was the first



instance of a praam-boat having been sent from the Bell Rock

with any part of her cargo on board, and was considered so



uncommon an occurrence that it became a topic of conversation

among the seamen and artificers.



[Tuesday, 12th June]

To-day the stones formerly sent from the rock were safely



landed, notwithstanding the augury of the seamen in

consequence of their being sent away two days before.



[Thursday, 14th June]

To-day twenty-seven stones and eleven joggle-pieces were



landed, part of which consisted of the forty-seventh course,

forming the storeroom floor. The builders were at work this



morning by four o'clock, in the hopes of being able to

accomplish the laying of the eighteen stones of this course.



But at eight o'clock in the evening they had still two to lay,

and as the stones of this course were very unwieldy, being six



feet in length, they required much precaution and care both in

lifting and laying them. It was only on the writer's



suggestion to Mr. Logan that the artificers were induced to

leave off, as they had intended to complete this floor before



going to bed. The two remaining stones were, however, laid in

their places without mortar when the bell on the beacon was



rung, and, all hands being collected on the top of the

building, three hearty cheers were given on covering the first



apartment. The steward then served out a dram to each, when

the whole retired to their barrack much fatigued, but with the



anticipation of the most perfect repose even in the

"hurricane-house," amidst the dashing seas on the Bell Rock.



While the workmen were at breakfast and dinner it was the

writer's usual practice to spend his time on the walls of the



building, which, notwithstanding the narrowness of the track,

nevertheless formed his principal walk when the rock was under



water. But this afternoon he had his writing-desk set upon

the storeroom floor, when he wrote to Mrs. Stevenson -



certainly the first letter dated from the Bell Rock LIGHTHOUSE

- giving a detail of the fortunate progress of the work with



an assurance that the lighthouse would soon be completed at

the rate at which it now proceeded; and, the PATRIOT having



sailed for Arbroath in the evening, he felt no small degree of

pleasure in despatching this communication to his family.



The weather still continuing favourable for the

operations at the rock, the work proceeded with much energy,



through the exertions both of the seamen and artificers. For

the more speedy and effectual working of the several tackles



in raising the materials as the building advanced in height,

and there being a great extent of railway to attend to, which



required constant repairs, two additional millwrights were

added to the complement on the rock, which, including the



writer, now counted thirty-one in all. So crowded was the

men's barrack that the beds were ranged five tier in height,



allowing only about one foot eight inches for each bed. The

artificers commenced this morning at five o'clock, and, in the



course of the day, they laid the forty-eighth and forty-ninth

courses, consisting each of sixteen blocks. From the



favourable state of the weather, and the regular manner in

which the work now proceeded, the artificers had generally



from four to seven extra hours' work, which, including their

stated wages of 3s. 4d., yielded them from 5s. 4d. to about



6s. 10d. per day besides their board; even the postage of

their letters was paid while they were at the Bell Rock. In



these advantages the foremen also shared, having about double

the pay and amount of premiums of the artificers. The seamen



being less out of their element in the Bell Rock operations

than the landsmen, their premiums consisted in a slump sum



payable at the end of the season, which extended from three to

ten guineas.



As the laying of the floors was somewhat tedious, the

landing-master and his crew had got considerablybeforehand






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