On the morning of the 22d of this month, the writer landed at the Bell Rock, when the greater part of the bracing-chains of the Beacon were in a loosened state, and hanging from their eye-bolts, like so much shipwreck. Two of the chain-bats were also drawn, which had lifted considerable masses of the rock along with them. But after a most careful and minute examination of the six principal beams of the beacon, and their respective supports, it was satisfactory to find that the great iron-stanchions had not the smallest appearance of working or shifting; the wedges of timber and iron having exactly the same appearance as when they were at first driven home by the hammer; the coating of pitch and tar was also as entire upon the seams and joints as when first applied. Every thing connected with the fixing of the beams at the top was likewise in good order. Nor was it less surprising, after so much stormy weather, to find that the ruble building, with Pozzolano’s mortar, used in filling several holes in the site of the Beacon, remained in its place, having now become fully as hard as the adjoining parts of the rock. Although it was found that the bracing-chains could not withstand the shaking and tremulous motion of the Beacon, yet they were again set up and tightened, with the exception of the two that had lifted their bats, with a mass of the rock; which were knocked off altogether. It is here worthy of remark, that the bolts of the bracing screws had always a tendency to unlock, and one of the nuts, as before noticed, had even unscrewed no less than three inches. To prevent this in future, a piece of small wire was turned round the threads of each screw, which had a tendency to preserve them; but still the chains stretched, became loose, and broke their eye-bolts, or lifted part of the rock with the strain. The bracing-chains may, however, be conceived to have had some effect in checking the force of the waves, as was observable in the operation of the sea upon the extensive beds of marine plants. It often happened, when heavy seas were rolling along the Bell Rock, which at a distance threatened to overrun the whole, that, upon reaching these beds of fuci, with which the flat and level parts of the rock were thickly coated, the velocity and force of the waves were immediately checked, and in a great measure destroyed. [Sidenote: Professor Playfair’s observations about the unlocking of screws.]