I give, from Mr. Stevenson’s “Journal,” the following curious account of the first visit he made to the rock; and it may perhaps be as well to say that all quotations7 made from what I have called his “Journal” are records of what he roughly noted8 down at the time in the form of a Diary, and are on that account perhaps all the more interesting, at least to non-professional readers.
“14th Sept. 1813.—Waited upon Sir Robert Calder, Admiral of the port of Plymouth, on the 13th, in consequence of letters from Lord Melville relative to a vessel9 to carry me to the Wolf Rock.
“The Admiral accordingly appointed the ‘Orestes,’ Captain Smith, to proceed with me to the Wolf, and after landing me there, and having made my observations, Captain Smith was directed to land me at any port most convenient for me, according to the state of the weather. Captain Smith, in consequence of this order, and169 to suit my convenience, got the ‘Orestes’ in readiness two days sooner than he otherwise intended, and I embarked10 on the 14th at 2 P.M. agreeably to appointment.
“The Captain took me by the hand and welcomed me on board His Majesty’s ship, and introduced me to his first lieutenant11, Mr. Fallick. He then proceeded to give orders for casting off, which was done in an instant after the word was given. The ‘Orestes’ is properly a gun brig, but rigged as a ship, has 28 guns and 100 men. Kept plying12 to windward, and in the evening had the Eddystone light in view, still upon our lee quarter, distant eight or ten miles.
“15th.—Kept working along the shore all day, and at 7 P.M. a pilot from Mousehole by Penzance came on board. Upon consulting the pilot, he recommended that the ship should be brought to an anchor in Mounts Bay, or rather Newland Road, all night, as it would answer no good purpose to go round the land so soon after a fresh gale13 of wind, with the view of landing on the Wolf, which he represented as being only practicable in the finest of summer weather. This was poor heartening. The Captain submitted to me whether it were not more advisable to come to an anchor, in which, with all submission14 to him, I consented. The ship, accordingly, was brought to an anchor in twelve fathoms15, clean sand.
“On board of the ‘Orestes’ two of the people were punished,—one for threatening to knock down the serjeant of marines, while on duty, received three dozen; another who offered an insult to a lieutenant, received one dozen.
“I was sitting below, the time this was going forward, when all hands were piped on deck, and the Captain began to read the Articles of War. He had previously17 said to me that two men were in irons, whom he meant to punish and liberate18. I went upon deck to learn the cause of all being so quiet, and discovering what was intended, I went below and waited in great suspense19 till the men began to call out for mercy. I took the liberty of sending a note170 to the Captain—the circumstances were so painful to me—to see if he could remit20 any part of the punishment, to which I afterwards understood he had listened, as he did not give them so many lashes21 as was intended. Captain Smith had by no means the character of a severe commander, as I understood from some of the officers he had been two years in the ship, and had only punished twice.
“About 9 P.M., while the Captain and myself were at supper, we heard a conversation between the pilot and Mr. Fallick, the first lieutenant, about a vessel being on fire. The former was of opinion that it was a pilchard boat, the crew of which were roasting pilchards, while Mr. Fallick insisted that it was a vessel on fire. In a short time the vessel or boat appeared to be in flames, and with all sail set she approached the ‘Orestes.’ On shore the people of Penzance and Mousehole were afraid of the ‘Orestes’ taking fire and discharging a broadside upon the town. In the meantime the vessel on fire approached the ‘Orestes’ so directly that Captain Smith gave orders to veer22 out all the cable, stand by to cut or bend on more rope, according to circumstances.
“The weather became moderate, and we had little or no wind, and the vessel on fire (which turned out to be a sloop23 of 80 or 90 tons, bound for St. Sebastian with bottled porter and bale goods) passed ahead of the ‘Orestes’ about half a cable’s length. Her hull24 was then completely on fire, but the rigging and sails had not then caught fire, and she kept an undeviating course till she grounded on the shore.
“Captain Smith then despatched officers and men in three boats to endeavour to save as much as possible, but a report having gone abroad that she had gunpowder25 on board no person ventured near the vessel on fire till it was too late to be of any service, and in the morning when Captain Smith and I went on shore nothing remained but the keel and a few of the ‘futtocks’ half burned, and the mast over by the deck, the lower part having been consumed by the171 flames. The vessel was just getting under weigh when the accident occurred, through the carelessness of a boy, who set a lighted candle into a crate26 of straw in which bottles were packed. The crew soon afterwards appear to have carelessly deserted27 the vessel and landed at Mounts Bay, three miles from Mousehole, and appear not to have been very active in doing what was in their power. The loss of ship and cargo28 was estimated at ￡14,000.
“16th.—Got under weigh at 6 P.M., and left Mousehole Bay with an intention to go round the land; but the weather fell calm, and after shutting in the Lizard29 lights came to an anchor in Mounts Bay till next morning. The Lizard lights appeared to very great advantage.
“17th.—Got under weigh at 6 A.M., wind shifting from southwest to east with a fine breeze, and at 11 A.M. got up with the Wolf Rock. At 12 noon two boats were manned—one commanded by a midshipman, and the other by Lieutenant Fallick, into which I went, and after pulling round and round the rock with both boats, sounding all the while, we made preparations for landing. Mr. Fallick arranged his boat’s crew, and let go a grapling over the stern, then veered30 away upon this stern rope watching a smooth, and when the boat was near enough the young man (the same who had two days before got one dozen of lashes) appointed to land with a bow rope to make fast, leaped upon the rock, and upon these two ropes the boat was hauled off and on with great ease and facility. In this manner Lieutenant Fallick landed next, then I landed, but not without much difficulty, and watching an opportunity to get on the rock with a smooth between the seas.
“Upon leaving the ship, about a quarter of a mile from the rock, I began to sound, and at from two to three cables’ length off the rock have 41, 40, and 38 fathoms water, with shell sand of a fair colour. At about one cable’s length have 13 fathoms, same bottom. Within this distance have 10, 8, 5, 3?, and 2 fathoms, chiefly rocky bottom.
172 “The rock is steep in all directions; the south-west if anything draws to a point with rather less water near it than in other directions.
“At low water of a neap tide the rock appeared to be about twelve or fourteen feet in perpendicular31 height above the surface of the water. Its surface is very irregular, jutting32 up in masses of from six to ten feet in height. These inequalities all presented marked and angular outlines, terminating in well-defined points and edges. The central part of the rock is formed pretty much into a hollow, where there have been some quarrying33 operations in fixing the beacon34 which was erected35 upon it. The margin36 of the rock is upon the whole pretty regular, as it appears jutting out of the water. On the eastern side it is not so regularly formed at the water’s edge as on the western side. It slopes outwards37, and seems to form a large stool in every direction. At some places there are guts38 or slips in the rock, but none of these are large enough to be useful for a boat landing at. The best and perhaps the only landing place is at the north-east side, where the rock is most precipitous.
“Taking the dimensions in the largest directions with the lead-line, in fathoms, it measured twenty-two fathoms in a north-east and south-west direction, and sixteen fathoms in a north-west and south-east direction.
“Upon the surface in the middle, at the hollow place, I found a hole of six inches in depth, and about nine inches square, and connected with it, at six feet distant, three holes for bats, which I presume to have been the step of the beacon, and the iron bats were still to be seen which had been used as guys. This fragile affair appears to have wanted base and every requisite39 suited to such an exposed situation and important purpose, and accordingly the beacon, with a wolf of metallic40 work, erected by a Lieutenant Smith, who erected the Longships Lighthouse, is said not to have remained longer than a few days, and was carried away in the first storm.
173 “Besides these holes and bats, which last seem not to have exceeded 1? inch iron in strength, I found several eye bolts in different parts of the rock, particularly at the landing place, which had been put in to make fast boats, etc., while the beacon was being erected.
“The surface of the rock is extremely rugged41, and running in every direction into sharp angular points. The rock seems to run in beds from an inch to a foot in thickness. It has much the appearance of limestone42, but upon a narrow inspection43 it turns out to be porphyry. It is covered with the barnacle, many limpets of a very large size—say two inches diameter,—and mussels. These were the only animal productions that were found upon it. Of the marine16 fuci there were two or three varieties.
“That it would be practicable to erect5 a building upon this rock I have no doubt, but from its shape and figure, and the great depth of water in all directions round it, together with the smallness of its dimensions, it would be a work of great difficulty, and be attended with much expense and great hazard.
“I am therefore of opinion that it might cost from ￡80,000 to ￡90,000 to erect a lighthouse at the Wolf, with all the requisite buildings and appointments, like the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
“In a conversation on this subject with Lieutenant Smith in 1806 (who had erected the beacon on the Wolf), he pronounced it as an impracticable work. But his opinion, from the work he had performed at the Longships, and other circumstances, made very little impression upon my mind, at the time, in regard to the Bell Rock, and since seeing the Wolf Rock I think his arguments were ill founded, and I am perfectly44 decided45 in opinion that the work is a practicable one.
“The wind being nearly easterly, and consequently unfavourable for returning with dispatch to Plymouth, the captain gravely proposed that we should stand towards ‘the Bay’ for a few days, when it might shift. Not being fully46 aware of what was meant by174 the Bay, I put the question, when to my surprise he meant the Bay of Biscay, and said we should see St. Sebastian, which had just fallen; but to this I replied, that I should much rather be landed at the Land’s End. He was constantly on the outlook for prizes, and as I came not to fight I wanted much to be on shore, that I might pursue my way to Bath, where I knew Mr. Rae, the Sheriff of Edinburgh, would be waiting my return to proceed upon the visit to the Prisons on our return to Scotland.
“The ship was therefore directed to steer47 for the Land’s End, and the pilot took the ship within the Longships Lighthouse, and he and I landed at Sennan on the same evening.
“Having procured48 horses for myself and luggage, I set off immediately for Penzance, which I reached about 10 o’clock at night, the 17th September, much pleased with my trip upon the whole.
“18th.—Leave Penzance, and reach Falmouth by the fly.
“19th.—Leave Falmouth, and that same night, or early next morning, reach Exeter.
“20th.—At 6 A.M. leave Exeter, and 8 P.M. reach Bath.
“From Plymouth to the Wolf, and returning to Bath, only eight days.”
Mr. Stevenson at a subsequent date made another visit to the Wolf, accompanied by an assistant, when a careful survey was made, followed by a well-considered design, which is shown in Plate IX., and is described by him as follows:—
PLATE IX.
DESIGN FOR WOLF ROCK LIGHT HOUSE.
W. & A. K. Johnston, Edinburgh.
“Plate IX. is the section of a design formed by the revolution of the parabola round the axis49 of a building, as its asymptote, whose base measures fifty-six feet in diameter, and parallel at the top of the solid is thirty-six feet; and height to the entrance door, thirty-five feet. The contents of this figure between these175 parallels is calculated at 45,000 cubic feet; but the whole of the masonry50 of the design is estimated at 70,624 cubic feet. Its general features may be stated as similar to those of the Eddystone and Bell Rock Lighthouses, the parts being only enlarged, and the parabolic instead of the logarithmic curve adopted for its outline. In this design, the parabolic curve is continued from the basement to the copestone of the light room, exclusively of the projection51 for the cornice and balcony. The masonry is intended to be 120 feet in height, estimating from the medium level of the sea, of which the solid, or from the foundation to the entrance door, forms thirty-five feet, the staircase twenty-five feet, and the remaining sixty feet of its height is occupied with six apartments, and the walls of the light room. In the staircase a recess52 is formed for containing the machinery53 for raising the stores to the height of the entrance door; here a small hole is perforated through the building for the admission of the purchase chain. The thickness of the walls immediately above the solid is twelve feet; at the top of the stone staircase they are eight feet, and where the walls are thinnest, immediately under the cornice, they measure two feet. A drop hole formed in the courses of the staircase and solid, provides for the range of the weight of a revolving54 light. The ascent55 to this building, as at the Bell Rock, is intended to be by an exterior56 stair or ladder of brass57, and the interior communication between the several apartments by means of flights of circular oaken steps.”
The only estimate Mr. Stevenson ever made of the work was that already stated in his Journal, at a cost of ￡80,000 to ￡90,000 for the tower and requisite dwellings58 for the lightkeepers and crew of attending vessel ashore59.
Mr. Stevenson’s original visit was, as we have seen, made in 1813, and in 1870, after a lapse60 of fifty-seven176 years, the present tower on the Wolf Rock, the joint61 work of the late Mr. James Walker and of Mr. James N. Douglass, was successfully accomplished62 under the auspices63 of the Trinity House. The cost of the tower, exclusively of the shore establishment, which it was unnecessary to provide, was ￡62,726, being not very different from the estimate of Mr. Stevenson (from ￡80,000 to ￡90,000), which included a shore establishment.
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1
adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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commissioners
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| n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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erecting
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| v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立 | |
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quotations
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| n.引用( quotation的名词复数 )；[商业]行情（报告）；（货物或股票的）市价；时价 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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12
plying
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的现在分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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14
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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liberate
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| v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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remit
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| v.汇款，汇寄；豁免（债务），免除（处罚等） | |
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lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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veer
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| vt.转向，顺时针转，改变；n.转向 | |
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sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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25
gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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veered
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| v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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quarrying
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| v.采石；从采石场采得( quarry的现在分词 )；从（书本等中）努力发掘（资料等）；在采石场采石 | |
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beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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outwards
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| adj.外面的，公开的，向外的；adv.向外；n.外形 | |
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guts
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| v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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limestone
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| n.石灰石 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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47
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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axis
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| n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线 | |
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50
masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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51
projection
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| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
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52
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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54
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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62
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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auspices
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| n.资助，赞助 | |
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