pecially　if　any　accident　had　happened　to　the　crane　itself；　while　the　material　damage　or　loss　of　a　single　stone　would　have　put　an　entire　stop　to　the　operations　until　another　could　have　been　brought　from　Arbroath。　　The　artificers；　having　wrought　seven　and　a　half　hours　of　extra　time　to…day；　had　3s。　9d。　of　extra　pay；　while　the　foremen　had　7s。　6d。　over　and　above　their　stated　pay　and　board。　　Although；　therefore；　the　work　was　both　hazardous　and　fatiguing；　yet；　the　encouragement　being　considerable；　they　were　always　very　cheerful；　and　perfectly　reconciled　to　the　confinement　and　other　disadvantages　of　the　place。
  During　fine　weather；　and　while　the　nights　were　short；　the　duty　on　board　of　the　floating　light　was　literally　nothing　but　a　waiting　on；　and　therefore　one　of　her　boats；　with　a　crew　of　five　men；　daily　attended　the　rock；　but　always　returned　to　the　vessel　at　night。　　The　carpenter；　however；　was　one　of　those　who　was　left　on　board　of　the　ship；　as　he　also　acted　in　the　capacity　of　assistant　lightkeeper；　being；　besides；　a　person　who　was　apt　to　feel　discontent　and　to　be　averse　to　changing　his　quarters；　especially　to　work　with　the　millwrights　and　joiners　at　the　rock；　who　often；　for　hours　together；　wrought　knee…deep；　and　not　unfrequently　up　to　the　middle；　in　water。　Mr。　Watt　having　about　this　time　made　a　requisition　for　another　hand；　the　carpenter　was　ordered　to　attend　the　rock　in　the　floating　light's　boat。　　This　he　did　with　great　reluctance；　and　found　so　much　fault　that　he　soon　got　into　discredit　with　his　messmates。　　On　this　occasion　he　left　the　Lighthouse　service；　and　went　as　a　sailor　in　a　vessel　bound　for　America　…　a　step　which；　it　is　believed；　he　soon　regretted；　as；　in　the　course　of　things；　he　would；　in　all　probability；　have　accompanied　Mr。　John　Reid；　the　principal　lightkeeper　of　the　floating　light；　to　the　Bell　Rock　Lighthouse　as　his　principal　assistant。　　The　writer　had　a　wish　to　be　of　service　to　this　man；　as　he　was　one　of　those　who　came　off　to　the　floating　light　in　the　month　of　September　1807；　while　she　was　riding　at　single　anchor　after　the　severe　gale　of　the　7th；　at　a　time　when　it　was　hardly　possible　to　make　up　this　vessel's　crew；　but　the　crossness　of　his　manner　prevented　his　reaping　the　benefit　of　such　intentions。
  ＇Friday；　22nd　June＇
  The　building　operations　had　for　some　time　proceeded　more　slowly；　from　the　higher　parts　of　the　lighthouse　requiring　much　longer　time　than　an　equal　tonnage　of　the　lower　courses。　　The　duty　of　the　landing…master's　crew　had；　upon　the　whole；　been　easy　of　late；　for　though　the　work　was　occasionally　irregular；　yet　the　stones　being　lighter；　they　were　more　speedily　lifted　from　the　hold　of　the　stone　vessel　to　the　deck　of　the　praam…　boat；　and　again　to　the　waggons　on　the　railway；　after　which　they　came　properly　under　the　charge　of　the　foreman　builder。　It　is；　however；　a　strange；　though　not　an　uncommon；　feature　in　the　human　character；　that；　when　people　have　least　to　complain　of；　they　are　most　apt　to　become　dissatisfied；　as　was　now　the　case　with　the　seamen　employed　in　the　Bell　Rock　service　about　their　rations　of　beer。　　Indeed；　ever　since　the　carpenter　of　the　floating　light；　formerly　noticed；　had　been　brought　to　the　rock；　expressions　of　discontent　had　been　manifested　upon　various　occasions。　　This　being　represented　to　the　writer；　he　sent　for　Captain　Wilson；　the　landing…master；　and　Mr。　Taylor；　commander　of　the　tender；　with　whom　he　talked　over　the　subject。　They　stated　that　they　considered　the　daily　allowance　of　the　seamen　in　every　respect　ample；　and　that；　the　work　being　now　much　lighter　than　formerly；　they　had　no　just　ground　for　complaint；　Mr。　Taylor　adding　that；　if　those　who　now　complained　‘were　even　to　be　fed　upon　soft　bread　and　turkeys；　they　would　not　think　themselves　right。'　　At　twelve　noon　the　work　of　the　landing…master's　crew　was　completed　for　the　day；　but　at　four　o'clock；　while　the　rock　was　under　water；　those　on　the　beacon　were　surprised　by　the　arrival　of　a　boat　from　the　tender　without　any　signal　having　been　made　from　the　beacon。　　It　brought　the　following　note　to　the　writer　from　the　landing…　master's　crew：…
  ‘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　s