so Account (^ihe Erection of the Bell Rock Lighthouse. 
works often prognosticated the state of the weather with wonder- 
ful accuracy, from the abundance or scarcity of particular kinds 
of fish. 
In regard to the depth of the sea near the Bell Rock, it ap- 
pears, that, at the distance of about 100 yards, in a low state of 
the tide, the water varies from two to three fathoms in depth. 
Between the rock and the opposite shores of Fife, the greatest 
depth is S3 fathoms ; but on the south-east or seaward side, it 
increases suddenly to 35 fathoms. The observations made upon 
the currents at the rock are curious. Although a mere spot on 
the surface of the ocean, it produces all -the remarkable pheno- 
mena of in-shore and off-shore tides, which are noticeable on the 
projecting coasts of the mainland, or among the Scottish islands. 
Among the earlier attempts made to erect some distinguishing 
mark or guide for the mariner upon this dangerous reef, the 
exertions of Captain Brodie of the Royal Navy are particularly 
mentioned. He succeeded in erecting a wooden beacon upon it, 
which stood for some time. Mr Stevenson’s first landing upon 
the rock appears to have been in the summer of the year 1800, 
when the boat’s crew picked up a variety of articles of shipwreck, 
comprising a soldier’s bayonet and a cannon-ball, a hinge and 
lock of a door, a ship’s marking-iron and part of a cambous, 
several pieces of money, a shoebuckle, &c. On this occasion, 
he became perfectly satisfied of the practicability of erecting a 
stone lighthouse on this fatal spot, upon principles similar to 
that of the Edystone in the English Channel. His report to the 
Commissioners for Northern Lighthouses, and also that of the 
late eminent Mr Rennie, who was consulted upon the subject in 
, the year 1805, are given in an Appendix to the work. A bill 
was originally brought into Parliament in the year 1803, but 
was lost in consequence of its embracing what was considered 
as too wide a range of coast for the collection of the duty. An- 
other bill was introduced into Parliament in 1806, which passed 
into a law, and the works commenced in the following year. 
From the insulated and distant situation of this rock, the first 
object was to moor a tender for the exhibition of a temporary 
light, and for the convenient residence of the artificers. A ves- 
sel was also provided for conveying workmen between the shore 
and the rock. Quarries were opened near Aberdeen for supply- 
