if they could only get on shore, they would
never come on the water again. Stevenson made his way on deck and
looked around. The billows seemed to be ten or fifteen feet high, and
each appeared as if about to overwhelm the ship. One man, a black,
lashed himself to the foremast, and kept watch in case the ship should
break loose from her moorings. The next morning the sun rose and the
gale abated, but the sea was still very rough, and at the Bell Rock the
spray was thrown up to a height of forty or fifty feet. When, at last,
the waters had grown calm, and Stevenson was able again to visit the
rock, he found that the force of the sea had removed six immense blocks
of granite twelve or fifteen paces off; and in the smith's forge the
ash-pan, though it had a heavy cast-iron back, had been washed away,
and was found on the opposite side of the rock. Stevenson thought
there was no time to lose, so he and the men worked away at the
building, which was to be a home for the workmen, and a temporary
beacon. They finished the erection in about one hundred and three
hours; and thinking of their heroic, courageous and persevering
conduct, one is reminded of the building of Nehemiah's wall, which was
even less difficult and dangerous than this work on the Bell Rock:--"So
built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half
thereof; _for the people had a mind to work_."

On the 6th day of October, the Bell Rock lighthouse builders
relinquished work for that year, having done little more than erect the
temporary workshops and beacon. They were still engaged, however, in
preparing materials for the lighthouse; and the stones were laid down
as they would be in the building. They were then carefully marked and
numbered, and made all ready to be used as soon as possible. In the
summer of the next year the undaunted men were on the rock again. On
the 10th of July the foundation-stone was laid; on which Mr. Stevenson
pronounced these words: "May the great Architect of the universe
complete and bless this building!" The men then gave three cheers, and
drank to the success of the lighthouse.

They worked on that year till the 21st September; and began again--the
next on the 27th of May. On the 8th of July, they found to their great
joy that the tide, even at high water, did not overflow the building;
and so glad were they that they hoisted flags everywhere and fired a
salute of three guns. By the 25th of August,