The site of the foundation-stone was very difficult to work, from its depth in the Rock, but being now nearly prepared, it formed a very agreeable kind of pastime, at high-water, for all hands to land it upon the Rock. The landing-master’s crew and artificers accordingly entered with great spirit into this operation. The stone was placed upon the deck of the Hedderwick Praam-boat, which had just been brought from Leith, and was decorated with colours for the occasion. Flags were also displayed from the shipping in the offing, and upon the Beacon. Here the writer took his station with the greater part of the artificers, who supported themselves in every possible position while the boats towed the praam from her moorings, and brought her immediately over the site of the building where her grappling anchors were let go. The stone was then lifted off the deck by a tackle hooked into a Lewis-bat, inserted into it; when it was gently lowered into the water, and grounded on the site of the building, amidst the cheering acclamations of about sixty persons. The landing of this stone at high-water became necessary, from there being still a want of a sufficient length of railway for conveying it along the Rock at low-water to the site of the building. But this method was rarely resorted to, as it was apt to skirt or break the edges of the stones; and as a continuation of good weather was not to be calculated upon, it was observed as a rule never to land more stones in any one tide than could be built, because the force of the sea was more than sufficient to remove the heaviest stones, as we have seen in the case of the first six blocks of granite which were landed by way of experiment, and also of the cast-iron mushroom anchor, which was drifted about the Rock, although it weighed upwards of a ton. The boats landed at half-past 7 this evening, and the artificers immediately began to bale and pump the water from the foundation-pit, and the work was afterwards continued by torch-light till a quarter-past 11, having had three hours’ and a quarter’s work this tide. [Sidenote: Sunday, 10th.] [Sidenote: Foundation-stone laid with masonic ceremony.]