-J42 





BELL ROCK. 



Depth of 

 water on 

 the rock. 



Tides. 



Bell Rock, in the direction of the stratification : the breadth of 

 this reef is less than that of the main rock, and di- 

 minishes towards the western extremity. The great- 

 est length of the rock seen at low water of spring 

 tides is 2127 feet, and the greatest breadth is 2.J0 

 feet. The reef, or south-west part, being on a level 

 with low water of spring tides, is consequently, at 

 high water, under the whole rise of the respective 

 tide ; while on the higher part, which is in general 

 about four feet above low water-mark of spring tides, 

 and consequently about twelve feet under water at 

 the height of ordinary spring tides. 



The same laws arc observable in the rise and fall 

 of the tides at the Bell Rock, as on the opposite and 

 most contiguous shores of Forfarshire. On the days 

 of new and full moon, it is high water at the rock at 

 40 minutes past one o'clock. The ordinary rise of 

 spring tides is about fifteen feet, and of neap tides 

 nine feet ; but so much depends upon the state of the 

 weather, that the tides vary from one to three feet in 

 the rise and fall both of spring and neap tides ; so 

 that at low water much less of the rock will appear 

 at one time than at another ; and instead of shewing 

 itself at low water of neap tides, it is sometimes from 

 one to three feet under the surface of the water. 

 Westerly winds have always a tendency to raise the 

 tides higher, while easterly winds have a contrary 

 effect. In moderate weather, the course of the flood- 

 tide is south-west, and of the ebb-tide north-east, 

 with some little variation, according to the time of 

 tide. Spring tides have a velocity of three miles an 

 hour near the rock, and neap tides about a mile and 

 a quarter. 



It is not a littls remarkable, that so small a rock 

 should follow the same laws in influencing the cur- 

 rent with the coast of a country. Upon the rock it 

 19 flood-tide two hours before the ebb ceases to run 

 at the distance of half a mile ; so that the flood-tide 

 will have almost covered the rock, while vessels in the 

 offing are striving with an ebb-tide. The same thing 

 is observable in a greater or less degree, according to 

 the velocity of the tide, along all coasts ; and the ma- 

 riner accordingly knows how to shun an adverse tide, 

 and to seek one in his favour, by keeping nearer, or 

 at a greater distance from the shore. 



Fuci on the The lower parts of the rock are covered with fuci, 



rock. chiefly of the larger sorts, as the great tangle, fucus 



digitalis, and the badderlocks, or hen ware ; which 

 last is found of the length of 18 feet, and must then 

 be very aged, as plants of the first year's growth are 

 but a few inches long ; and in two years they are found 

 to be only about 18 inches in length. The higher 

 parts of the rock abound with smaller fuci ; as F. 

 mamillosus, and F. palmatus, the common dulse ; F. 

 alatus, and F. coccineus, are found on the older stalks 

 of tangle ; and F. subfuscus and confervoides occupy 

 the smaller pools. In some places the rocks are ren- 

 dered slippery with ulva compressa, and umbilicalis ; 

 and the higher parts are so thickly covered with con- 

 ferva ruptstris, as to resemble a sward of grass. 



Animals. The rock is covered with lepas balanoides, and 



some parts abound with the common limpet and mus- 

 cle ; actinia erassicomis, with starfishes ; asterias 

 glacialis, and occulata, are common. Common crabs 

 of a large size, and a few lobsters, are found. Seals 

 frequent the rock at low water, and it then becomes 



the resort and resting place of cormorants, shags, and Bell Rock. 

 herring-gulls, which feed on the haddocks and cod- s v ' 

 lings tound around the rock. 



When the building of the light-house was begun, 

 there was not a muscle to be seen upon the rock ; but 

 in less than four years, the north-east part was com- 

 pletely covered with muscles of a small size. Tb 

 appeared to have been propagated from a few depo- 

 sited for a stock of bait for the workmen engaged at 

 the building, who were in the practice of employing; 

 their leisure hours in fishing. It is, however, to be 

 feared, that the muscles will very soon be extirpated 

 by their natural enemy the white bucky, buccinum 

 lapillus, which seems to be increasing " in proportion 

 to the means of subsistence" ; and is rapidly de- 

 stroying the muscle, by perforating a very small hole 

 with its proboscis, through which the substance of 

 the muscle is sucked out, when the shell opens, and is 

 washed away by the tide. 



From the various depths of water, and the variety Fish caught 

 of the bottom, which alters as the distance of the near the 

 rock and the soundings are increased, from a rocky rock - 

 bottom, to coral, rough sand, rough gravel, shell 

 sand, fine sand, and mud, which is found in the course 

 of the tide from the Tay. From the circumstance of 

 this variety, the following kinds of fish are caught 

 near the rock in great abundance, and of excellent 

 quality. The red-ware cod, close to the rock ; and 

 at a greater distance, the common cod, ling, holibut, 

 skate, thornback, plaise, turbot, gurnard, vvolfe fish, 

 phod. dog-fish or leacdy, coal-fish, whiting, had- 

 dock, flounder, sole, mackerel, and herring. 



It is worthy of remark, that when the weather be- 

 comes very cold in spring and autumn, and when the 

 sea is agitated much by the wind, the fish appear to 

 leave the vicinity of the rock, and perhaps go into 

 deeper water. Of this, ample proofs have been af- 

 forded by the lighthouse vessels riding off the rock 

 at all seasons of the year. 



The Bell Rock is exposed to the waves of the ocean D ept h tff 

 in the directions of north-east, east, and south-east, water, 

 without any land between it and the continent of 

 Norway and Jutland ; on the opposite points of the 

 compass, it lies open to the shores of Berwick, Had- 

 dington, Fife, and Forfar. Relatively to the two last 

 counties, it may be considered as holding a centrical 

 situation in a capacious basin, with a depth of water 

 increasing from the shore till within two miles of the 

 rock, where the ultimate depth is 23 fathoms ; and 

 from thence to the rock the soundings gradually di- 

 minish. At low water of spring tides, and at the dis- 

 tance of 100 yards from the rock, in all directions, 

 there are about three fathoms water. On the south- 

 east side, in the direction of the inclination of the 

 strata, the water deepens more suddenlyto35 fathoms; 

 and as you stand out to sea, the soundings become 

 less and less ; and at the distance of 30 miles, the wa- 

 ter is only 22 fathoms deep upon Marr's Bank, which 

 appears to be a deposition formed by the joint-opera- 

 tion of the waters of the Forth and Tay, influenced 

 by the great wave of tide which proceeds round the 

 island. 



From the gradual increase of the depth of water in u-, sc j t h e 

 all directions from the rock, it must satisfactorily rock, 

 appear that it has a sufficient base to support it for 

 ages, against the impression of the sea. By an atten- 



