Amidst a diversity of opinion as to the practicability of the undertaking, and especially as to the description of the building, whether it should be of cast-iron or stone, and in the form of pillars or solid, the Commissioners ultimately determined upon submitting the several views of the subject to Mr John Rennie, engineer. In the year 1804, Mr Rennie and the writer accompanied Mr Hamilton, Sheriff of Lanarkshire, one of the Commissioners, and who had turned much of his attention to the subject, on a visit to the Bell Rock. They made a favourable landing; and Mr Rennie had only been a short time upon the rock, when he gave his decided opinion upon the practicability of the proposed erection of stone. He had examined the author’s designs and models, and afterwards made a Report, in which he coincided with him in recommending to the Board the adoption of a building of stone, on the principles of the Eddystone Light-house. Sanctioned with such authority, the Commissioners were finally confirmed in the resolution, that the Bell Rock Light-house should be a tower of masonry similar to that of the Eddystone. [Sidenote: The Light-house Board takes the sense of the Mercantile Interest in this measure.] Hitherto the general opinion throughout the country, and especially at all the sea-ports, had been anxiously expressed for the erection of a light-house of some kind on the Bell Rock. But before going a second time to Parliament with this measure, the Commissioners thought it advisable to take the sense of the mercantile interest at the ports more immediately connected with the navigation of the Firth of Forth, such as Leith, Aberdeen, Dundee, Montrose, Arbroath, and Berwick-upon-Tweed, as to the utility of the light-house, and the propriety of obtaining an act of Parliament, to empower them to levy duties for the erection and maintenance of the proposed building. A number of Reports were accordingly received, all approving of the measure; but one of these only need be inserted, from the Corporation of Traders in Leith, as it may be considered as conveying the sentiments of all the others. [Sidenote: Report of the Traders of Leith.] REPORT of the COMMITTEE appointed by the Incorporation of the Traders in Leith, relative to the expediency of erecting a Light-house on the Cape or Bell Rock. “The Committee, justly sensible of the great importance of the object referred to their consideration, have endeavoured to inform themselves, more especially on those points to which their attention is particularly called by the letter of the Commissioners. “The result of these inquiries, as far as regards the number of vessels known, from the safety of the crews, to have been wrecked upon the Bell Rock, within these last ten years, amount to four, viz. two smacks trading between London and Banff, one brig from Holland, and a sloop from Hamburgh.