[Sidenote: Hampered state of the artificers.] We had now been six days out from Arbroath, and, in that time, had the good fortune to have seven successive tides’ work upon the rock, during which, the smith’s forge had been fixed, and twelve holes of 2 inches in diameter and 18 inches in depth, had been bored or drilled into the rock, in the process of excavating the bat or stanchion-holes for fixing the principal beams of the Beacon-house. Hitherto the artificers had remained on board of the Smeaton, which was made fast to one of the mooring buoys, at the distance only of about a quarter of a mile from the rock, and of course a very great conveniency to the work. Being so near, the seamen could never be mistaken as to the progress of the tide, or state of the sea upon the rock, nor could the boats be much at a loss to pull on board of the vessel during fog, or even in very rough weather; as she could be cast loose from her moorings at pleasure, and brought to the lee side of the rock. But the Smeaton being only about forty register tons, her accommodations were extremely limited. It may, therefore, be easily imagined, that an addition of twenty-four persons to her own crew, must have rendered the situation of those on board rather uncomfortable. This vessel served as a tender only in fine weather, with the assistance of the boats of the floating-light, for she could not stow boats sufficiently large for attending the rock with such a complement of artificers. The only place for the men’s hammocks on board being in the hold, they were unavoidably much crowded; and if the weather had required the hatches to be fastened down, so great a number of men could not possibly have been accommodated. To add to this evil, the _co-boose_ or cooking place being upon deck, it would not have been possible to have cooked for so large a company in the event of bad weather. The stock of water was now getting short, and some necessaries being also wanted for the floating-light, the Smeaton was dispatched for Arbroath; and the writer with the artificers, at the same time, shifted their quarters from her to the floating-light. [Sidenote: Saturday, 22d.] [Sidenote: Inconveniencies of the Pharos as a tender.]