264 THE KETUKX. 



quaintance with each other on the voyage back to Amer< 

 ica, at the end of the tour, than when crossing the ocean 

 on their way to Europe, at the beginning. They are tired 

 of excitement and change, and their minds are occupied 

 with recollections of the scenes they have visited, the pleas- 

 ures they have enjoyed, the vexations and disappointments 

 which they have suffered, and with thoughts of home. 



After a time the wind and the waves subsided, and Law- 

 rence and John began to come up oftener to the deck. One 

 day when they were sitting there, about noon, waiting for 

 the officers who were engaged at their observations to 

 "make it 12 o'clock," and for the luncheon bell, which they 

 knew would be rung as soon as the waiters should hear 

 eight bells strike, John took out his watch, and, finding 

 that it was after twelve by it, he asked Lawrence why they 

 did not strike eight bells. 

 "It is after twelve," said he. 



" But you have not got our true time," said Lawrence. 

 " Yes," replied John, "I set my watch by the ship's clock 

 this morning." 



"Ah ! that \vas yesterday's time," said Lawrence. " We 

 have run two or three hundred miles to the westward since 

 yesterday, arid it will not be twelve o'clock here until the 

 sun has had time to come all that distance from where we 

 were when it was noon yesterday." 



John then asked some questions about the mode of mak- 

 ing observations at sea. Lawrence said that the midday 

 observation was for the latitude only, which they deter- 

 mined by the altitude of the sun at noon. The altitude of 

 the sun, when it passes the meridian, varies from day to 

 day for the same place, and it also varies with the distance 

 of the place from the equator ; so that by finding the alti- 

 tude by means of the sextant, and looking in the tables, 

 the particular latitude which gives that altitude on that 



