CHAP. VIII. THE BELL ROCK LIGHTHOUSE. 229 



examine whether she was all secure ; but before they 

 could reach the vessel's side they found she had already 

 gone adrift, leaving the greater part of the men upon the 

 reef in the face of a rising tide. By the time the Smea- 

 tons crew had got her mainsail set arid made a tack 

 towards their companions, she had drifted about three 

 miles to leeward, with both wind and tide against her, 

 and it was clear that she could not possibly make the 

 rock until long after it had been completely covered. 

 There were thirty-two men in all upon the Inchcape, 

 provided with but two boats, capable of carrying only 

 twenty-four persons in fine weather. Mr. Stevenson 

 seems to have behaved with great coolness and presence 

 of mind on the occasion, though he confessed that of the 

 two feelings of hope and despair, the latter considerably 

 predominated. Fully persuaded of the peril of the situa- 

 tion, he kept his fears to himself, and allowed the men to 

 continue engrossed with their occupations of boring and 

 excavating. After working for three hours, the water 

 began to rise upon the lower parts of the foundations, 

 and the men were compelled to desist. The forge fire 

 became extinguished ; the smith ceased from hammering 

 at his anvil, and the masons from their hewing and 

 boring ; and when they took up their tools to depart, and 

 looked around them, their vessel was not to be seen, and 

 the third of their boats had gone after the Smeaton 

 and was drifting away in the distance ! Not a word 

 was uttered ; but the danger of their position was 

 instantly comprehended by all. They looked towards 

 their master in silence ; but the anxiety which had been 

 growing on his mind for some time had now become so 

 intense, that he was speechless. When he attempted to 

 speak, his mouth was so parched that his tongue refused 

 utterance. Turning to one of the pools on the rock, he 

 lapped a little water, which gave him relief, though it 

 was salt ; but what was his happiness when, on raising 

 his head, some one called out " A boat! a boat!" and 



