On this first visit to the Bell Rock, the writer was accompanied by his friend Mr James Haldane, architect, formerly principal assistant to the late eminent Mr John Baxter. The crew being unwilling to risk their boat into any of the creeks in the rock, very properly observing that the lives of all depended upon her safety, and as we could only remain upon the rock for two or three hours at most, we landed upon a shelving part on the south side of the rock, at the spot marked “First Landing” on Plate VI. Having been extremely fortunate both as to the state of the weather and tides, an opportunity was afforded of making a sketch of the rock at low water: meantime, the boatmen were busily employed in searching all the holes and crevices in quest of articles of shipwreck, and by the time that the tide overflowed the rock, they had collected upwards of 2 cwt. of old metal, consisting of such things as are used on shipboard. A few of these were kept by the writer, such as a hinge and lock of a door, a ship’s marking-iron, a piece of a ship’s coboose (or _kambuis_, cover of the cooking-place), a soldier’s bayonet, a canon ball, several pieces of money, a shoe-buckle, &c.; while the heavier and more bulky articles, as a piece of a kedge-anchor, cabin-stove, crowbars, &c. were left with the crew, who were, however, disposed to make very light of their booty, when it was urged in extenuation of an extravagant demand which they made for the boat’s freight, being at the rate of one guinea _per_ man, and one guinea for the use of the boat, besides expences, amounting altogether to about eleven guineas. [Sidenote: He concludes that a building of stone is most suitable for the Bell Rock.] The immediate result of this visit on the mind of the writer and of Mr Haldane, was a firm conviction of the practicability of erecting a building of stone upon the Bell Rock; and from that moment the idea of a pillar-formed light-house was rejected, as unsuitable to the situation. This opinion was chiefly founded upon the area or extent of the part which dried, or was exposed to view in the spring-tides, being found to measure about 280 by 300 feet, and consequently affording a sufficient space for a foundation, and even a degree of shelter from the force of the waves, for the lower courses of a building. [Sidenote: Pillar-formed building compared with one of stone.]