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[Page 58]
sleep till 8 bells again when he takes another shift. The time on the ship is kept by several chronometers so that any error in one clock is allowed for in another. Some vessels have five chronometers which keep Greenwich time. Time is most important & an error of 1 second may throw calculations out 60 miles. Greenwich time is only used for navigation purposes. Otherwise the time used is that of the particular meridian. At 12 noon the Sucani at the wheel reaches up to the ship's bell hung over the wheel & strikes 8 bells – in 4 sets of 2 rings. 12.30pm one bell or one stroke. 1.00pm-2 bells 1.30pm-3 bells 2pm-4 bells & so on up to 4pm when 8 bells are struck again. This goes on day & night with the difference made in the first & second "dogwatches" between 4pm & 8pm. Thus at 4pm 8 bells are struck. Five oclock 2 bells. Six o'clock 8 bells. Seven oclock 6 bells & Eight oclock 8 bells. During the time between sunset & sunrise a Calassey is stationed at the bow of the boat to give warning of any approaching steamer or land & he repeats the bells rung from the bridge on a larger one in the bow. Every hour too he sings "Batti-atchi" in a weird voice which means "lights all right & burning bright". He is in a position to see all the ship's lights.