234 THE BELL ROCK LIGHTHOUSE. PART VII. 



structures designed by them, which are proceeding at 

 the same time in different parts of the country. Hence 

 the appointment, at their recommendation, of resident 

 assistants, whose business it is to see that the details 

 of the design are faithfully carried out, and that the 

 work is executed in all respects according to the deter- 

 mined plans. To take two instances Telford's Menai 

 Bridge and Stephenson's Britannia Bridge in the 

 former of which cases Mr. Provis was appointed resident, 

 and in the latter Mr. Edwin Clarke. Both of these gen- 

 tlemen afterwards published detailed histories of their 

 respective works ; but neither of them ignored the 

 chief engineer, nor claimed the merit which attached to 

 the successful erection of these great structures. 



During Mr. Kennie's lifetime various paragraphs were 

 published in the Edinburgh papers, claiming for Mr. 

 Stevenson the sole credit of having designed and erected 

 the lighthouse. At this he was naturally annoyed ; and 

 the more so when he learnt that Mr. Stevenson was about 

 to " write a book " on the subject, but without commu- 

 nicating with him thereon. " I have no wish," he says, 

 in a letter to a friend, " to prevent his writing a book. 

 If he details the truth fairly and impartially, I am satisfied. 

 I do not wish to arrogate to myself any more than is justly 

 my due, and I do not want to degrade him. If he writes 

 what is not true, he will only expose himself. I bethink 

 me of what Job said, ' Oh that mine enemy would write 

 a book ! ' : The volume, however, was not published 

 until three years after Eennie's death ; and it was not 

 before the publication of Sir John's work on Break- 

 waters, that his father's claims as chief and responsible 

 engineer of the lighthouse were fairly asserted and after- 

 wards fully and clearly established. 1 



1 The correspondence which took I corded in the 'Civil Engineer and 

 place on the subject will be found re- j Architect's Journal,' vol. xii, 1849. 



