HOMEWARD BOUND. 129

officer of the deck the hour. The officer then bids the
messenger of the watch to strike the bell. There is
more formality at eight bells; then the hour is reported
to the captain, and the bell is not struck until he has said,
‘Make it so... When ships are cruising in squadrons, with
a stiff disciplinarian for admiral, the whole fleet, if lying
in port, awaits the flagship’s bells, for that craft is the
timekeeper of the fleet, and shortly before seven bells in
the morning-watch a time signal is displayed by her. At
exactly half-past seven this drops, the clocks on all the
ships are set, and seven bells is struck throughout the
fleet.”

«Tf I continue to learn at this rate I shall soon con-
sider myself prepared for a position as midshipman at the
very least,” Miss Dunham said, laughingly.

“Then it would, perhaps, be best to get the whole of
this lesson. When I am giving a lecture on bells, I don’t
like to be cut out of any part of it.”

“T won't interrupt again,’ was the mock - penitent
reply; “but really, I thought you had finished.”

“When a ship carries a chaplain, the bell is tolled for
service Sunday morning; but is silent during a funeral.
It is also the fire signal, except in action, when it is not
used, lest the knowledge that there is a fire on board
should throw the crew into a panic and distract the men
from their business of fighting. The bell is employed by
all nations, save the Turks, as a fog signal. When a ship
lies at anchor in a fog, the bell is kept going with strokes
in sets of threes, separated by a short interval. The