230 THE BELL ROCK LIGHTHOUSE. PART VII. 



sure enough, a large boat was seen through the haze 

 making for them. She proved to be the Bell Rock 

 pilot-boat, which had come off from Arbroath with letters, 

 and her timely arrival doubtless saved the lives of the 

 greater part of the workmen. They were all taken off 

 and landed in safety, though completely drenched and 

 exhausted. 



Mr. Rennie, accompanied by his son George, visited 

 the rock on the 5th of October, 1807, the day before the 

 works were suspended for the winter. They came off 

 from Arbroath and stayed on board the lighthouse yacht 

 all night, where Mr. Stevenson states that he " enjoyed 

 much of Mr. Rennie's interesting conversation, both on 

 general topics and professionally upon the progress of 

 the Bell Rock works, on which he was consulted as chief 

 engineer." On the following morning Mr. Rennie 

 landed to inspect the progress made in the excavation, 

 being received with a display of colours from the beacon 

 and three cheers from the workmen. They continued 

 at work for only about three hours that day, after which 

 the whole working party, accompanied by the chief en- 

 gineer and his son, the resident engineer, and the fore- 

 men of the works, returned to land for the winter. 



The preparation of the stone blocks for next sum- 

 mer's operations then proceeded on shore ; and by the 

 spring large numbers were dressed, and waiting to be 

 floated off. In May, 1808, the excavations on the rock 

 were proceeded with, and on the 10th of July the 

 first stone was laid with considerable ceremony. Mr. 

 Rennie paid his next visit on the 25th of November fol- 

 lowing, for the purpose of inspecting the work done and 

 reporting progress to the Commissioners. From his 

 report it appears that three courses of masonry had by 

 that time been laid in a very complete manner. At 

 his suggestion, a modification was adopted in the cement 

 used for the building, and also in the use of the granite 

 blocks delivered from the Aberdeen quarry, some of 



