make a tack towards the
rock, she had drifted at least three miles to leeward, with the praam
boat astern; and, having both the Wind and a tide against her, the
writer perceived, with no little anxiety, that she could not possibly
return to the rock till long after its being overflowed; for, owing to
the anomaly of the tides formerly noticed, the Bell Rock is completely
under water when the ebb abates to the offing.

In this perilous predicament, indeed, he found himself placed between
hope and despair--but certainly the latter was by much the most
predominant feeling of his mind--situate upon a sunken rock in the
middle of the ocean, which, in the progress of the flood-tide, was to be
laid under water to the depth of at least twelve feet in a stormy sea.
There were this morning thirty-two persons in all upon the rock, with
only two boats, whose complement, even in good weather, did not exceed
twenty-four sitters; but to row to the floating light with so much wind,
and in so heavy a sea, a complement of eight men for each boat was as
much as could, with propriety, be attempted, so that, in this way, about
one-half of our number was unprovided for. Under these circumstances,
had the writer ventured to despatch one of the boats in expectation of
either working the _Smeaton_ sooner up towards the rock, or in hopes of
getting her boat brought to our assistance, this must have given an
immediate alarm to the artificers, each of whom would have insisted upon
taking to his own boat, and leaving the eight artificers belonging to
the _Smeaton_ to their chance. Of course a scuffle might have ensued,
and it is hard to say, in the ardour of men contending for life, where
it might have ended. It has even been hinted to the writer that a party
of the _pickmen_ were determined to keep exclusively to their own boat
against all hazards.

The unfortunate circumstance of the _Smeaton_ and her boat having
drifted was, for a considerable time, only known to the writer and to
the landing-master, who removed to the farther point of the rock, where
he kept his eye steadily upon the progress of the vessel. While the
artificers were at work, chiefly in sitting or kneeling postures,
excavating the rock, or boring with the jumpers, and while their
numerous hammers, with the sound of the smith's anvil, continued, the
situation of things did not appear so awful. In this state of suspense,
with almost certain destruction at hand, the water began to