INTRODUCTION. Ill 



sailing to or from the Friths of Forth and Tay, many of them 

 being lost on it. 



The Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses accordingly 

 resolved to erect a lighthouse there, somewhat after the 

 model of Smeaton's Eddystone, but the work proved to be a 

 much more difficult and arduous undertaking owing to the 

 Hock being always covered by the sea, except for a short time 

 at low water, whereas the Eddystone was never altogether 

 covered, even at high water. The Bell Rock is a low flat 

 lying reef, the surface of which becomes uncovered to any 

 extent only at low water of spring tides, but on which at 

 high water there is a depth of from twelve to sixteen feet. Its 

 extent is about 1400 or 1500 feet in length, with a breadth 

 of about 300 feet. In olden times it was known as the Inch- 

 cape Rock. Tradition has it that at one time an Abbot of 

 Aberbrothock being impressed with its danger, and anxious 

 to avert to some extent, if possible, the loss of life which 

 often occurred on it by shipwrecks, moored thereon a buoy 

 or log of wood, having a bell attached to it, which the action 

 of the sea tolled continuously, thus giving warning of danger. 

 It afterwards became known as the Bell Rock. Tradition 

 also says that a pirate known as Ralph the Rover, who 

 frequented these seas, finding that the bell interfered with 

 his nefarious occupation, removed it. Retribution, however, 

 was not long of overtaking him, for it is said that his vessel 

 shortly afterwards struck on the reef and was lost with all on 

 board. Southey's graphic ballad, descriptive of the legend, 

 entitled " Sir Ralph the Rover," is so well known that it 

 is quite unnecessary to do more than refer to it here. 



The sanction of Government having to be procured before 

 the erection of the lighthouse could be proceeded with, con- 

 siderable time was occupied with the necessary negotiations, 

 but in 1807, Mr Robert Stevenson, the Engineer to the 



