We also made some progress in erecting a wooden shed round the smith’s forge, to protect him and his fire from the wind and the spray of the sea. As we left the Rock in the boats, speculating on the prospect of getting the whole of the materials discharged in the course of next day, it was remarked that the northern sky was very clear, and that the wind had entirely fallen. The great and sudden stillness of the air, which permitted every ripple on the ocean to be heard, was regarded by Mr Macurich and the seamen generally, as the forerunner of a change; and the moon, which rose red and fiery, confirmed their fears of a gale. Nor were they wrong in their forebodings. About midnight there was a stiff breeze from the S.E., which induced the master of the _New Leven_ to hoist sail, cast loose from us, and run; and had not the seaman on watch on the deck of the _Pharos_ fallen asleep in consequence of excessive fatigue, there can be little doubt we should have been at once called to follow her example, if, indeed, we had not led the way. No sooner, however, did Mr Macurich become aware of the state of the wind, which was blowing very strong at S.S.E. right into the landing place, than he roused me about two o’clock. At this time there was a very heavy sea; the little vessel was pitching her forecastle under, and we had to contend with a strong tide combined with the wind against us in working clear of the Rock, from which our moorings were not more than a quarter of a mile to windward; while from the place where we lay, half of the horizon was foul ground, all lying to our leeward. We soon set sail, but in vain tried to weather the sunk rock Bo-Rhua, whose large black mass (after having imagined ourselves past it) we discovered encircled by a wreath of white foam within less than a cable’s length of us. The heavy seas we encountered had greatly deceived us as to our progress, and thick blinding showers of rain made it difficult to see far beyond the vessel’s head. Such was the precarious and dangerous position of the vessel, that had an attempt been made to _tack_ her amidst the surf which came rolling off the Rock, she would most probably have missed stays, the consequence of which would have been the inevitable loss of the vessel and of every soul on board. In this dilemma we were obliged to resort to a less dangerous expedient, by _wearing_ the ship and running her through the narrow passage between Bo-Rhua and the sunk rocks, about 300 yards to the W.N.W. of it, although this was a most hazardous attempt, as we had then little or no knowledge of that dangerous and intricate passage. A more anxious night I never spent; there being upwards of thirty people on board, with the prospect, during several hours, of the vessel striking every minute. And here I must award due praise to Mr Macurich for the coolness and intrepidity which he on this occasion displayed, and the calmness with which he gave his orders to the crew; and as