[Sidenote: All hands assemble to prayers.]
All hands having returned to their respective ships, they got a shift of dry clothes, and some refreshment. Being Sunday, they were afterwards convened by signal on board of the Light-house Yacht, when prayers were read; for every heart, upon this occasion, felt gladness, and every mind was disposed to be thankful for the happy and successful termination of the operations of this day. The crews then returned to their respective ships, and as nothing further could be done to the Beacon during the night tide, there was no landing made in the evening.
The weather most fortunately continued favourable for the operations, the wind being westerly, with fresh breezes. The boats landed at half-past 7 A. M., the number of persons on the rock being, as formerly, fifty-two; the work was carried on till half-past 12, making four hours and a half upon the rock. The remaining two principal beams were erected in the course of this tide, which, with the assistance of those set up yesterday, was found to be a very simple operation. In hoisting up the sixth and last log, however, and just when it was about to be kanted into its place, the iron-hook of the principal purchase-block gave way, and this great beam, measuring fifty feet in length, fell upon the rock with a terrible crash; but what is not a little wonderful, although there were fifty-two people engaged round the beacon, yet not one was hurt in the slightest degree by its fall. The beam itself was only a little shaken near the upper end, but was not materially damaged. Another block was immediately hooked, in the place of that which had failed, and the beam was got into its place without much delay. Every possible exertion was now made to fix the lower ends of the beams to the rock, by connecting them with their respective stanchions, while three strong hoops of malleable iron were employed, for securing the whole in one mass at the top.
The six principal beams of the beacon were thus secured, at least in a temporary manner, in the course of two tides, or in the short space of about eleven hours and a half. The only inconveniency attending this operation, arose from the derrick for raising the first beam being rather too short. It was only thirty feet in height, whereas it was found that it would have answered better had it been about forty-five feet. We were also a good deal troubled and perplexed with the logs afloat, from having the six principal beams in two rafts: it would have been more convenient had they been lashed together in pairs, and then rafted in one lot. The writer concludes, upon the whole, that about eight hours only were actually employed in raising the beams of the beacon, and fixing them in a temporary manner. Such is the progress that may be made, when active hands and willing minds set properly to work in operations of this kind.
