twelve o'clock
The officer of the deck one day made his report to the captain -- `` The sun 's up , sir . '' `` What is the latitude ? '' `` Fifty minutes north , sir . '' `` Very well -- make it twelve o'clock . '' `` Strike eight-bells , quartermaster ! '' And away went the old fellow `` forward , '' to strike the bell , brimful of the intelligence he had just overheard ; and in two minutes it was known all over the ship , that , if the breeze held , they would cross the `` line '' before morning . `` There it is at last , '' muttered one of the middies , who had been for some minutes apparently straining his eyes through a three-foot `` Dollond , '' and who , knowing he was within ear-shot of a knot of young cadets , _ muttered _ loud enough to be overheard .