Greenock, whence I trusted soon to return to the Skerryvore with the whole of the materials, to commence operations. ~Shipment of all the materials at Glasgow and Greenock.~ ~Reach Tyree.~ ~Driven to Mull.~ ~Return to Tyree.~ It seldom happens that human expectations are fully realised, especially in matters which excite a strong interest in the mind, and thus lead one to desire a more rapid progress than usual. But this is peculiarly true in all arrangements which depend on the co-operation of many persons; and so I experienced on my visit to Greenock and Glasgow, where I had given orders for shipping all the machinery and apparatus required for carrying on the works, such as cranes, trucks, boats, blocks and tackle, anchors, coals, grindstones, stucco, pavement, mats and fascines for blasting, clay for puddling, shear-poles, and innumerable small utensils, some of no great value, but all necessary to the success of the work. The great bulk of those materials were despatched by a vessel called the _New Leven_, and part by the _Mary Clark_, on the 24th July; but it was not until the 30th that the _Pharos_ Lighthouse tender was fully loaded, on the morning of which day I again embarked at Greenock for the Skerryvore Rock. The weather proving somewhat unfavourable, we were forced (being very heavily laden) to pass through the Crinan Canal, instead of going round the Mull of Kintyre, so that it was not till the morning of the 4th August that we landed at Hynish, in Tyree. Here I found some farther progress had been made in building the barracks for the men, some of the houses being already roofed and slated. The quarries, too, had turned out stones sufficient for about four of the lowest courses of the Tower, a quantity which might be estimated at about 7920 cubic feet. Next day (August 5th), the wind blowing strong from the S.S.W., we were forced to leave Hynish Bay, and retreat before a very heavy sea to Tobermory. We immediately sailed again, and made for Loch Erin, a small creek in the Island of Coll, as being nearer to Hynish and better adapted for enabling us to take advantage of any sudden improvement in the weather. On our arrival at this singular natural haven, at nine in the evening, I was glad to find the _New Leven_, before mentioned as having loaded materials at Greenock lying already there, waiting a favourable change of wind. Next morning we weighed anchor, and sailed along with that vessel for Hynish, where she was immediately discharged of her cargo, which was chiefly intended for the workyard there, and took in materials for the erection of the barrack on the Skerryvore Rock. ~First good day’s work on the Rock.~