7:30 p.m.
She 's been altered , and had her name changed ; I remember reading about it somewhere . '' `` Good heavens ! '' exclaimed the skipper _ sotto voce _ to the chief mate who was standing next him ; `` why , before the voyage is over the man will be telling us that the _ Galatea _ is her own longboat lengthened and raised upon . '' At 7:30 p.m. the hands were mustered , when the chief and second officers proceeded to pick the watches . Bob , to his great satisfaction , found himself included in the chief officer 's watch , with Ralph Neville for a companion . They were told off , with two able and two ordinary seamen , for duty on the mizzen-mast ; the two lads being also required to keep the time and strike the bell , in spells of two hours each . By seven bells in the first watch -LRB- 11:30 p.m. -RRB- the _ Galatea _ was off the North Foreland , with a nice little breeze blowing from E.N.E. All hands were then called , the canvas was loosed and set , the tow-rope cast off by the tug and hauled inboard , and the voyage , which was to prove of so eventful a character to those entering upon it , may be said to have fairly commenced .