ted at dinner-time on
board of one of these wonderful vessels. As the hour of noon
approaches, the cooks of the messes may be seen coming up the fore
and main hatchways with their mess-kids in their hands, the hoops of
which are kept as bright as silver, and the woodwork as neat and as
clean as the pail of the most tidy dairymaid. The grog also is now
mixed in a large tub, under the half-deck, by the quarter-masters of
the watch below, assisted by other leading and responsible men
among the ship's company, closely superintended, of course, by the
mate of the hold, to see that no liquor is abstracted, and also by
the purser's steward, who regulates the exact quantity of spirits
and of water to be measured out. The seamen, whose next turn it is
to take the wheel, or heave the lead, or who have to mount the
mast-head to look out, as well as the marines who are to be planted
as sentries at noon, are allowed to take both their dinner and their
grog beforehand. These persons are called 'seven-bell-men,' from the
hour at which they have their allowance served to them.

"Long before twelve o'clock all these and various other minor
preparations have been so completely made, that there is generally a
remarkable stillness over the whole ship just before the important
moment of noon arrives. The boatswain stands near the break of the
forecastle, with his bright silver call or whistle in his hand,
which ever and anon he places just at the tip of his lips to blow
out any crumbs which threaten to interfere with its melody, or to
give a faint' too-weet, too-weet,' as a preparatory note to fix the
attention of the boatswain's mates, who being, like their chief,
provided with calls, station themselves at intervals along the
main-deck, ready to give due accompaniment to their leader's tune.

"The boatswain keeps his eye on the group of observers, and well
knows when the 'sun is up' by the stir which takes place amongst the
astronomers; or by noticing the master working out his latitude
with a pencil on the ebony bar of his quadrant or on the edge of the
hammock railing,--though, if he be one of your modern, neat-handed
navigators, he carries his look-book for this purpose. In one way or
other the latitude is computed as soon as the master is satisfied
the sun has reached his highest altitude in the heavens. He then
walks aft to the officer of the watch, and reports twelve o'clock,
communicating also the degrees and minutes of the latitu