RALPH THE ROVER. 
65 
tunate companions, who by good luck were close at 
hand in the second boat; but for this the adventure 
might have had a still more serious ending, their ship, 
as often happens, being away a considerable distance 
at the time. 
The wind again veered round to the north, and as there 
was but little use in contending with a high sea, with 
opposing wind and tide, and weather bitterly cold and 
wet, we concluded that a visit to Edinburgh for a day or 
two would make an agreeable change, and, without more 
ado, put into Leith Eoads, where we made everything 
secure. Once again we are under weigh, and scud¬ 
ding before a pleasant breeze, we pass the Bell Bock 
Lighthouse, which now supplies the necessary warn¬ 
ing formerly given by the famous Bell, whose curious 
history is recorded by Bobert Southey, in his story of 
Balph the Bover.” The abbots of Aberbrothock 
seeing the constantly recurring accidents to ships 
approaching these Boads, had a bell constructed, 
whose tongue would be kept in continual motion by 
the action of the waves. The rover, who bore some 
spite against the brotherhood, stole the bell, and of 
■course got wrecked himself upon the very spot. 
The adverse wind threatens to oppose us continu¬ 
ally, but as we are equally determined to proceed, 
we make light of the “ blustering railer,” and go on 
